Qawwal Bahauddin

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Ustad Qawwal Bahauddin (1934 - February 3, 2006) (Arabic: أستاذ قوّال بهاءالدين‎) was an Pakistani Qawwali musician of the shudh tradition.

Bahauddin Qawal, a household name in Pakistan and abroad, including India and foreign lands, descends from an illustrious family of musicians whose history commence from the days of Hazrat Amir Khusro.

To propagate Islam throughout the entire sub-continent of India, Hazrat Amir Khusro banded together thirteen elite youngsters and personally imparted special instructions regarding Sufiana style of music, namely Qawwali to them and appointed Mian Saamat as its leader. This group named as Qawal Bachche Gharana of Delhi and afterwards as Delhi Gharana.

The Delhi Gharana achieved further acclaim through AI-Haj Mir Qutab Bukhsh, famous as Tanrus Khan, who went on to become the royal tutor to Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last of the mughal emperors. After the sad demise of Mian Tanrus Khan his sons namely Ghulam Ghous Khan and Umrao Khan simply attached with the courts of Hyderabad Deccan and Gwalior and did not gave attention other traditions of their Gharana. However, Haji M. Suleman Khan, youngest son of Ghulam Ghous Khan and grandson of Mian Tanrus Khan, after the death of his elder ones, carried forward those traditions and firstly imparted training to his nephews and later on founded and started, under his patronage and guidance, a party namely Manzoor Niazi Qawal & Party.

Bahauddin Qawal, son of Ustad Haji. M. Suleman Khan Sahab, was born in 1934, took formal musical training from his father and uncle Ustad Sardar Khan Sahab-one of the great exponents of music in Pakistan especially in Punjab, began giving public performances and won prizes & acclaim from very tender age of six years singly as well as Active Partner of Manzoor Niazi Qawal & Party. In 1947, he was decorated as Nunhay Ragi, in 1949 received Certificate of Performance and in 1951 earned the title of Nunhay Hind Ragi from the Indian Prime Minister. In 2000 awarded with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz by the President, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in 2002 earned the title of Ustad from the Vice President of Mauritius as well as received Gold Medal and Commemorative Shield from the Minister of Arts & Culture and in 2003 got In the name of Allah Award from Viqar-e-Adab-an organization working for the revival, propagation, development and betterment of arts & culture.

In 1956, Bahauddin took leave of the Court of Nizam of Hyderabad State and migrated to Pakistan where he started afresh with his cousins Raziuddin A. Khan and Manzoor A. Khan Niazi, as Manzoor Niazi Qawal & Party included his brother and other nephews also, under the patronage and guidance of Ustad Haji M. Suleman Khan Sahab.

In 1966, Bahauddin went solo under his own name and within no more than three years, in 1969, in recognition of his masterly renditioning of Qawali eminent personalities & lovers of Qawali crowned him as Ashraf-ul-Mousiqara’n.

Right from his start uptil now he has regularly been invited by various Government and Local departments, including Armed Forces, to perform in about all their programmes as well as seminars, festivals and symposiums specially arranged on specific occasions.

Bahauddin, as a true disciple of the school of Hazrat Amir Khusro, having the desire to propagate Islam beyond the confines of the sub-continent, has exhibited his art & command on different styles of Qawali, especially classical style, all over the world. He has toured Europe, Middle East, East & South African Countries, Iran and India several times.

One wonder which other recognition and acclaim Bahauddin can achieve?. To have his classical style of Qawali recorded for safe-keeping upto 200 years, on the Golden Tape, as reference and guide on Hazrat Amir Khusrou and his work, especially the art of Qawali, for researchers and scholars, by the National Centre for the Performing Arts-India is no ordinary feat. One of his Qawali lovers portrayed him on wall mounted carpet. Furthermore, Dr. Zore Ansari, a research scholar and historian, recorded him for release of two cassette's Audio-biography of Hazrat Amir Khusrou. Even today the French broadcasting authorities and the BBC continue to record Bahauddin for research and references regarding the music of the East. His Qawalis in Urdu, Persian and Arabic are regularly telecasted both in Pakistan and abroad as well as have been sent to Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Central Asian Countries on special requests.

Bahauddin Qawal and his family have been continuously and regularly attached with the Sufi orders since last seven (7) centuries. The tombs of Mian Nigahi and Mian Dargahi, his ancestors, mureed and Sam'a Khwa'n of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz), adjacent to his shrine and Nigahi Dargahi Masjid at Dargah Bazar, Ajmer are examples of their spiritual affiliation. Furthermore, they have been awarded with permanent rooms adjacent to the shrines of Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz, Hazrat Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (Mehboob-e-Elahi) and Hazrat Alauddin Ali A. Sabir Kalyari (Sabir Pak) in Ajmer, Delhi and Kalyar due to their regular services and continuous attachment with these Sufi saints. Furthermore, the descendants of Mehboob-e-Elahi conferred Certificate of Affiliation to him and turbaned him & his sons in recognition of their family attachment with Silsilah of Hazrat Mehboob-e-Ilahi.

Bahauddin held many positions at different organisations for the revival and development of Qawali. So far, his nine VCDs/CDs and thirty-nine Video/Audio Cassettes & LPs EPs are released in Pakistan & abroad. In 1978, Hilton Movies has recorded his Qawali for their film Gardish.