Ustad Allauddin Khan (; 8 October 1881 – 6 September 1972) was an Indian sarod player and multi-instrumentalist, composer and one of the most notable music teachers of the 20th century in Indian classical music. He was also the founder of Maihar gharana school of Hindustani classical music. For a generation many of his students, across different instruments like sitar and violin, dominated Hindustani classical music and became one of the most famous exponents of the form ever, including his son Ali Akbar Khan.

Early life

Khan was born to a Bengali Muslim family in Shibpur village in Brahmanbaria, British India. His father, Sabdar Hossain Khan, was a musician. Khan took his first music lessons from his elder brother, Fakir Aftabuddin Khan. At age ten, Khan ran away from home to join a jatra party where he was exposed to a variety of folk genres: jari, sari, baul, bhatiyali, kirtan, and panchali. Khan practiced sargam for twelve years under his guidance.

Career

thumb|left|Khan (middle) with [[Abbasuddin Ahmed and Qazi Motahar Hossain (1955)]]

Khan became court musician for the Maharaja of Maihar. On recommendation of Chimmanlal, he was appointed as court musician of Maharaja of Maihar. In 1935, he toured Europe, along with Uday Shankar's ballet troupe, and later also worked at his institute, Uday Shankar India Culture Centre at Almora for a while. and prior to that in 1954, the Sangeet Natak Akademi awarded him with its highest honour, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to Indian music.

Legacy

thumb|Khan with his son [[Ali Akbar Khan, 1933]]

thumb|Khan's residence in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, now preserved as his memorial.

Khan's son Ali Akbar Khan, daughter Annapurna Devi, nephew Raja Hossain Khan and grandson Aashish Khan went on to become musicians. His other disciples include Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, V.G. Jog, Vasant Rai, Shripad Bandopdhyay, Pannalal Ghosh, Bahadur Khan, Rabin Ghosh, Sharan Rani, Nalin Mazumdar, Jotin Bhattacharya, Rajesh Chandra Moitra, David Podiappuhami aka Siyambalapitiyage Don David Podiappuhami and W. D. Amaradeva.

Khan's house Madina Bhavan was in Maihar. This house has been restored by Rajesh Ali Khan Son of Ali Akbar Khan as part of a development that includes an artists and a writers retreat nearby.

Personal life

Anecdotes about Khan range from throwing a tabla tuning hammer at the Maharaja himself to taking care of disabled beggars. Nikhil Banerjee said that the tough image was "deliberately projected in order not to allow any liberty to the disciple. He was always worried that soft treatment on his part would only spoil them".

Films

  • Ustad Alauddin Khan (1963), a documentary directed by Ritwik Ghatak.
  • Raga (1971), directed by Howard Worth. Remastered version released in 2010 by East Meets West Music.
  • Maihar Raag (1993), directed by Sunil Shanbag. A look at Allauddin Khan's crumbling heritage in Maihar, which won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film in 1994.

References

Further reading

  • Ustad Baba Allaudin Khan, Detailed Biography and images at California Institute of the Arts
  • Raga (2010 Remaster) at East Meets West Music