RAS question
The 'Morchang' is a folk instrument of Rajasthan. What is it?
Correct answer: (D) A jaw harp (mouth instrument).
Morchang, also called Morsing, is a jaw harp: a small iron mouth instrument used in Rajasthani folk music.
Explanation
Morchang is best identified as a jaw harp or mouth instrument, not as a string, drum, or wind pipe. Rajasthan Tourism describes Morchang, also called Morsing, as similar to a Jew's harp and made of iron. It is held between the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, with part of the lamella pressed between the teeth. The player strikes the free tongue to and fro with the right forefinger, while the mouth works as the resonator. The sound comes from a small metal instrument held at the teeth and set vibrating by the finger. In Rajasthan's folk setting, it is used as an accompanying instrument and is noted as popular in western Rajasthan among Langa musicians.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A stringed instrument produces sound through strings, while Morchang is a small iron mouth instrument whose tongue vibrates at the teeth.
- (B) A drum is a percussion instrument with a struck membrane or body, whereas Morchang is held at the mouth and resonated through the player's mouth.
- (C) Calling it a wind pipe is misleading because Morchang produces sound through a struck free tongue and mouth resonance, not through blowing into a pipe.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan folk performing arts, especially the classification of local musical instruments. Such questions recur in RAS because instrument names are often asked through their playing method, material, and cultural setting.