TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Tick the right answer
   
   1. The (shehnai, pungi) was a reeded noise make
                                           √
   √
2. (Bismillah Khan, A Barber, Ali Bux) transformed the pungi into a shennai.

Ans.     A barber transformed the pungi into a shennai.

3. Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestors were (barbers, professional muscians).

Ans.     Bismillah Khan’s paternal ancestor were professional musicians.

4. Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from (Ali Bux, Paigambar Bux, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan)

Ans.     Bismillah Khan learnt to play the shehnai from Ali Bux.

5. Bismillah Khan’s first trip abroad was to (Afghanistan, U.S.A, Canada)

Ans.     Bismillah Khan’s first trip was to Afghanistan.

II . Find the words in the text which shows Ustad Bismillah Khan’s feelings about the items listed below. Then mark a(√) in the correct column.

Bismillan Khan’s feelings about                      Positive                        Negative neutral

1. teaching children music                                         √
2. the film world                                                                                                        √
3. migrating to the U.S.A                                                                                         √
4. playing at temples                                                  √
5. the banks of the ganga                                          √
6. leaving Benaras and Dumraon                                                                          √

III.       Answer the following in 30 – 40 words.

1. Why did Aurangzeb ban the playing of the pungi?

Ans.  Aurangzeb banned the playing of the pungi because it had a shrill and unpleasant sound.

2. How is shehnai different from pungi?

Ans. Shehnai is improved version of pungi. It has a better tonal quality than pungi. It is a pipe with natural hollow stem that is broader and different than the pungi. There are seven holes on the body of the pipe.

 Where was the shehnai played traditionally? 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 got his break in 1938 when he played shehnai on radio on the occasion of the All India Radio in Lucknow. Soon he became an often heard player on radio.

5. Where did Bismillah Khan play the shehnai on 15 August 1947? Why was the event historic?

Ans. On 15 August 1947, Bismillah Khan played shehnai at the Red fort. The event was historical because India got independent from the British rule on that day.

6. Why did Bismillah Khan refuse to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A

Ans. Bismillah Khan refused to start a shehnai school in the U.S.A because he did not want to stay away from India. He was really fond of Banaras, the river Ganga and Dumraon.

7. Find at least two instanccs in the text which tell you that Bismillah Khan loves India and Benaras

Ans.  The two instances that show Bismillah Khan’s love for India are:
i) Bismillah Khan refused one his student’s offer to start a shehnai school in U.S.A because of his immense love for Benaras , river Ganga and Dumraon.
ii) The second instance is when Khan saab was asked by Shekhar Gupta about moving to Pakistan, during the partition, he said that he would never leave Benaras.