English - Lesson 26: "Ustad Bismillah Khan" - Received Bharath Ratna, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan award winner of four top civilian awards (PUBLIC EXAMINATION)

 USTAD BISMILLAH KHAN

Ustad Bismillah Khan was undoubtedly (undoubtedly: without doubt) a gem that India is proud of. 

This shehnai maestro of India (maestro: a great musician, especially of classical music) received the Bharat Ratna in 2001.

He had earlier been awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

 He was thus the recipient (recipient: one who receives/gets) of all the top four civilian awards. (civilian: relating to a person not belonging to the armed forces (army, navy, air force) or police)

Born on March 21, 1916 in Dumraon, Bihar, he was the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. 

His family had a musical background; his ancestors (whom one’s father or mother has descended (come)) were musicians in the court of the princely state of Bhojpur (now in Bihar).

Bismillah Khan was named Qamaruddin to sound like his elder brother's name – Shamsuddin.

However, when his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan saw him as a baby, he uttered (uttered: spoke) the word ‘Bismillah’, and hence he came to be known as Bismillah Khan.

 His father was a musician in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon.

At the age of six, Bismillah Khan moved to Varanasi (earlier known as Banaras), where his maternal uncle, Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu' was the official shehnai player at the famous Vishwanath Temple. 

Ali Baksh noticed that Bismillah was a keen music learner, so he took him under his tutelage. (tutelage: guidance religiously: with enthusiasm)

Thus, Bismillah Khan started learning to play the shehnai from his uncle. 

Ali Baksh played shehnai at the Vishwanath Temple and practised in one of the temple rooms at Balaji Ghat. 

Bismillah Khan’s routine was to follow his uncle the whole day to both the temples, and practise for hours together – without any play time, school and sometimes

even regular meals.

Bismillah Khan religiously practised the shehnai and attained (attained: reached/accomplished) perfection in a very short time. 

The flowing waters of the River Ganga inspired (inspire: to cause fine thoughts and feelings to grow in the mind) him to improvise (improvise: create and/or perform without preparation) and invent 'ragas' (raga: a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made. (Indian classical music is always set in a raga)) that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of shehnai. 

He often played the shehnai at the Vishwanath Temple on the banks of River Ganga. 

He was also a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and arts.

Ustad Bismillah Khan was perhaps single-handedly (single-handedly: without help from anyone else) responsible for making the shehnai a famous and popular musical instrument and bringing it into the mainstream (mainstream: belonging to current trend) Indian classical music. 

His concert at the All-India Music Conference (1937) in Calcutta brought shehnai into the limelight, (limelight: focus of public attention) and was hugely appreciated by music lovers.

Despite the fame that he got, Bismillah Khan always remained simple. 

He never accumulated wealth (accumulated: gathered/acquired) and other material possessions. (material possessions: property: property or belongings)

He lived in humble surroundings in the holy city of Varanasi. 

His favourite mode of transport was the cycle rickshaw. 

Such was his love for his city and motherland that he declined an offer of permanent citizenship for settling in the United States of America.

He monopolised (to monopolise: to dominate/to be the only one to be doing something) shehnai recitals in the post-independence era (era: long and distinct (clear) period of history) and through them, kept the legacy of classical music alive. 

Ustad Bismillah Khan always believed that music would survive even if the world perished. (perished: got destroyed (finished) fan following admirers)

He also believed in Hindu-Muslim unity and spread the message of brotherhood through his music. 

He often said, “Music has no caste.”

Bismillah Khan had the rare honour of playing the shehnai on the eve of India's independence in the year 1947. 

He performed at the Red Fort in Delhi and since that year, always played on 15th August, right after the Prime Minister’s speech.

 Bismillah Khan played in many countries and has a huge fan following. 

He had performed in Afghanistan, USA, Canada, Bangladesh, Europe, Iran, Iraq, West Africa, Japan and Hong Kong. 

He shared a special bond with his shehnai and called it ‘begum’ after his wife died.

After a cardiac arrest on 21st August 2006, at the age of ninety, Bismillah Khan breathed his last. (breathed his last: died)

In honour of this great musician, the Government of India declared a one-day national mourning on his death. 

He was buried along with his shehnai in Varanasi under a neem tree with a 21-gun salute from the Indian Army.

Terminal Questions

1. Who was Bismillah Khan? Why was he famous?

Ustad Bismilllah Khan was one of India’s finest Indian classical musicians. 

He attained mastery over the shehnai and became famous the world over. 

He was often called the shehnai maestro. 

He’s also famous because he had the rare honour of being awarded all the top-four civilian awards, including the Bharat Ratna.

2. “Such was his love for his city and motherland that he declined an offer of

permanent citizenship for settling in the United States of America.”

Read this line carefully and answer the following questions.

a. Which city is being referred to here?

a. The city of Varanasi is being referred to here.

b. Look up a dictionary and find the meaning of the word ‘motherland’.

b. motherland: a person’s native country

c. Bismillah Khan loved the city he lived in. What do you like most about your city/

town/village? (write down at least three points).

3. What did Bismillah Khan mean when he said, "Music has no caste"?

When Ustad Bismillah Khan said that ‘music has no caste’, he meant that in music there are no barriers of caste, creed or religion. Music is universal.

One does not think of the caste or religion of the musician when one is enjoying his/ her music. For example, ‘Sufi music’ and ‘Bhakti sangeet’ is sung and enjoyed by people of all religions.

4. What qualities did Bismillah Khan have? Which two qualities do you appreciate the most and why?

Ustad Bismillah Khan had many qualities. He was hardworking, innovative and

dedicated to his art form. He was very passionate about his music. 

Due to his efforts, shehnai was recognised as a classical music instrument. 

He gained national and international recognition. 

He won many awards. 

Ustad Bismillah Khan was simple and humble. 

He remained unaffected by success.

He never accumulated wealth and other material possessions.

He was patriotic, and loved his city and motherland. 

He even declined an offer of permanent citizenship of the United States of America.

Ustad Bismillah Khan believed in Hindu-Muslim unity. 

He often played the shehnai at the Vishwanath Temple on the banks of River Ganga. 

He was also a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and arts. 

He spread the message of brotherhood through his music.

Answer the following questions.

1. Tick the correct option.

a. Ustad Bismillah Khan was born in:

(i) Varanasi 

(ii) Kolkata

(iii) Delhi 

(iv) Dumraon

b. Ustad Bismillah Khan’s father’s name was:

(i) Paigambar Khan 

(ii) Ali Baksh 

(iii) Rasool Baksh Khan 

(iv) Sajid Khan

c. Ustad Bismillah Khan’s maternal uncle’s name was:

(i) Paigambar Khan 

(ii) Qamaruddin 

(iii) Shamsuddin 

(iv) Ali Baksh

d. Bismillah Khan moved to Varanasi at the age of:

(i) 18 

(ii) 6

(iii) 10   

(iv) 22

e. Which musical instrument did Ustad Bismillah Khan play?

(i) flute 

(ii) sitar 

(iii) shehnai 

(iv) veena

2. Read the statements given below. Write T for the true statements and F for the false

ones. Also, correct the incorrect statements and rewrite them in the space provided.

a. Ustad Bismillah Khan received the Bharat Ratna in 2001. ___True

____________________________________________________________

b. Ustad Bismillah Khan was the third son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan. __False

Ustad Bismillah Khan was the second son of Paigambar Khan and Mitthan.

____________________________________________________________

c. Ustad Bismillah Khan often played the shehnai at the Vishwanath Temple located in Varanasi.___True

____________________________________________________________

d. Ustad Bismillah Khan’s father was a soldier in the army of Maharaja Keshav

Prasad Singh of Dumraon. ___False

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s father was a musician in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon.

____________________________________________________________

e. Ustad Bismillah Khan was a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and arts. True

3. What was Bismillah Khan named earlier? Why was his name changed?

Bismillah Khan was earlier named Qamaruddin. 

However, when his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan saw him as a baby, he uttered the word ‘Bismillah’, and hence he came to be known as Bismillah Khan.

4. Who was Ali Baksh ‘Vilayatu’? What role did he play in Bismillah Khan’s life?

Ali Baksh ‘Vilayatu’ was Bismillah Khan’s maternal uncle. 

He was the official shehnai player at the famous Vishwanath Temple.

Ali Baksh noticed Bismillah Khan’s interest in the shehnai, so he started teaching him.

Bismillah Khan accompanied his uncle to the Vishwanath Temple where he was the

official shehnai player and then to the temple rooms at Balaji Ghats where he practised.

Under Ali Baksh’s guidance, Bismillah Khan learnt to play the instrument for which he earned many laurels later.

Thus, as a mentor and guide to Bismillah Khan, Ali Baksh played a very important role in his life.

5. How did the flowing waters of the River Ganga inspire Bismillah Khan?

The flowing water of the River Ganga inspired Bismillah Khan to improvise and invent 'ragas' that were earlier considered to be beyond the range of the shehnai.

6. What were the top four civilian awards that Bismillah Khan received?

The top-four civilian awards that Bismillah Khan received were: 

Bharat Ratna, 

Padma Shri, 

Padma Bhushan and 

Padma Vibhushan.

7. Have you heard the adage: ‘Practice makes a man perfect’? 

Does it hold true for Bismillah Khan? 

Do you think one can achieve success in life without working hard?

Justify your answer giving an example from your life.

Yes, the adage ‘practice makes a man perfect’ holds true for Bismillah Khan. 

Ustad Bismillah Khan practised and practised playing the shehnai till he became perfect. 

He was just a young boy when he started playing the shehnai, but for hours together, he practised. 

He was so committed that many times, he even went without play and regular food. 

His aim was clear – play till you are perfect.

In any field in life, success can be achieved only through hard work. 

Hard work is the key to success. 

Bismillah Khan worked hard to learn how to play the shehnai. 

Similarly, if any student worked hard, he or she would definitely do very well in exams.

You read in Unit I that Ustad Bismillah Khan lived in Varanasi. Varanasi was earlier known as Banaras. Over a period of time, the names of many cities in India have changed.

Draw lines to match the name of the city with its old name.

1. Chennai a) Bombay (4)

2. Thiruvananthapuram b) Bangalore (6)

3. Kochi c) Calcutta (5)

4. Mumbai d) Madras (1)

5. Kolkata e) Trivandrum (2)

6. Bengaluru f) Cochin (3)

Answer the following questions.

1. Tick the correct option.

a. Ustad Bismillah Khan’s favourite mode of transport was:

(i) car 

(ii) motorycle

(iii) cycle rickshaw

(iv) aeroplane

b. On the eve of India’s independence in 1947, Ustad Bismillah Khan performed at the:

(i) Qutub Minar 

(ii) Taj Mahal

(iii) Gateway of India 

(iv) Red Fort

c. He was buried under a ________ tree.

(i) peepal 

(ii) neem

(iii) gulmohar 

(iv) banyan

2. Select words from the box and fill in the blanks to complete the paragraph.

caste, perished, brotherhood, survive, Hindu-Muslim

Ustad Bismillah Khan always believed that music would (a)____survive___  even if the world (b)___perished_____. 

He also believed in (c)_____Hindu-Muslim____ unity and spread the

message of (d)____brotherhood_______ through his music. He often said, “Music has no (e)__caste_____”.

3. After which concert did the shehnai come into the limelight and find appreciation among music lovers?

Ustad Bismillah Khan’s concert at the All-India Music Conference (1937) in Calcutta (now Kolkata) brought the shehnai into the limelight and was hugely appreciated by music lovers.

4. How can we say that Bismillah Khan had a special bond with his shehnai?

The shehnai was Ustad Bismillah Khan’s constant companion. 

We can say that he shared a special bond with it because he called it ‘begum’ after his wife died. 

(The Urdu word ‘begum’ means ‘wife’ in English.) When Ustad Bismillah Khan died, his shehnai was buried with him.

5. Bismillah Khan was a simple man but had strong beliefs. What did he believe in?

i) Ustad Bismillah Khan believed that music would survive even if the world perished.

ii) He also believed in Hindu-Muslim unity. He said that music had no caste.

6. Where was Bismilah Khan buried? 

How was he honoured at the time of his death?

Bismillah Khan was buried in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) under a neem tree. In honour of this great musician, the Government of India declared a one-day national mourning on his death. He was given a 21-gun salute by the Indian Army as he was being buried.

7. From Japan to Europe to USA, Ustad Bismillah Khan played in many countries of the world. Why do you think his music was enjoyed by people in different countries?

Ustad Bismillah Khan played the shehnai really well, and hence was appreciated the world over. Moreover, music transcends (crosses) all boundaries, especially political boundaries, such as those between different states or countries. For example, ‘Rabindra sangeet’ from west India, ‘Carnatic music’ from south India, folk songs of various regions, are liked by people in all states of India. Similarly, music of the Western countries (Western music) is very popular in India, especially with youngsters.