Aryan invasion debate

[Bharat Gupt]

C.R. Selvakumar wrote:

>      Tamil music, a branch of which today is called Carnatic
>      music,  is more than 2000 years old but in the last 50-60 years,
>      there is undoubtedly a tendency to sing mostly the 'Trinity's
>      krithis and there are also a large number of brAhmana exponents.
>      The art of Carnatic music is in no small measure advanced by
>      great Naagasuram players none of whom is a brAhmana (except may be one
>      or two who are not exponents anyway).
>      In short what you are claiming is a gross distortion.

The Aryan-Dravidian debate need uphold the lower caste of Nagasuram players as
a repository of Tamil originality of Caranatic music.

Music, by the way, is not the literary content of vocal compositions, whether it be the
kritis of South or bandish or prabandhas of North. Music of every region also is a
grammatical system. All Indian musical scales "melas" of South and "thaats" of North are
classifications made after the Turkish invasion  and a strong conditioning by  the
Arabic/Iranian  maqam system (derived from the "harmonai" of Greeks) of twelve notes is
not ruled out.
The ancient Indian system of Graama-murcchanaa classification (followed in toto by
Chilapadikaram) prevailed in the North and the South as well till 13th century
approximately.
Even the ancient Indian system shows deep parallels with the Greek system.
Originality and separate identity,  Tamil or  Northen Aryan is not so easy to locate.
Bharat Gupt
Associate Prof. Delhi Univ.