*Part-II The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan (Bismillah Khan)*
Very Short Type Question-Answer
*1. Who banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence?*
Ans. Emperor Aurangzeb
*2. Which instrument did Bismillah Khan play?*
Ans. The Shehnai
*3. Bismillah Khan belonged to a well-known family of musicians from which state:*
Ans. Bihar
*4. Which highest civilian award in India was earned by Bismillah Khan?*
Ans. The Bharat Ratna
*5. When was he awarded the Bharat Ratna?*
Ans. In 2001
*6. Where did Bismillah Khan learn to play the Shehnai?*
Ans. In Benaras (Varanasi)
*7. Who was Ali Bux?*
Ans. His maternal uncle
*8. When did Bismillah Khan accompany his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference?*
Ans. At the age of 14
*9. Who was the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai on 15 August 1947?*
Ans. Ustad Bismillah Khan
*10. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15th August 1947?*
Ans. The Red Fort
*11. Where was Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad?*
Ans. Afghanistan
*12. Which film is named after Bismillah Khan’s instrument?*
Ans. Gunj Uthi Shehnai
*13. Where is an auditorium named after Bismillah Khan?*
Ans. In Tehran
*14. What was the name of the film director who was so impressed by Bismillah Khan that he named a film after his instrument?
Ans. Vijay Bhat
15. What was Bismillah Khan’s favorite place to practice Shehnai in solitude?
Ans. Ganga River
Short Type Q-Ans.
*1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?*
Ans. He banned the playing of the musical instrument pungi in the royal residence due to its loud, shrill and unpleasant sound. It was regarded as a noise-maker.
*2. How is Shehnai different from Pungi?*
Ans. A Shehnai is an improved version of a pungi with better tonal quality. It is a natural hollow stem pipe with seven holes on its body, and it is longer and broader than the pungi.
*3. Where was the Shehnai traditionally played? How did Bismillah Khan change this?*
Ans. The Shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah Khan changed the tradition by bringing this instrument onto the classical stage.
*4. When and how did Bismillah Khan get his big break?*
Ans. Bismillah khan got his big break in 1938. The All India Radio opened in Lucknow and Bismillah Khan played Shehnai on radio. He became the first Indian to greet the nation with his Shehnai from the Red Fort on 15th August 1947.
*5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the Shehnai on 15th August 1947? Why was the event historic?*
Ans. Bismillah Khan played the Shehnai on 15 August 1947 at the Red Fort. He was the first Indian to greet the nation with his musical instrument in the presence of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. This event was historic because we got independence on that day.
*6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a Shehnai school in the U.S.A.?*
Ans. He refused his student's request to start a Shehnai school in the U.S.A. because he would not live away from Hindustan- especially from Benaras, the holy River Ganga and his birthplace Dumraon.
*7. Where did Bismillah Khan regularly go as a five-year-old child in Dumraon, and why?*
Ans. As a five-year-old, Bismillah Khan regularly went to the nearby Bihariji temple in Dumraon to sing the Bhojpuri 'Chaita', at the end of which he would earn a big laddu weighing 1.25 kg from the local Maharaja.
*8. What was Ustad Bismillah Khan’s advice to Indian parents when he received the Bharat Ratna?*
Ans. He advised Indian parents to teach their children music, as it is Hindustani's richest tradition and even the West is now coming to learn it.
Long-Ans.
*1. Give a brief character sketch of Ustad Bismillah Khan.*
Ans. Ustad Bismillah Khan was a Shehnai master of national and international fame. He was a great musician. Ali Bux, his maternal uncle, perfected him in music. Shehnai was brought to the classical stage by Bismillah Khan. At the age of 14, he accompanied his uncle to Allahabad music conference where Ustad Fayaz Khan patted his shoulder which inspired him. It was his melodious music that made him the first Indian to greet independent India. He created many new ragas. He was given many awards and he even received the “Bharat Ratna”. He was a true patriot who declined many offers to settle abroad. He had great regard for Hindustani Classical Music.
*2. What is the origin of Shehnai?*
Ans. Shehnai is an improved version of pungi as it has a better tonal quality than pungi. It is a natural hollow stem pipe with seven holes on its body. It is longer and broader than pungi.
It was modified and made by a barber. He played it in the chamber of the king. Since it was played for the first time in the Shah's chamber by a Nai, it came to be known as a Shehnai. Its sound was so appreciated by the emperor that it was made a part of naubat.
The Shehnai was traditionally played in royal courts, temples and weddings. Ustaad Bismillah Khan brought this instrument onto the classical stage.