Which one of the following was the original name of Tansen, the famous musician in the court of Akbar ?

Tansen, the legendary musician and one of the 'Navaratnas' (nine gems) in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar, was born as Ramtanu Pande (or Pandey). Born in Gwalior to Mukund Mishra, he received his early musical training under his father and later became a disciple of Swami Haridas. Before joining Akbar's court, he served in the court of King Ram Chand of Rewa. Akbar was so impressed by his musical genius that he gave him the title 'Miyan'. While other options like Baz Bahadur were contemporary figures (the ruler of Malwa who was also a musician), Ramtanu Pande is the historically recognized birth name of Tansen [1]. His contributions to Hindustani classical music, including the creation of several ragas and the improvement of instruments like the rabab, remain foundational to the tradition.

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 14: The Mughal Empire > Akbar's Military Conquests > p. 204