HINDUSTANI MUSIC

the music of northern India and Pakistan that developed as a distinct type from the late 12th or early 13th century, when the Islamic conquest of the northern parts of the subcontinent brought special emphasis to Arabic and Iranian musical practices, which merged with ancient Hindu traditions. The latter traditions, less affected by foreign influences, remain in the Carnatic music of the south, the division being roughly demarcated by the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh state. Northern India shares with the south the basic melodic principles of raga (melodic framework for improvisation) and rhythmic principles of tala (cyclical rhythmic pattern), although there are pronounced differences in style and classification. Instrumental music is more dominant in the northern music, in which a greater number of different instruments are in use; and there exist some purely instrumental forms, such as the gat, a sort of theme with variations. Hindustani music is often regarded as more emotional and romantic than its southern counterpart. The prolongation of tones, for instance, in introductory (alapa) sections of pieces can create a languorous effect. Change by stages to faster and faster tempos-sometimes with concomitant changes in tala patterns-is also characteristic of performances in northern India and Pakistan.