Lyrics: Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghel (r. 1555

Rāmtanu (c. 1493 – 26 April 1589), popularly referred to as Mian Tānsen (lit. 'the Learned One'), or Sangeet Samrāt (lit. 'Monarch of Hindustani Music'), was a Hindustani classical musician . Born into a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family in Gwalior, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pradesh. He got his first break as musician and composer in the court of Raja Man Singh Tomar Of Gwalior and spent most of his adult life in the court and patronage of the Hindu king of Rewa, Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghel (r. 1555–1592), where Tānsen's musical abilities and studies gained widespread fame. This reputation brought him to the attention of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. In 1562, at about the age of 60, Tānsen joined Akbar's court, and his performances became the subject of many court historians.

Akbar watching as Tansen receives a lesson from Swami Haridas.

Imaginary situation depicted in Mughal Miniature painting.

Rajastani Mughal painting ( Rajastani style,c. 1750).

Numerous legends have been written about Tānsen, mixing facts and fiction, and the historicity of these stories is doubtful. Akbar considered him one of the Navaratnas Nine Ministers (the nine jewels) and gave him the title Mian, an honorific, meaning learned man. Tansen was a great composer musician and vocalist, to whom many compositions have been attributed in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. He was also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved musical instruments. He is among the most influential personalities in the North Indian tradition of Indian classical music, called Hindustani. His 16th-century studies in music and compositions inspired many, and he is considered by numerous North Indian gharana (regional music schools) to be their lineage founder.

Tansen showed musical talent at the age of 6. At some point, he was discipled to Swami Haridas,for a brief period, the legendary composer from Vridavan and court musician of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1516 AD), specialising in the Dhrupad style of singing. His talent was recognised early and it was the ruler of Gwalior who conferred upon the maestro the honorific title 'Tansen'. Haridas was considered to be a legendary music teacher in that time.

A national music festival known as 'Tansen Samaroh' is held every year in December, near the tomb of Tansen at Hazira,Gwalior as a mark of respect to his memory. The Tansen Samman or Tansen award is given away to exponents in Hindustani Classical Music.

It is said that Tansen had no equal apart from his teacher. From Haridas, Tansen acquired not only his love for dhrupad but also his interest in compositions in the local language. This was the time when the Bhakti tradition was fomenting a shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom ( Brajbdasa and Hindi ), and Tansen's compositions also highlighted this trend. During some point of his apprenticeship, Tansen's father died, and he returned home, where it is said that he used to sing at a local Shiva temple in Gwalior.

^{Hagiographies mention that Tansen met the Sufi mystic Muhammad Ghaus. The interaction with Ghaus brought a strong Sufi influence on Tansen.Later in his life, he continued to compose in Brajbhasha invoking traditional motifs such as Krishna and Shiva.

Tansen in Emperor Akbar's Court along with Todarmal,
Abul Fazal, Faizi and Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana c.16th century.

Several Hindi films have been made on Tansen's life, with mostly anecdotal story lines. Some of them are Tansen(1943), a musical hit produced by Ranjit Movietone, starring K.L.Saigal and Khursheed Bano. Tansen (1958) and Sangeet Samrat Tansen (1962). Tansen is also a central character, though remaining mostly in the backdrop, in the historical musical Baiju Bawra (1952), based on the life of his eponymous contemporary.}