Naubat Khan

Naubat Khan نوبات خان
Portrait of Naubat Khan Kalawant,San Diego Museum of Art,Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
Born	Misri Singh Kishangarh, Rajasthan
Occupation	Karori,Classical Mughal Era Musician,Darogha of Naqqar Khana
Religion	Shia Islam

Naubat Khan^[1] (Urdu: نوبات خان‎, Hindi: नौबात खान,also known as Ali Khan Karori) was a prominent Hindustani classical music composer, musician and instrumentalist.^[2] He was an influential musician of his time. The rudra veena called the bin came into prominence from the time of Tansen's contemporary and son in law Naubat Khan.In the paintings^[3] it is clearly Naubat Khan and not Tansen who is associated with the instrument.^[4] Naubat Khan was the honoray title conferred by Mughal Emperor Jahangir on Ali Khan Karori.^[5]

Early life and background

Naubat Khan^[6] was the grandson of Maharaja Samokhan singh of Kishangarh,and the son-in-law of legendary Tansen.^[7] Maharaja Samokhan Singh a Jodhpur Prince^[8] was himself a great veena player of his time.^[9] He was defeated by the forces of Mughal emperor Akbar and his grandson Misri Singh(Naubat Khan) was kept under house arrest.Misri Singh later accepted Islam^[10] and was named Ali.He was given under the training of Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana the son of Bairam Khan .Ali was given the title of Khan by Akbar and he was given the post of Karori i.e Finance minister.Ali Khan Karori was later given the prestigious position of the darogha of the Naqqar khana.Jahangir conferred on Ali Khan Karori the honorary title of Naubat Khan and promoted him to the rank of 500 personal and 200 horse.^[11][12][13]

Marriage with Saraswati

Naubat Khan first married Ahmad Khan Mughal's daughter.After his first wife's death he married Tansen's daughter Saraswati.Saraswati accepted Islam and was named Hussaini.He had a son named Lal Khan.Lal Khan was the son in law of Tansen's son Bilas Khan.^[14][15] Lal Khan was the chief musician of Emperor Shahjahan.^[16] Shahajahan conferred on him the title of Gunsamundra.

Hussain Quli presents prisoners of war to Akbar, a view of the bin player Naubat khan(In white dress holding Rudra Vina), illustration from the Akbar-nama, Mughal school, towards 1590.Victoria & Albert Museum U.K.

Subject of Individual Portrait

Only highly ranked figures of the court enjoyed the privilege of being painted alone or within an assembly by the painters of the court and Naubat Khan is one of the rare musicians – along with the illustrious singer-composer Tansen – to have been the subject of an individual portrait.He was painted by Ustad Mansur during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.^[17]

Portrait of Naubat Khan Kalawant by Ustad Mansur,Mughal School, towards 1600 British Museum London

Beenkar dynasty of India

Naubat Khan was the founder of the beenkar dynasty of India. His direct descendants held considerable prestige in musical circles for several centuries.Notable members of this family are

• Maharaja Samokhan Singh of Kishangarh(disciple of Swami Haridas)
• Jhanjhan Singh
• Naubat Khan
• Lal Khan Gunsamundra (Chief musician of Shahjahan,title of Gunsamundra conferred by Shahjahan,^[18] Son in law of Tansen's son Bilas Khan)^[19]
• Khushal Khan Gunsamundra (Title of Gunsamundra conferred by Shahjahan)^[20]
• Manrang
• Bisram Khan
• Bhupat Khan^[21]
• Nirmol Shah
• Sadarang(Chief musician of Muhammad Shah)
• Feroz Khan Adarang^[22]
• Sidhar Khan^[23]
• Omrao Khan Beenkar^[24]
• Ameer Khan Beenkar(Nayak of Kalb Ali Khan Court)
• Jeevan Shah of Jhansi
• Bahadur Hussain Khan beenkar^[25][26] (Favourite musician of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah)
• Wazir Khan (Master of Hamid Ali Khan of Rampur,Allauddin Khan, Hafiz Ali Khan, Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande)
• Dabir Khan^[27]

Naubat Khan the Vina Player,Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Family Tree

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^{[28] [29] [30]}

See also

• Hindustani classical music
• Sadarang
• Tansen
• Wazir Khan (Rampur)
• Kishangarh

References

External links