Q. Who among the following is considered to be the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of Hindustani Classical Music?
Answer: Amir Khusro
Notes: Amir Khusro was a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya. He was a poet as well as prolific musician. He is regarded as the “father of qawwali”. He is also credited with enriching Indian classical music by introducing Persian and Arabic elements in it, and was the originator of the khayal and tarana styles of music. Khayal later reached to its zenith during the times of Mohammad Shah Rangila and today is integral part of Hindustani classical music.