Ghazal

The ghazal is mainly a poetic form than a musical form, but it is more song-like than the thumri. The ghazal is described as the “pride of Urdu poetry”. The ghazal never exceeds 12 shers (couplets) and on an average, ghazals usually have about 7 shers.

Even though ghazal began with Amir Khusro in northern India, Deccan in the south was its home in the early stages. It developed and evolved in the courts of Golconda and Bijapur under the patronage of Muslim rulers. Most of the major Ghazal poets were either Sufis (Example Rumi / Hafiz) or were influenced with Sufism. Most early Ghazals were written in spiritual context, unreciprocated love from God as beloved.

The 18th and 19th centuries are regarded as the golden period of the ghazal with Delhi and Lucknow being its main centres.

Role of Ghazal in Indian Culture

Ghazal is one of the most enduring specimens of India’s composite culture (Ganga- Jamuni tehzeeb). During the last few decades of 20th century, Ghazal was most popular form of music in India and Pakistan. It was made popular by Jagjit Singh, Parveen Sultana, Pankaj Udhas etc. in India, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali in Pakistan and Runa Laila in Bangladesh. In the decades of 1970s to 1990s, Ghazals played a role of unifying factor between the people of Indian sub-continent.