Citizendia

For the Afghan General, see Bismillah Khan Mohammadi. For the Indian shehnai musician see Bismillah Khan General Bismillah Mohammadi Khan (or simply Bismillah Khan) is the Chief of Staff
Bismillah Khan
Ustad Bismillah Khan at Concert in 1964
Ustad Bismillah Khan at Concert in 1964
Background information
Birth nameQamaruddin
BornMarch 21, 1916(1916-03-21)
OriginIndia
DiedAugust 21, 2006 (aged 90)
Genre(s)Indian classical music
Occupation(s)Shehnai
Instrument(s)Shehnai

Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib (March 21, 1916 – August 21, 2006) was a shehnai maestro from India. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Hindustani Classical Music ( Hindi: हिन्दुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत Urdu: ہندوستانی شاستریے سنگیت For the movie refer to Shehnai (film The Shehnai is an Aerophonic instrument which is thought to bring good luck and as a result is widely used in North A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. For the movie refer to Shehnai (film The Shehnai is an Aerophonic instrument which is thought to bring good luck and as a result is widely used in North Maestro means " Master " or " Teacher " in Italian. Sahib ( Urdu: صاحب) (traditionally ˈsɑːɪb or /ˈsɑːb/ in English now often /səˈhiːb/ is a South Asian term of respect meaning Sir master Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. For the movie refer to Shehnai (film The Shehnai is an Aerophonic instrument which is thought to bring good luck and as a result is widely used in North Maestro means " Master " or " Teacher " in Italian. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The term "Ustad" or "Pandit" in relation to Indian classical music implies Master or Guru. The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of Scriptures part of the Hindu tradition the Vedas.

He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India. Bharat Ratna (translates to Jewel of India or Gem of India in English) is India 's highest Civilian award, awarded for the Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Contents

Birth and early life

Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916 at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon, Bihar as the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dumraon is a city and a Municipality in Buxar district in the state of Bihar, Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. He was named as Qamaruddin[1] to rhyme with Shamsuddin, their first son. His grandfather, Rasool Baksh Khan uttered "Bismillah" (the basmala) after looking at the newborn, thus he was named Bismillah Khan. Basmala (Arabic بسملة is an Arabic language noun which is used as the collective name of the whole of the recurring Islamic phrase bismi-llāhi ar-raḥmāni [2]

His ancestors were court musicians and used to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar state. Naqqar khana or Naubat khana is a term for a drum house or orchestra pit during ceremonies For other uses see Principality, Other princely states A Princely State (also called Native State or Indian State) was a Bhojpur is the name of several places India Bhojpur District Bihar Bhojpur Madhya Pradesh Nepal Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, now in Bihar. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Dumraon is a city and a Municipality in Buxar district in the state of Bihar, Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India.

Religious beliefs

Though a pious Shi'ite Muslim, he was also, like many Indian musicians regardless of religion, a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and the arts,[3] and often played at Hindu temples, including the famous Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, on the banks of the river Ganga. Saraswati (pronounced as; Sanskrit: sa सरस्वती sarasvatī; Malay: Saraswati Thai: สุรัสวดี is the The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent [4] He was a student of the spiritual master Prem Rawat. Prem Pal Singh Rawat (born December 10 1957 in Haridwar, India) also known as Balyogeshwar, Guru Maharaj Ji, and [5]

Training

He received his training under his uncle, the late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's Vishwanath Temple. Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is in the holy city of Varanasi, India. [1]

Shehnai and Ustad Khan

Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument. For the movie refer to Shehnai (film The Shehnai is an Aerophonic instrument which is thought to bring good luck and as a result is widely used in North He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He was credited with having almost monopoly over the instrument as he and the shehnai are almost synomyms.

Khan is one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian Classical music and one of the best examples of hindu-muslim unity in India.

His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. He once said, "Even if the world ends, the music will still survive" and he often said, "Music has no caste".

He has played in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, U.S., USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city across the world. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders

His shehnai was so close to him that after the demise of his wife he began to refer to it as his begum, or wife. Begum, Begüm or Baigum ( Turkish: Begüm, Persian: بیگم is a Turkic title given to female family members of a After his death, his shehnai was buried with him.

Performances at Red Fort

Khan had the rare honor of performing at Delhi's Red Fort on the eve of India's Independence in 1947. He also performed Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony, on January 26, 1950. Rāga ( Sanskrit, lit "colour" or "mood" or rāgam in Carnatic music) refers to melodic modes used This article is about the Red Fort in Delhi India The Agra Fort is also known as the "Red Fort" Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His recital had become a cultural part of India's Independence Day Celebrations, telecast on Doordarshan every year on August 15th. Doordarshan (दूरदर्शन literally Tele-Vision) is the public television broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati, a public After the Prime Minister's speech from Lal Qila (the Red Fort,) in Old Delhi, Doordarshan would broadcast a live performance by the shehnai maestro. This article is about the Red Fort in Delhi India The Agra Fort is also known as the "Red Fort" This tradition dated from the days of Pandit Nehru. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party

Awards and recognitions

Awards

Recognitions

Bismillah Khan had honorary doctorates from

Others include[6]

Students

Ustad Bismillah Khan rarely accepted students, but in 1985 he had a meeting with Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji (the present master of the Namdhari Sikhs), where he saw a talented young boy called Baljit Singh Namdhari playing the tarshenai, and welcomed him as a student. The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, or Expo 67 as it was commonly known was the World's Fair held in Montreal, Canada from April 27 to October Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Namdhari Sikhs (also known as Kuka Sikhs are an orthodox sect of Sikhism Ustad Bismillah Khan & Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji had great mutual respect for each other. In 1999 he adopted two more tarshenai students, named Kirpal Singh and Gurbaksh Singh Namdhari.

Khan in films

Khan had a brief association with movies. He played the shehnai for Dr.Rajkumar's role of Appanna in the movie Sanaadi Appanna. This page relates to the Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar for other uses of the name see Raj Kumar. He acted in Jalsaghar, a movie by Satyajit Ray and provided sound of shehnai in Goonj Uthi Shehnai. Jalsaghar (জলসাঘর was released in 1958, sometimes released in the English-speaking world as Jalsaghar The Music Room, is the fourth Satyajit Ray (সত্যজিত রায় or সত্যজিৎ রায়) (2 May 1921–23 April 1992 was a Bengali Indian Filmmaker. Noted director Goutam Ghose directed Sange Meel Se Mulaqat, a documentary about the life of Khan. Gautam Ghose (Credited as Goutam Ghose in International Media Bengali: গৌতম ঘোষ is one of the most acclaimed film directors of modern India Sang-e-Meel Se Mulaqat (From Urdu, Meel=Mile Sang=Stone Mulaqat=meeting Meeting the Milestone is a documentary on life of Ustad Bismillah Khan by Goutam Ghose [1]

Death

On August 17, 2006, Khan was taken ill and admitted to the Heritage Hospital, Varanasi for treatment. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Varanasi ( Sanskrit: वाराणसी Vārāṇasī, pronunciation) also commonly known as Benares ( or Banaras (बनारस [7] He died after four days on August 21, 2006 due to a cardiac arrest. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of He was ninety years old. He is survived by five sons, three daughters and a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. [8]

The Government of India declared one day of national mourning on his death. His body was buried at Fatemain burial ground of old Varanasi under a neem tree with 21-gun salute from Indian Army. The Indian Army (Bharatiya Thalsena भारतीय थाल्सेना is one of the armed forces of India and has the responsibility for land-based [9]

Legacy

Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, instituted the 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' in 2007, in his honour. Sangeet Natak Akademi ( Devanāgarī: संगीत नाटक अकादेमी or The National Academy for Music Dance and Drama in It is given to young artistes in the field of music, theatre and dance [10].

Selected discography

Live in London
Live in London

Here is a list of selected works by Ustad Bismilla Khan.

References

  1. ^ a b c Bismillah Khan: The Shehnai Maestro by Neeraja Poddar, Rupa, New Delhi, 2004. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Kishori Amonkar (िकशोरी आमोणकर (born April 10 1931 in Mumbai) is a noted Indian classical vocalist
  2. ^ Biography of Ustad Bismillah Khan - from Geocities. Retrieved on 2006-08-24. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River
  3. ^ Rediff Slides on Ustad Bismillah Khan. Retrieved on 2006-08-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan.
  4. ^ BBC on Ustad Bismillah Khan. Retrieved on 2006-08-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan.
  5. ^ YouTube - Bismillah Khan Performs Music For Guru Maharaji Prem Rawat
  6. ^ Standard IX Textbook - Step to English, Chapter 13: Shehnai Maestro Bismillah Khan (PDF). National Council for Education Research and Training. Retrieved on 2006-09-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights.
  7. ^ "Ustad Bismillah Khan hospitalised", Times of India, 2006-08-17. The Times of India ( TOI) is a leading English-language Broadsheet Daily newspaper in India. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.  
  8. ^ Bismillah Khan. Personalities. webindia123. com. Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.
  9. ^ "India mourns legendary musician", BBC, 2006-08-21. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Retrieved on 2007-03-13. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II.  
  10. ^ Sangeet Natak Akademi, Youth Awards, Feb 2007

External links

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