Medieval Classical Music Tradition Of North India
The basic Sikh philosophy postulates Divinity of soul, brother-hood of man kind, and realisation of the Eternal through participative existence with the creation of the Almighty. The sole mode of worship prescribed is the singing of his glories -

In Sikh theology, the God-head is perceived as a Timeless (Akaal) and a Formless (Nirakar) supreme Being, the Eternal Truth (Sat), with is both Absolute and also Immanent One (Ek Onkar). Shabad (Word) is the Guru and Guru is the Enlightner Instructor, who shows the path and puts the mortal in direct communion with the Supreme Being. The praises of the Lord are to be sung only in the word (shabad) embodied in the scripture (Bani), revealed by the founding Gurus.

The poetic compositions while being set in various poetic meters and structures of the then prevailing literary and folk traditions of Indian literature such as Shlokas, Chants, Pauris, Ashatapdis etc. are identified as to the author and the musical mode (raag) in which each of the hymn was perhaps first composed and sung. These compositions are then put together under the heading of the each of the 31 respective raags which are set out in the 1430 pages of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (S.G.G.S)

"The Divine word is the Shabad (the hymn) which is the right speech. Listen to it, and recite it always and the Lord (the perfect Guru) will look after you.

It was understood that verse (Shabad) and music when brought together with Catholic Sublimity of the raag and taal (rhythm), creates beauty and sweetness and generates a power which by-passes the critical and calculative checks and barriers of intellect and accesses the consciousness, filling it with devotion and love and brings the listener into direct communion with the Eternal. Around this Central postulate, a devotional music from has evolved and flourished in northern India since the 15th century. This form of music came to be known as Gurmat Sangeet (The music in the Guru’s tradition) and its singing being called Shabad Keertan (Hymn Singing).

This Gurmat Sangeet, has over the years, absorbed in it various elements of Indian Classical and folk music and evolved as a unique form of music which embodies in itself the nobility and spirituality of Dhrupad singing along with the simplicity and romanticism of the folk music. Structually it covers a vide range of Dhrupad & Khayal Styles alongwith the singing of ODES (vaars) of the folk singers of the times, and Shalok and Swayyas, enunciations of spiritual mendicants of 15th/17th centuries. Later the Sufi styles of Qawwali and the folk of Tappa tradition was also absorbed.