Modern
Vande Mataram (also pronounced Bande Mataram) (IAST: Vande MÄtaram) (English Translation: Mother, I bow to thee) is a Bengali poem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1870s, which he included in his 1882 novel Anandamath. The poem was composed into song by Rabindranath Tagore.[1] The first two verses of the song were adopted as the National Song of India in October 1937 by the Congress Working Committee prior to the end of colonial rule in August 1947.[2][3][4]
An ode to the Mother goddess, it was written in Bengali script in the novel Anandmath.[5] The title 'Bande Mataram' means 'I praise thee, Mother' or 'I praise to thee, Mother'.[1][6] The 'mother goddess' in later verses of the song has been interpreted as the motherland of the people â Bangamata (Mother Bengal) and Bharat Mata (Mother India),[7][8] though the text does not mention this explicitly.
It played a vital role in the Indian independence movement, first sung in a political context by Rabindranath Tagore at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.[9] It became a popular marching song for political activism and Indian freedom movement in 1905.[1] Spiritual Indian nationalist and philosopher Sri Aurobindo referred it as 'National Anthem of Bengal'.[10] The song and the novel containing it was banned by the British government, but workers and general public defied the ban, many went to colonial prisons repeatedly for singing it, and the ban was overturned by the Indians after they gained independence from the colonial rule.[11][12]
In 1950 (after India's independence), the first two verses of the song were declared the 'national song' of the Republic of India, distinct from the national anthem of India, Jana Gana Mana. The first two verses of the song are an abstract reference to mother and motherland, they do not mention any Hindu deity by name, unlike later verses that do mention goddesses such as Durga.[13][14] There is no time limit or circumstantial specification for the rendition of this song [unlike the national anthem Jana Gana Mana that specifies 52 seconds].[15]
Etymology[edit]
The root of the Sanskrit word Vande is Vand, which appears in Rigveda and other Vedic texts.[16][note 1] According to Monier Monier-Williams, depending on the context, vand means 'to praise, celebrate, laud, extol, to show honour, do homage, salute respectfully', or 'deferentially, venerate, worship, adore', or 'to offer anything respectfully to'.[16][17] The word MÄtaram has Indo-European roots in mÄtár- (Sanskrit), méter (Greek), mâter (Latin) which mean 'mother'.[18][19]
Lyrics of the National Song[edit]
The first two verses of Vande Mataram adopted as the 'National Song' read as follows:
Lyrics[edit]
The complete original lyrics of the Vande Mataram is available at Vande Mataram â via Wikisource..
Translation[edit]
The first translation of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Anandamath, including the poem Vande Mataram, into English was by Nares Chandra Sen-Gupta, with the fifth edition published in 1906 titled 'The Abbey of Bliss'.[22]
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Here is the translation in prose of the above two stanzas rendered by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. This has also been adopted by the Government of India's national portal.[9] The original Vande Mataram consists of six stanzas and the translation in prose for the complete poem by Shri Aurobindo appeared in Karmayogin, 20 November 1909.[23]
Mother, I praise thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams, bright with orchard gleams, Cool with thy winds of delight, Dark fields waving Mother of might, Mother free. Glory of moonlight dreams, Over thy branches and lordly streams, Clad in thy blossoming trees, Mother, giver of ease Laughing low and sweet! Mother I kiss thy feet, Speaker sweet and low! Mother, to thee I praise thee. [Verse 1] Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands When the swords flash out in seventy million hands And seventy million voices roar Thy dreadful name from shore to shore? With many strengths who art mighty and stored, To thee I call Mother and Lord! Thou who savest, arise and save! To her I cry who ever her foeman drove Back from plain and Sea And shook herself free. [Verse 2] Thou art wisdom, thou art law, Thou art heart, our soul, our breath Thou art love divine, the awe In our hearts that conquers death. Thine the strength that nerves the arm, Thine the beauty, thine the charm. Every image made divine In our temples is but thine. [Verse 3] Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned, And the Muse a hundred-toned, Pure and perfect without peer, Mother lend thine ear, Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleems, Dark of hue O candid-fair [Verse 4] In thy soul, with bejeweled hair And thy glorious smile divine, Loveliest of all earthly lands, Showering wealth from well-stored hands! Mother, mother mine! Mother sweet, I praise thee, Mother great and free! [Verse 5]
Apart from the above prose translation, Sri Aurobindo also translated Vande Mataram into a verse form known as Mother, I praise thee!.[24]Sri Aurobindo commented on his English translation of the poem that 'It is difficult to translate the National Song of India into verse in another language owing to its unique union of sweetness, simple directness and high poetic force.'[25]
Translation into other languages[edit]
Vande Mataram has inspired many Indian poets and has been translated into numerous Indian languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Assamese, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi Urdu and others.[26][note 2]
History and significance[edit]Composition[edit]
Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was one of the earliest graduates of the newly established Calcutta University. After his BA, he joined the British Indian government as a civil servant, becoming a District Magistrate and later a District Collector. Chattopadhyay was very interested in recent events in Indian and Bengali history, particularly the Revolt of 1857 and the previous century's Sanyasi Rebellion.[28] Around the same time, the administration was trying to promote 'God Save the Queen' as the anthem for Indian subjects, which Indian nationalists disliked. It is generally believed that the concept of Vande Mataram came to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay when he was still a government official, around 1876.[29] He wrote Vande Mataram at Chuchurah, there is a white colour house of Adhya Family near river Hooghly (near Mallik Ghat).[citation needed]
Chattopadhyay wrote the poem in a spontaneous session using words from Sanskrit and Bengali. The poem was published in Chattopadhyay's book Anandamatha (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali) in 1882, which is set in the events of the Sannyasi Rebellion.[28][29]Jadunath Bhattacharya was asked to set a tune for this poem just after it was written.[29]
Indian independence movement[edit]
BJP's rendition as a nationalist tool
'Vande Mataram' was the whole nation's thought and motto for independence [from British rule] during the Indian independence movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in Bengal, in the major metropolis of Calcutta, would work themselves up into a patriotic fervour by shouting the slogan 'Vande Mataram', or 'I praise the Mother(land)!' The British, fearful of the potential danger of an incited Indian populace, banned the book and made the recital of the song a crime.[11] The British colonial government imprisoned many independence activists for disobeying the order, but workers and general public repeatedly violated the ban many times by gathering together before British officials and singing it.[11] Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram in 1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session held at Beadon Square. Dakhina Charan Sen sang it five years later in 1901 at another session of the Congress at Calcutta. Poet Sarala Devi Chaudurani sang the song in the Benares Congress Session in 1905. Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal called Vande Mataram from Lahore.[29]Hiralal Sen made India's first political film in 1905 which ended with the chant. Matangini Hazra's last words as she was shot to death by the Crown police were Vande Mataram.[30]
Mahatma Gandhi supported the first two verses of Vande Mataram as a national song.[2]
In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama (1861â1936) created the first version of India's national flag (the Tiranga) in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907. It had Vande Mataram written on it in the middle band.[31]
A book titled Kranti Geetanjali published by Arya Printing Press (Lahore) and Bharatiya Press (Dehradun) in 1929 contains first two stanzas of this lyric on page 11[32] as Matra Vandana and a ghazal (Vande Mataram) composed by Bismil was also given on its back, i.e. page 12.[33] The book written by the famous martyr of Kakori Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil was proscribed by the then British government of India.
Mahatama Gandhi supported adoption and the singing of the Vande Mataram song. In January 1946, in a speech in Gauhati (Assam), he urged that 'Jai Hind should not replace Vande-mataram'. He reminded everyone present that Vande-mataram was being sung since the inception of the Congress. He supported the 'Jai Hind' greeting, but remanded that this greeting should not be to the exclusion of Vande Mataram. Gandhi was concerned that those who discarded Vande Mataram given the tradition of sacrifice behind it, one day would discard âJai Hindâ also.[34][note 3]
Adoption as 'national song'[edit]
Parts of the Vande Mataram was chosen as the 'national song' in 1937 by the Indian National Congress as it pursued independence of India from the British colonial rule, after a committee consisting of Maulana Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhash Bose, Acharya Deva and Rabrindanath Tagore recommended the adoption.[36] The entire song was not selected by Hindu leaders in order to respect the sentiments of non-Hindus, and the gathering agreed that anyone should be free to sing an alternate 'unobjectionable song' at a national gathering if they do not want to sing Vande Mataram because they find it 'objectionable' for a personal reason.[36] According to the gathered leaders, including the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, though the first two stanzas began with an unexceptionable evocation of the beauty of the motherland, in later stanzas there are references to the Hindu goddess Durga. The Muslim League and Muhammad Ali Jinnah opposed the song. Thereafter, with the support of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Indian National Congress decided to adopt only the first two stanzas as the national song to be sung at public gatherings, and other verses that included references to Durga and Lakshmi were expunged.[2][37]
Rajendra Prasad, who was presiding the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950, made the following statement which was also adopted as the final decision on the issue:
..The composition consisting of words and music known as Jana Gana Mana is the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations as the Government may authorise as occasion arises, and the song Vande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally with Jana Gana Mana and shall have equal status with it. (Applause) I hope this will satisfy members.
Performances and interpretations[edit]
The poem has been set to a large number of tunes. The oldest surviving audio recordings date to 1907, and there have been more than a hundred different versions recorded throughout the 20th century. Many of these versions have employed traditional South Asianclassicalragas. Versions of the song have been visualised on celluloid in a number of films, including Leader, Amar Asha, and Anand Math. It is widely believed that the tune set for All India Radio station version was composed by Ravi Shankar.[29]Hemant Kumar composed music for the song in the movie Anand Math in 1952 and this version of the Vande Mataram sung by Lata Mangeshkar became a cult success.[38] In 2002, BBC World Service conducted an international poll to choose ten most famous songs of all time. Around 7000 songs were selected from all over the world. Vande Mataram, from the movie Anand Math, was ranked second.[39] All India Radio's version and some other versions are in Deshraga.[40]
In July 2017, the Madras High Court ruled that the Vande Mataram shall be sung or played at least once a week in all schools, universities and other educational institutions of Tamil Nadu. The Court also ruled that the song should be played or sung in government offices and industrial facilities at least once a month.[41]
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
External links[edit]
Vocals
Debate
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vande_Mataram&oldid=899048915'
Ahmed Rushdi recorded the National Anthem of Pakistan in 1954
The Qaumi Taranah (Urdu: ÙÙÙ
Û ØªØ±Ø§ÙÛâ, QaumÄ« TarÄnahpronounced [ËqÉË.mi Ët̪É.rÉË.nÉ], lit. âNational Anthemâ), also known as PÄk SarzamÄ«n (Urdu: پاک سرزÙ
ÛÙâ, pronounced [ËpÉËk ËsÉr.zÉ.miËn], lit. âThe Sacred Landâ), is the national anthem of Pakistan. Its music was composed by Ahmad G. Chagla in 1949, preceding the lyrics, which were written by Hafeez Jullundhri in 1952. It was officially adopted as Pakistan's national anthem in August 1954[1] and was recorded in the same year by eleven major singers of Pakistan including Ahmad Rushdi, Kaukab Jahan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema Shaheen, Zawar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastagir, Anwar Zaheer, and Akhtar Wasi Ali.[2]
History[edit]
In early 1948, A. R. Ghani, a Muslim from Transvaal, South Africa, offered two prizes of five thousand rupees each for the poet and composer of a new national anthem for the newly independent state of Pakistan. The prizes were announced through a government press advertisement published in June 1948. In December 1948, the Government of Pakistan established the National Anthem Committee (NAC) with the task of coming up with the composition and lyrics for the official national anthem of Pakistan. The NAC was initially chaired by the Information Secretary, Sheikh Muhammad Ikram, and its members included several politicians, poets and musicians, including Abdur Rab Nishtar, Ahmad G. Chagla and Hafeez Jullundhri.[citation needed] The NAC encountered early difficulties in finding suitable music and lyrics.
When President Sukarno of Indonesia became the first foreign head of state to visit Pakistan on 30 January 1950, there was no Pakistani national anthem to be played. In 1950, the impending state visit of the Shah of Iran added urgency to the matter and resulted in the Government of Pakistan asking the NAC to submit an anthem without further delay. The NAC Chairman, then Federal Minister for Education, Fazlur Rahman, asked several poets and composers to write lyrics but none of the submitted works were deemed suitable. The NAC also examined several different tunes and eventually selected the one presented by Ahmed G. Chagla and submitted it for formal approval.[3] On 21 August 1949, the Government of Pakistan adopted Chaglaâs tune for the national anthem.[4]
The anthem, without lyrics, was performed for the first time for a foreign head of state on the state visit of the Shah of Iran to Pakistan in Karachi on 1 March 1950 by a Pakistan Navy band.[citation needed]
It was later played for Prime MinisterLiaquat Ali Khan during his official visit to the United States on 3 May 1950. It was played before the NAC on 10 August 1950.[5] Official recognition to the national anthem, however, was not given until August 1954.[5] The NAC distributed records of the composed tune amongst prominent poets, who responded by writing and submitting several hundred songs for evaluation by the NAC. Eventually, the lyrics written by Hafeez Jullundhri were approved and the new national anthem was broadcast publicly for the first time on Radio Pakistan on 13 August 1954, sung by Hafeez Jullundhri himself. Official approval was announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 16 August 1954. The composer, Ahmed G. Chagla, died in 1953, before the new national anthem was officially adopted. In 1955, there was a performance of the national anthem involving 11 major singers of Pakistan, including Ahmad Rushdi, Kaukab Jahan, Rasheeda Begum, Najam Ara, Naseema Shaheen, Zawar Hussain, Akhtar Abbas, Ghulam Dastagir, Anwar Zaheer and Akhtar Wasi Ali.[6]
Music[edit]National Anthem Of India In English
The Qaumi Taranah is a melodious and harmonious rendering of a three-stanza composition with a tune based on eastern music but arranged in such a manner that it can be easily played by foreign bands.[citation needed]
The music, composed by the Pakistani musician and composer, Ahmad G. Chagla in 1949, reflects his background in both eastern and western music. Twenty-one musical instruments[4] and thirty-eight different tones[4] are used to play the Qaumi Taranah,[7] the duration of which is 80 seconds.[1][4][8]
Lyrics[edit]
The lyrics, written by the Pakistani Urdu-language poet, Hafeez Jullundhri in 1952, have commonality with Persian, making them understandable in both Urdu and Persian languages. No verse in the three stanza lyrics is repeated.[1] The anthem has heavy Persian poetic vocabulary,[9] and only uses one exclusively Urdu word 'kÄ'.[10]
Milestones[edit]
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Qaumi_Taranah&oldid=897853715'
Rabindranath Tagore, the author and composer of the national anthem of India and Bangladesh.
Rabindranath Tagore singing Jana Gana Mana
Jana Gana Mana (Hindi: [dÊÉnÉ gÉÉ³É mÉnÉ]) is the national anthem of India. It was originally composed as Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata in Bengali by poet Rabindranath Tagore.[5][6] The first stanza of the song Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950.[7][8] A formal rendition of the national anthem takes approximately fifty-two seconds. A shortened version consisting of the first and last lines (and taking about 20 seconds to play) is also staged occasionally.[9] It was first publicly sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta (now, Kolkata) Session of the Indian National Congress.[10]
History[edit]
The poem was first publicly recited on the second day of the annual session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on 27 December 1911, and again in January 1912 at the annual event of the Adi Brahmo Samaj.[11][12], however, it was largely unknown except to the readers of the Adi Brahmo Samaj journal, Tattwabodhini Patrika. The poem was published in February 1905 under the title Bharat Bhagya Bidhata in the Tatwabodhini Patrika, which was the official publication of the Brahmo Samaj with Tagore then the Editor.
In 1912 Song was performed by Sarala Devi Chowdhurani, Tagoreâs niece, along with a group of school students, in front of prominent Congress Members like Bishan Narayan Dhar, Indian National Congress President and Ambika Charan Majumdar.
Outside of Calcutta, the song was first sung by the bard himself at a session in Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh on 28 February 1919 when Tagore visited the college and sung the song. Table of daily mass readings. The song enthralled the college students while Margaret Cousins, then vice-principal of the college (also an expert in European music and wife of Irish poet James Cousins), both requested Tagore to create an English translation of the song and set down the musical notation to the national anthem, which is followed only when the song is sung in the original slow rendition style. Tagore translated the work into English while at the college on 28 February 1919, titled The Morning Song of India â via Wikisource.. The college adopted Tagore's translation of the song as their prayer song which is sung till today.
Before it was the national anthem of India, 'Jana Gana Mana' was heard in the film Hamrahi (1945).[13] It was also the official song of The Doon School, Dehradun.
On the occasion of India attaining freedom, the Indian Constituent Assembly assembled for the first time as a sovereign body on 14 August 1947, midnight and the session closed with a unanimous performance of Jana Gana Mana.
The members of the Indian Delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations held at New York in 1947 gave a recording of Jana Gana Mana as the countryâs national anthem. The song was played by the house orchestra in front of a gathering consisting of representatives from all over the world.
Code of conduct[edit]
The National Anthem of India is played or sung on various occasions. Instructions have been issued from time to time about the correct versions of the Anthem, the occasions on which these are to be played or sung, and about the need for paying respect to the anthem by observance of proper decorum on such occasions. The substance of these instructions has been embodied in the information sheet issued by the government of India for general information and guidance. The approximate duration of the Full Version of National Anthem of India is 52 seconds and 20 seconds for shorter version.[9]
Lyrics[edit]
The poem was composed in a literary register of the Bengali language called sadhu bhasa. The song has been written almost entirely using nouns that also can function as verbs and has commonality with all major languages in India due to Sanskrit being their common source of formal vocabulary. Therefore, the original song is quite clearly understandable, and in fact, remains almost unchanged in several widely different Indian languages (if variations in inherent vowel and pronunciation of approximants and some sibilants are ignored).
Full version[edit]Official lyrics in Hindi (à¤à¤¨ à¤à¤£ मन)[edit]
Original composition in Bengali (à¦à¦¾à¦°à¦¤ à¦à¦¾à¦à§à¦¯ বিধাতা)[edit]
Short version[edit]
A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. It reads as follows[16]
Official lyrics in Hindi (à¤à¤¨ à¤à¤£ मन)[edit]
English translation[edit]
Translation by Tagore, dated 28 February 1919 at the Besant Theosophical College. Refer to The Morning Song of India â via Wikisource. for the translation of the full poem. Primary sources available in the 'Gallery' section.
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny. Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravida and Odisha and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of Vindhya and the Himalayas, Mingles in the music of Ganga and Yamuna and is chanted by The waves of the Indian sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The saving of all people waits in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee.[19] Gallery[edit]
Controversies[edit]
In Kerala, students belonging to the Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination were expelled by school authorities for their refusal to sing the national anthem on religious grounds, although they stood up respectfully when the anthem was sung.[20] The Kerala High Court concluded that there was nothing in it which could offend anyone's religious susceptibilities, and upheld their expulsion. On 11 August 1986,[21] the Supreme Court reversed the High Court and ruled that the High Court had misdirected itself because the question is not whether a particular religious belief or practice appeals to our reason or sentiment but whether the belief is genuinely and conscientiously held as part of the profession or practice of a religion. 'Our personal views and reactions are irrelevant.' The Supreme Court affirmed the principle that it is not for a secular judge to sit in judgment on the correctness of a religious belief.[22]
The Supreme Court observed in its ruling that[23]
'There is no provision of law which obliges anyone to sing the National Anthem nor is it disrespectful to the National Anthem if a person who stands up respectfully when the National Anthem is sung does not join the singing. Proper respect is shown to the National Anthem by standing up when the National Anthem is sung. It will not be right to say that disrespect is shown by not joining in the singing. Standing up respectfully when the National Anthem is sung but not singing oneself clearly does not either prevent the singing of the National Anthem or cause disturbance to an assembly engaged in such singing so as to constitute the offence mentioned in s. 3 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act'.
In some states, it is mandatory that the anthem must be played before films played at cinemas. On 30 November 2016, the Supreme Court ordered that all cinemas nationwide must play the national anthem, accompanied by an image of the flag of India, before all films, and that patrons were expected to stand in respect of the anthem. This was intended to instill 'committed patriotism and nationalism'.[24] The order was controversial, as it was argued that that patrons who chose not to participate would be targeted and singled out (as was the case in an incident publicized in 2015, which purported to show a group of patrons (identified by the YouTube uploader as allegedly being Muslims) being heckled by other patrons for not standing during the anthem. On 10 February 2017, two Kashmiris (which included an employee of the state government) were arrested under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 for not standing during the anthem at a cinema, in the first such arrest of its kind made by a state government, and other incidents of violent outbreaks associated with .[25][26][27]
A cinema club in Kerala (whose film festival was required to comply with the order, leading to several arrests) challenged the order as an infringement of their fundamental rights, arguing that cinemas were 'singularly unsuited for the gravitas and sobriety that must accompany the playing of the national anthem', and that the films screened would often 'be at odds with sentiments of national respect'.[28]In October 2017, Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud questioned the intent of the order, arguing that citizens 'don't have to wear patriotism on our sleeve', and it should not be assumed that people who do not stand for the anthem were any less patriotic than those who did. In January 2018, the order was lifted, pending further government discussion.[29][30][31]
Historical significance[edit]
The composition was first sung during a convention of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta on 27 December 1911.[32] It was sung on the second day of the convention, and the agenda of that day devoted itself to a loyal welcome of George V on his visit to India. The event was reported thus in the British Indian press:
'The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore sang a song composed by him specially to welcome the Emperor.' (Statesman, Dec. 28, 1911)
'The proceedings began with the singing by Rabindranath Tagore of a song specially composed by him in honour of the Emperor.' (Englishman, Dec. 28, 1911) 'When the proceedings of the Indian National Congress began on Wednesday 27th December 1911, a Bengali song in welcome of the Emperor was sung. A resolution welcoming the Emperor and Empress was also adopted unanimously.' (Indian, Dec. 29, 1911)
Many historians aver that the newspaper reports cited above were misguided. The confusion arose in British Indian press since a different song, 'Badshah Humara' written in Hindi by Rambhuj Chaudhary,[33] was sung on the same occasion in praise of the monarch. The nationalist Indian press stated this difference of events clearly:
'The proceedings of the Congress party session started with a prayer in Bengali to praise God (song of benediction). This was followed by a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V. Then another song was sung welcoming King George V.' (Amrita Bazar Patrika, Dec.28,1911)
'The annual session of Congress began by singing a song composed by the great Bengali poet Ravindranath Tagore. Then a resolution expressing loyalty to King George V was passed. A song paying a heartfelt homage to King George V was then sung by a group of boys and girls.' (The Bengalee, Dec. 28, 1911)
Even the report of the annual session of the Indian National Congress of December 1911 stated this difference:
'On the first day of 28th annual session of the Congress, proceedings started after singing Vande Mataram. On the second day the work began after singing a patriotic song by Babu Ravindranath Tagore. Messages from well wishers were then read and a resolution was passed expressing loyalty to King George V. Afterwards the song composed for welcoming King George V and Queen Mary was sung.'
On 10 November 1937, Tagore wrote a letter to Mr Pulin Bihari Sen about the controversy. That letter in Bengali can be found in Tagore's biography Ravindrajivani, volume II page 339 by Prabhatkumar Mukherjee.
'A certain high official in His Majesty's service, who was also my friend, had requested that I write a song of felicitation towards the Emperor. The request simply amazed me. It caused a great stir in my heart. In response to that great mental turmoil, I pronounced the victory in Jana Gana Mana of that Bhagya Bidhata [ed. God of Destiny] of India who has from age after age held steadfast the reins of India's chariot through rise and fall, through the straight path and the curved. That Lord of Destiny, that Reader of the Collective Mind of India, that Perennial Guide, could never be George V, George VI, or any other George. Even my official friend understood this about the song. After all, even if his admiration for the crown was excessive, he was not lacking in simple common sense.'[citation needed]
Again in his letter of 19 March 1939 Tagore writes:[34]
'I should only insult myself if I cared to answer those who consider me capable of such unbounded stupidity as to sing in praise of George the Fourth or George the Fifth as the Eternal Charioteer leading the pilgrims on their journey through countless ages of the timeless history of mankind.'(Purvasa, Phalgun, 1354, p. 738.)
However, his clarifications on the controversy came only after the death of the Emperor George V in 1936, as Tagore himself didn't want to contradict it during the lifetime of the Emperor. Further, Tagore accepted the Knighthood on Jun 3rd on the birthday of Emperor George V in 1915 for his poetry and songs. The Knighthood was bestowed to Tagore on the wish of the Emperor George V, who was made to believe that the song 'Jana Gana Mana' was composed eugolising the Emperor.
Tagore was hailed as a patriot who wrote other songs too apart from 'Jana Gana Mana' lionising the Indian independence movement. He renounced his knighthood in protest against the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. The Knighthood (i.e. the title of 'Sir') was conferred on him by the same King George V after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature for 'Gitanjali' from the government of Sweden. Two of Tagore's more politically charged compositions, 'Chitto Jetha Bhayshunyo' ('Where the Mind is Without Fear', Gitanjali Poem #35) and 'Ekla Chalo Re' ('If They Answer Not to Thy Call, Walk Alone'), gained mass appeal, with the latter favoured by Gandhi and Netaji.[citation needed]
Regional aspects[edit]
Another controversy is that only those provinces that were under British rule, i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, Maratha, Dravid (South India), Odisha/Utkal and Bengal, were mentioned. None of the princely states â Kashmir, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Mysore or Kerala â or the states in Northeast India, which are now integral parts of India were mentioned. But opponents of this proposition claim that Tagore mentioned only the border states of India to include complete India. Whether the princely states would form a part of a liberated Indian republic was a matter of debate even till Indian Independence. 'Dravida' includes the people from the south (though Dravida specifically means Tamil and even then, the same consideration is not given for the south since there are many distinct people whereas in the north each of the distinct people are named) and 'Jolodhi' (Stanza 1) is Sanskrit for 'seas and oceans'. Even North-East which was under British rule or holy rivers apart from Ganges and Yamuna are not mentioned to keep the song in its rhythm. India has 29 states, 7 union territories.
In 2005, there were calls to delete the word 'Sindh' and substitute it with the word Kashmir. The argument was that Sindh was no longer a part of India, having become part of Pakistan as a result of the Partition of 1947. Opponents of this proposal hold that the word 'Sindh' refers to the Indus and to Sindhi culture, and that Sindhi people are an integral part of India's cultural fabric. The Supreme Court of India declined to change the national anthem and the wording remains unchanged.
On 17 December 2013, MLA of Assam, Phani Bhushan Choudhury cited article of 'The Times of India' published on 26 January 1950, stating that originally the word 'Kamarup' was included in the song, but was later changed to 'Sindhu' and claimed that Kamarup should be re-included.[35] To this, the then minister Rockybul Hussain replied that the state government would initiate steps in this regard after response from the newspaper.[35] The debate was further joined by the then minister Ardhendu Dey, mentioning 'Sanchayita' (edited by Tagore himself) etc. where he said Kamrup was not mentioned.[35]
In 2017 the state government of Jharkhand under the Bharatiya Janata Party proposed making the singing of the national anthem compulsary in Madrasas. This was met with opposition from a section of Muslim clerics on the grounds that it violated the basic principles of the Islamic centers of learning.[36]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Notes[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jana_Gana_Mana&oldid=899332660'
(Redirected from National anthem lyrics)
Instrumental performance of the Russian national anthem at the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade in Moscow's Red Square, resplendent with a 21 gun salute
A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song, etc.) is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions, and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. The countries of Latin America, Central Asia, and Europe tend towards more ornate and operatic pieces, while those in the Middle East, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean use a more simplistic fanfare.[1] Some countries that are devolved into multiple constituent states have their own official musical compositions for them (such as with the United Kingdom, Russian Federation, and the former Soviet Union); their constituencies' songs are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states.
Languages[edit]
A national anthem, when it has lyrics (as is usually the case), is most often in the national or most common language of the country, whether de facto or official, there are notable exceptions. Most commonly, states with more than one national language may offer several versions of their anthem, for instance:
History[edit]
Early version of the 'Wilhelmus' as preserved in a manuscript of 1617 (Brussels, Royal Library, MS 15662, fol. 37v-38r)[4]
National anthems rose to prominence in Europe during the 19th century, but some originated much earlier. The presumed oldest national anthem belongs to the Netherlands and is called the 'Wilhelmus'. It was written between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch Revolt and its current melody variant was composed shortly before 1626. It was a popular orangist march during the 17th century but it did not become the official Dutch national anthem until 1932.
The Japanese national anthem, 'Kimigayo', has the oldest lyrics, which were taken from a Heian period (794â1185) poem, yet it was not set to music until 1880.[5]
The Philippine national anthem 'Lupang Hinirang' was composed in 1898 as wordless incidental music for the ceremony declaring independence from the Spanish Empire. The Spanish poem 'Filipinas' was written the following year to serve as the anthem's lyrics; the current Tagalog version dates to 1962.
'God Save the Queen', the national anthem of the United Kingdom and the royal anthem reserved for use in the presence of the Monarch in some Commonwealth realms, was first performed in 1619 under the title 'God Save the King'. It is not officially the national anthem of the UK, though it became such through custom and usage.
Spain's national anthem, the 'Marcha Real' (The Royal March), written in 1761, was among the first to be adopted as such, in 1770. Denmark adopted the older of its two national anthems, 'Kong Christian stod ved højen mast', in 1780; and 'La Marseillaise', the French national anthem, was written in 1792 and adopted in 1795. Serbia became the first Eastern European nation to have a national anthem â 'Rise up, Serbia!' â in 1804.[citation needed]
'Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu', the national anthem of Kenya, is one of the first national anthems to be specifically commissioned. It was written by the Kenyan Anthem Commission in 1963 to serve as the anthem after independence from the United Kingdom.[6]
The Welsh National anthem 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' was the first such to be sung at an international sporting event when it was sung in a Rugby game against New Zealand in Llanelli. This was done to counter the famous New Zealandhaka.
'Hativkah', the national anthem of Israel, was written as a poem in 1877 by Naftali Herz Imber, and set to the melody of the Italian song 'La Mantovana' in 1888 by Samuel Cohen (the melody was used for many folk songs throughout Europe).
Usage[edit]
Schoolroom in Turkey with the words of the 'Ä°stiklâl MarÅı'
National anthems are used in a wide array of contexts. Certain etiquette may be involved in the playing of a country's anthem. These usually involve military honours, standing up/rising, removing headwear etc. In diplomatic situations the rules may be very formal. There may also be royal anthems, presidential anthems, state anthems etc. for special occasions.
They are played on national holidays and festivals, and have also come to be closely connected with sporting events. Wales was the first country to adopt this, during a rugby game against New Zealand in 1905. Since then during sporting competitions, such as the Olympic Games, the national anthem of the gold medal winner is played at each medal ceremony; also played before games in many sports leagues, since being adopted in baseball during World War II.[7] When teams from two different nations play each other, the anthems of both nations are played, the host nation's anthem being played last.
In some countries, the national anthem is played to students each day at the start of school as an exercise in patriotism, such as in Tanzania.[8] In other countries the state anthem may be played in a theatre before a play or in a cinema before a movie. Many radio and television stations have adopted this and play the national anthem when they sign on in the morning and again when they sign off at night. For instance, the national anthem of China is played before the broadcast of evening news on Hong Kong's local television stations including TVB Jade and ATV Home.[9] In Colombia, it is a law to play the National Anthem at 6:00 and 18:00 on every public radio and television station, while in Thailand, 'Phleng Chat' is played at 08:00 and 18:00 nationwide (the Royal Anthem is used for sign-ons and closedowns instead).
The words of the National Anthem of the Republic of China written by Sun Yat-sen
The use of a national anthem outside of its country, however, is dependent on the international recognition of that country. For instance, Taiwan has not been recognized by the Olympics as a separate nation since 1979 and must compete as Chinese Taipei; its National Banner Song is used instead of its national anthem.[10] In Taiwan, the country's national anthem is sung before instead of during flag-rising and flag-lowering, followed by the National Banner Song during the actual flag-rising and flag-lowering. Even within a state, the state's citizenry may interpret the national anthem differently (such as in the United States some view the U.S. national anthem as representing respect for dead soldiers and policemen whereas others view it as honoring the country generally).[11]
Creators[edit]
Rouget de Lisle performing 'La Marseillaise' for the first time
Most of the best-known national anthems were written by little-known or unknown composers such as Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, composer of 'La Marseillaise' and John Stafford Smith who wrote the tune for 'The Anacreontic Song', which became the tune for the U.S. national anthem, 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' The author of 'God Save the Queen', one of the oldest and most well known anthems in the world, is unknown and disputed.
Very few countries have a national anthem written by a world-renowned composer. Exceptions include Germany, whose anthem 'Das Lied der Deutschen' uses a melody written by Joseph Haydn, and Austria, whose national anthem 'Land der Berge, Land am Strome' is sometimes credited to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The 'Anthem of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic' was composed by Aram Khachaturian. The music of the 'Pontifical Anthem', anthem of the Vatican City, was composed in 1869 by Charles Gounod, for the golden jubilee of Pope Pius IX's priestly ordination.
The committee charged with choosing a national anthem for Malaysia at independence decided to invite selected composers of international repute to submit compositions for consideration, including Benjamin Britten, William Walton, Gian Carlo Menotti and Zubir Said, who later composed 'Majulah Singapura', the national anthem of Singapore. None were deemed suitable.
A few anthems have words by Nobel laureates in literature. The first Asian laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, wrote the words and music of 'Jana Gana Mana' and 'Amar Shonar Bangla', later adopted as the national anthems of India and Bangladesh respectively. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson wrote the lyrics for the Norwegian national anthem 'Ja, vi elsker dette landet'.
Other countries had their anthems composed by locally important people. This is the case for Colombia, whose anthem's lyrics were written by former president and poet Rafael Nuñez, who also wrote the country's first constitution. A similar case is Liberia, the national anthem of which was written by its third president, Daniel Bashiel Warner.
Modality[edit]National anthems by key
A major (Equatorial Guinea, South Korea and Kyrgyzstan)
A-flat major (Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Eswatini, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Rwanda and San Marino)
B-flat major (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fiji, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tuvalu, the United States, Vanuatu and Vietnam)
C major (Angola, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Dominica, East Timor, Ethiopia, the Gambia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, North Korea, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Namibia, North Macedonia, Panama, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Uruguay and Yemen)
D major (the Bahamas, Bahrain, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Seychelles and Sudan)
D-flat major (Haiti and Norway)
E minor (Iraq, Israel and Romania)
E-flat major (Afghanistan, Austria, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Hungary, India, Mauritania, Palau, Portugal, São Tomé and PrÃncipe, Senegal, South Sudan and Suriname)
F major (Armenia, Belarus, Belize, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Chad, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Laos, Malawi, the Maldives, Malta, the Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Nauru, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Vatican City, Venezuela and Western Sahara)
G major (Albania, Andorra, Barbados, China, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Mali, Monaco, Mozambique, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe)
Played at any key or mixed keys (Brazil, the Central African Republic, Georgia, Honduras, Italy, Montenegro, Morocco, the Philippines and South Africa)
While most national anthems are in the major scale, there are a number of notable exceptions. For example, these anthems are in the minor scale:
These anthems use pentatonic scales:
And these anthems have unique modes/modulations:
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_anthem&oldid=898271940#Lyrics'
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