S-R-G-m-d-n-S

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Devised by Imdadkhani sitar and surbahar virtuoso Imrat Khan via blending the scales of Rageshri and Malkauns – producing a swara set matching ‘Charukeshi no Pa’. This mid-scale space presents a strong poorvang–uttarang separation, amidst the strange geometric regularity of the consecutive ‘2-2-2-2’ run (dnSRG: just a ma-to-Ma nudge from matching the whole-tone scale, a.k.a. Sehera). Ga is strong throughout, often setting up Re via slow meend, and Khan’s originals often bring out hints of a ma–murchana. His student Chris Stephens – who recorded his own gat cover in 2025 – compares it to the near-prakriti Mohankauns: “The main difference is that Mohankauns sometimes sprinkles a komal ga in the mix, and Imratkauns uses shuddha Re more frequently…Imratkauns is most similar to ‘Rageshri komal dha’, and Mohankauns to ‘Malkauns with shuddha Ga’…”. Also performed by Imrat’s son Wajahat on sarod, who similarly casts it as “a combination of Malkauns and Rageshri”. Compare to other ragas created by 20th-century sitar innovators, including Parameshwari, Madhyami, Monomanjari, Tulsikauns, Shiv Manjari, Enayetkhani Kanada, and Ek Prakar ki Kauns – and also see my article What does ‘Kauns’ mean? A brief survey of all known Kaunsi ragas.

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राग इमरतकौन्स

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—Imrat Khan (2011)—

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[refrain, e.g. 14:57] n\dnS G, GGm, (Gd)Gm, n n\d n/S, n\d, G, G\R, S(RS), S(mGP) m(Gm), G\R, SS, n\dnS G, GGm…

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• More •

Histories, melodies, mythologies, etc…

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—Imagery: Imrat Khan (1935-2018)—

“Understanding that he had to carve out a musical identity distinct from his more celebrated brother, Imrat Khan revelled in playing unusual ragas. His compositions too reveal individuality – his son Nishat speaks of a ‘gat’ in Gaoti, which was ‘the smallest gat ever composed: the mukhda was in just 2 matras‘…His training on the surbahar gave him an awesome command of the sitar, and the wazan of his right hand – the fluid bolkari [strokework], and the extensive use of gamak taans – were distinctly his own…” (Shailaja Khanna)

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Shiv Manjari, Rageshri Kauns

See all shadav ragas which omit Pa – and compare to other members of the Kauns raganga

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–m–d–n–S

• Reverse: SRGPdnS

• Complement: SrgMPDNS (=Madhu Multani)

• Imperfect: 4 (Sa, Re, Ga, dha)

• Detached: 3 (Re, Ga, dha)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: none

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• Quirks: ‘fragmented‘ (at least half the swaras are detached)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Charukeshi)

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-D₁-N₂-S

• Jazz: Mixolydian b6 (no 5th)

1-2-3-4-b6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-5-8-10-0

(2–2–1–3–2–2)

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o • o • o o • • o • o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma

• Names: Imratkauns, Imrat Kauns

• Transliterations: Hindi (इमरतकौन्स)

—Wahajat Khan (2011)—