Class-8 English Reader (Special), Lesson-17 Bismillah Khan: The Shehnai Maestro / M.P. Board

Lesson-17

Bismillah Khan: The Shehnai Maestro 

Glossary

Legend- an extremely famous person, especially in a particular field

Maestro- a distinguished musician

Accomplishment- attainment

Immense- huge

Solitude- loneliness

Ramparts- high wide walls built around forts

Personalized- treated as a person

Secularism- the belief that religion should not be involved in the functioning of government and organization of society, education, etc.

Spartan- simple and austere and lacking anything that makes life easier or more pleasant

Reverberate- (of a sound/noise) be repeated several times as an echo

Intermingle- mix

Defy- appear challenging to prove something

Confine- to keep somebody / something inside the limits of a particular activity, subject, area etc.

Recognition- public praise and reward for somebody’s work or action

Contemporary- belonging to the same time

Testimony- a thing that shows that something else exists or is true

Word Power

(A)  We sometimes affix ‘dis’ or ‘non’ to indicate negation. (Consult the dictionary to know the meanings)

Example-

appear – disappear

availability – non-availability

Now add either ‘dis’ or ‘non’ whichever is correct to the following words:

Approve	Disapprove
Technical	Non-technical
Believe	Disbelieve
Engage	Disengage
Order	Disorder
Violence	Non-violence

(B)  Study these sentences and fill in the blanks below with appropriate words derived from the underlined words.

Example- Gandhiji is the Father of the Nation. Our nationality is Indian.

a)   We are proud of India’s ancient culture. Children have gone to participate in a cultural programme.

b)   Kathakali is a performing art. The expression in the performance of Kathakali are praiseworthy.

c)    Yesterday I had to go to the Principal’s residence. Kishor Nagar is a large residential colony.

d)   Herbal medicines are of great benefit. Fried food is not beneficial for health.

e)   15^th August is an auspicious occasion for all Indians. We occasionally get rains on this day.

Comprehension

   Answer the following questions:

Q1.   ‘Ustad was the undisputed jewel in the crown of Indian music.’ Explain.

Ans- Ustad Bismillah Khan elevated the shehnai  from an instrument heard only in weddings and naubatkhanas to one that was appreciated in concert halls across the world. Therefore he was the undisputed jewel in the crown of Indian music.

Q2.   Describe Bismillah Khan as an example of communal harmony.

Ans- Ustad Bismillah Khan was a practicing Muslim, who offered ‘namaz’ five times a day. Yet he had immense faith in Baba Vishwanath, Sankat MochanHanuman and Ganga Maiyya. He was a devotee of Devi Saraswati and Naad Brahma. He was an embodiment of ‘Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb’ (culture).

Q3.   When and where was Ustad Bismillah Khan born?

Ans- Ustad Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916 in Bihar.

Q4.   Who was his first master to train him as a shehnai player?

Ans- His uncle who was a shehnai player at Kashi Vishwanath temple was his first master to train him as a shehnai player.

Q5.   How did he personify real secularism?

Ans- Ustad Bismillah Khan a practicing Muslim in his younger days, he would take a daily dip in the Ganga after a wrestling bout in Benia Bagh Akhada. Every morning he would do ‘Riyaaz’ at the Balaji temple on the banks of the river.  He had immense faith in Baba Vishwanath, Sankat Mochan Hanuman and Ganga Maiyya. He personified real secularism.

Q6.   How can you say that Ustad preferred to live a Spartan life?

Ans- His room had only a few things like cot, a chair, an earthen pot for water and his shehnai.

Q7.   Write God’s wish for the shehnai maestro?

Ans- God’s wish for the shehnai maestro was that the notes of shehnai should reverberate at the doors of heaven.

Let’s Learn

   Study these sentences:

-      The man who helped me cross the road is my friend.

-      Rattan works in a factory which produces steel tumblers.

The clauses underlined in the above sentences are relative clauses.

A clause is a part of a sentence. A relative clause tells us more about a person or thing the speaker is referring to. A relative clause begins with ‘who’, ‘that’, ‘which’, ‘whom’ or ‘where’. ‘Who’ and ‘whom’ refer to human beings. Whereas ‘that’ and ‘which’ refer to things and animals.

Now match the column A & B. Rewrite them combining with ‘who’, ‘which’, ‘that’:

A	B
architect	Pays rent to live in a house
soldier	designs buildings
customer	knows a lot about a particular subject
tenant	defends the country from enemies
scholar	treats patients
doctor	Buys things from a shop

e.g.

A doctor is a person who treats patients.

An architect is a person who designs buildings.

A soldier is a person who defends the country from enemies.

A customer is a person who buys things from a shop.

A tenant is a person who pays rent to live in a house.

A scholar is a person who knows a lot about a particular subject.

A doctor is a person who treats patients.

Two sentences are given below. Join them using who/which or that.

Example-

This blue frock is mine. It has a golden border.

This blue frock which has a golden border is mine.

     1.    Radha is a famous dancer. She has gone to Jaipur to give a performance.

Ans- Radha who has gone to Jaipur to give a performance is a famous dancer.

    2.    The Samrat hotel was destroyed by fire. It has now been rebuilt.

Ans- The Samrat hotel which has now been rebuilt was destroyed by fire.

    3.    These are the story books. You were looking for them.

Ans- These are the story books that you were looking for.

    4.    I have heard your talk. It was very interesting.

Ans- I have heard your talk which was very interesting.

    5.    I met a woman. She writes exciting detective stories.

Ans- I met a woman who writes exciting stories.

Fill in the blanks with who/where/that/which.

    1.    This is the place where I met with an accident.

    2.    Where are the apples which I brought yesterday?

    3.    The speech that the saint delivered yesterday was very inspiring.

    4.    Why do you blame me for everything that goes wrong?

    5.    We should help people who are in need.

Let’s Talk

   1.    Imagine that you are a journalist. You have been asked to interview a musician who plays a musical instrument.

   2.    You can follow the questions given below and also frame your own questions based on the clues given:

(i)           Where were you born Mr. Shah?

I was born at Bhopal.

(ii)          Where did you live as a child?

I lived at Gwalior as a child.

(iii)        How did you get fascinated by music?

My uncle was a musician at the royal court. I used to attend music programs with him.

(iv)        Who inspired you to become a musician?

My uncle and my mother who too was a musician inspired me to become a musician.

(v)          When did you start training in music?

I started training at the age of 12.

(vi)        Tell us something about your work and performances.

I perform in music concerts and I have given music to many songs in movies.

(vii)       In which field of music has your contributions been recognized?

It’s been recongised in Western and Hindustani classical music.

(viii)     We want to know about the honours received and your important achievements?

I have received musical achievement awards from the governments of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. I have also received two times National Film Award.

Let’s Write

Write a letter to a friend describing your close relationship with your grand-mother who is very old and often remains unwell. She tells you stories, but would often prefer to hear one from you. She eats little, and is unhappy about the number of pills she has to take every day. She needs help in coming out of or going into the room. She is very interesting person.

Remember that you are writing an informal letter, talking about personal matters and sharing your thoughts with a close friend.

In personal letters, the language you use should be informal, simple but grammatically correct.

Use words and phrases appropriate to the idea you want to express.

…………………

H-43, Arera Colony,

Bhopal

11^th Oct, 2016

Dear Shilpa,

Hope you are enjoying the best of health. I am also enjoying good health but my grandmother is unwell these days. Doctor says that it is because of her old age. She has always been telling bed-time stories to me but now a days she prefers to hear stories from me. She eats little food and is unhappy about the number of pills she has to take every day. She need help in going to the nearby park for her daily walk. I wish her health to improve so that she need not to eat those pills and she can do her works independently.

Yours affectionately,

Anuradha

Let’s do it

-      Collect two small stories with a moral, based on values like honesty, hard work and patriotism. Narrate them in class.

-      Collect information about great musicians (other than Bismillah Khan) from magazines and newspapers and write in your notebook.

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