Ayet Ali Khan

Ayet Ali Khan (1884 – 1967)

Early life Khan was born in Shibpur, Brahmanbaria, Bengal Presidency, British India in 1884. He trained under his brothers Fakir Aftabuddin Khan and Ustad Alauddin Khan. He trained in Rampur under Ustad Wazir Khan for 30 years.

Career Khan took residence in the Maihir State as court musician. He formed an indigenous instrumental orchestra with his brother. In 1935, he joined Santiniketan as the head of the Music department after Rabindranath Tagore invited him. He left the post over health reasons. He invented two musical instruments, Manohara and Mandrand and developed the surbahar and the sarod. He invented a number of Ragas including Aol-Basanta, Omar-Sohag, Varis, and Hemantika. He established the Alauddin Music College in 1948 in Comilla and in 1954 in Brahmanbaria. From 1961 to 1965 he worked at Radio Pakistan. Independence Award (1984) Their children were Bahadur Khan, Mobarak Hossain Khan, Abed Hossain Khan, Sheikh Sadi Khan, Ambia, Kohinoor and Razia.

Khan died in 1967.