Ustad Bismillah Khan was a renowned Shehnai player from India who popularized the Shehnai instrument. He received extensive training in music from his family since childhood. Khan's performances of the Shehnai at important national events like India's independence day celebrations brought him national and international acclaim. He received many prestigious awards over his career, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor. Khan devoted his life to mastering the Shehnai and keeping the musical tradition alive in post-independent India.

1. Bismillah Khan Biography
Ustad Bismillah Khan was a great exponent of Shehnai. This
biography offers detailed information about his childhood,
works, achievements and timeline.
Quick Facts
Also
Known As
Qamaruddin Khan
Nationality Indian
Born on 21 March 1913 AD
Zodiac
Sign
Aries
Born in Dumraon, Bihar
Died on 21 August 2006 AD
Place of
death
Varanasi
Father Paigambar Khan
Mother Mitthan
Awards
Bharat Ratna
Padma Vibhushan
Padma Bhushan
Padma Shri
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
honorary doctorates from Banaras Hindu University
and Viswa Bharati University

2. Ustad Bismillah Khan was a great Shehnai player from India.
His name was and will forever be associated with shehnai, the
musical instrument that he made famous with his talent and
deliberation in the post independent India. Khan belonged to a
family of traditional musicians of Bihar who used to play in the
courts of the princely states, which is why playing shehnai came
very natural to him. He was brilliant at what he did - the reason
why he had always played at the important national events for
national audience like the first Indian Independence Day and
first Republic Day. Khan with his simplicity, love for music and
straightforwardness did not only become a national favorite but
also gained a lot of popularity and love from the west. For his
creativity and mastery in his art, Khan was bestowed with the
title of ‘Ustad’ and earned many accolades like the Bharat
Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri,
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, honorary doctorates from
Banaras Hindu University and Viswa Bharati University.
Childhood & Early Life
Bismillah Khan was born in Bhirung Raut Ki Gali at
Dumrao, Bihar, in 1913 to Paigambar Khan and Mitthan
into the family of musicians.
His forefathers were musicians in the courts of the
princely states of that time like Bhojpur, Bihar and his
father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja
Keshav Prasad Singh, Dumrao.
At the tender age of 6, Khan was shifted to the city of
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where he received training in

3. music under the supervision of his uncle Ali Baksh, who
was a famous shehnai player and used to play for
Varanasi’s Vishwanath Temple.
Career
Khan learnt the art of playing shehnai and mastered it in a
short span of time. It is not farfetched to say that he was
the one who made shehnai a famous classical instrument
with his natural talent and great devotion.
With his concert in All India Music Conference in 1937 (at
Calcutta), Khan brought shehnai at the forefront of Indian
classical music. He played so well that his name got
attached to the instrument in no time.
In 1947, on the occasion of India’s celebration of its first
independence day, Khan was invited by the first Indian
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to come and perform live
at the Red Fort in Delhi. This performance became one of
his most celebrated ones.
He again performed in 1950 - this time on the occasion of
India’s first Republic Day at Red Fort in Delhi.
Khan did not just perform for the Indian audience but on
many occasions performed for the global audience as
well. He took part in Cannes Art Festival, Osaka Trade
Fair and World Exposition in Montreal.
Khan had a deep association with the world of cinema as
well. He played beautiful shehnai symphonies for a
kannada language movie named Sadaadi Appanna. He
also acted in a Satyajit Ray’s movie Jalsaghar in 1958.
He did some other movies as well - Goonj Uthi Shehnai
(1959), Sange Meel Se Mulaqat, a documentary on his
own life and also appeared in the capacity of a musician
in Dustin Hoffman’s The Graduate (1967).
Major Works
Khan’s whole life was devoted to playing shehnai with all
his passion - a tradition he helped in keeping alive in the
post independent India. If it was not for him, shehnai

4. would have been redundant in the newly independent
India. He made shehnai one of the most popular musical
instruments from Asia.
Awards & Achievements
Khan was bestowed with the title of ‘Ustad’ and earned
many accolades like Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan,
Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi
Award, honorary doctorates from Banaras Hindu
University and Viswa Bharati University, etc.
Personal Life & Legacy
Khan was survived by his five daughters, three sons and
many grandchildren and great grandchildren. He also
adopted a daughter named Dr Soma Ghosh. She is a
famous Hindustani shastriya sangeet exponent.
He died in 2006 due to cardiac arrest. He was buried in a
national ceremony along with his shehnai at Fatemain
burial ground, Varanasi.
Trivia
His burial ceremony received the national pride of 21 gun
salute from the Indian Army.
Khan did not generally take students under him and the
only people that he associated with in that capacity were
S. Ballesh and his own sons - Nazim Hussain and Nayyar
Hussain.