The Sound of Music
Part II
The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan
1. Who banned the playing of the pungi in the royal residence?
a)
Akbar
b) Shah Jahan
c) Aurangzeb
d) Humayun
Answer:
c) Aurangzeb
2. Why did Aurangzeb ban the pungi?
a)
It was too expensive
b) It had a shrill and unpleasant sound
c)
It was difficult to play
d) It was too soft
Answer:
b) It had a shrill and unpleasant sound
3. Who improved the tonal quality of the pungi?
a)
Ustad Bismillah Khan
b) A barber
c) A royal musician
d)
A king
Answer:
b) A barber
4. What did the barber use to improve the pungi?
a)
A longer and broader hollow pipe
b) A smaller pipe
c) A
wooden stick
d) Metal pipes
Answer:
a) A longer and broader hollow pipe
5. How many holes did the barber make on the new instrument?
a)
5
b) 6
c) 7
d) 8
Answer:
c) 7
6. What name was given to the instrument created by the barber?
a)
Pungi
b) Shehnai
c) Flute
d) Sarod
Answer:
b) Shehnai
7. Why is the shehnai considered auspicious?
a)
It was first played in temples
b) It produces a melodious
sound
c) It is a symbol of royalty
d) It is played at North
Indian weddings
Answer:
d) It is played at North Indian weddings
8. Who is credited with bringing the shehnai onto the classical stage?
a)
Ali Bux
b) Rasool Bux Khan
c) Ustad Bismillah Khan
d)
Ustad Faiyaz Khan
Answer:
c) Ustad Bismillah Khan
9. Where did Bismillah Khan play as a five-year-old?
a)
Ganges River
b) Dumraon estate
c) Allahabad
d)
Varanasi
Answer:
b) Dumraon estate
10. What prize did Bismillah Khan receive for singing the Bhojpuri Chaita?
a)
Gold coin
b) Laddu weighing 1.25 kg
c) Royal clothes
d)
Musical instrument
Answer:
b) Laddu weighing 1.25 kg
11. When was Ustad Bismillah Khan born?
a)
1910
b) 1914
c) 1916
d) 1920
Answer:
c) 1916
12. Where was Bismillah Khan born?
a)
Varanasi
b) Dumraon, Bihar
c) Lucknow
d) Delhi
Answer:
b) Dumraon, Bihar
13. Who was Bismillah Khan’s grandfather?
a)
Paigambar Bux
b) Rasool Bux Khan
c) Ali Bux
d) Vijay
Bhatt
Answer:
b) Rasool Bux Khan
14. Where did Bismillah Khan’s uncle, Ali Bux, play the shehnai?
a)
Vishnu Temple in Benaras
b) Red Fort
c) All India Radio
d)
A royal court
Answer:
a) Vishnu Temple in Benaras
15. Where did Bismillah Khan practice for hours as a child?
a)
Temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya
b) Ganges River
c)
Dumraon palace
d) Music school
Answer:
a) Temples of Balaji and Mangala Maiya
16. Which river inspired Ustad Bismillah Khan's music?
a)
Yamuna
b) Ganga
c) Godavari
d) Krishna
Answer:
b) Ganga
17. At what age did Bismillah Khan accompany his uncle to the Allahabad Music Conference?
a)
10
b) 12
c) 14
d) 16
Answer:
c) 14
18. Who praised Bismillah Khan at the Allahabad Music Conference?
a)
Ustad Ali Bux
b) Ustad Faiyaz Khan
c) Pandit Ravi
Shankar
d) King Zahir Shah
Answer:
b) Ustad Faiyaz Khan
19. When did Bismillah Khan get his big break with All India Radio?
a)
1936
b) 1938
c) 1942
d) 1947
Answer:
b) 1938
20. What raag did Bismillah Khan play on India’s Independence Day?
a)
Raag Bhairav
b) Raag Yaman
c) Raag Kali
d) Raag
Desh
Answer:
c) Raag Kali
21. Who gave the famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech after Bismillah Khan played on Independence Day?
a)
Mahatma Gandhi
b) Subhas Chandra Bose
c) Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru
d) Sardar Patel
Answer:
c) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
22. Where did Bismillah Khan perform his first international concert?
a)
United States
b) Afghanistan
c) Iran
d) Japan
Answer:
b) Afghanistan
23. Who was fascinated by Bismillah Khan’s music during his visit to Afghanistan?
a)
King Zahir Shah
b) President of Afghanistan
c) Prime
Minister
d) Ustad Faiyaz Khan
Answer:
a) King Zahir Shah
24. Which film director named a movie after the shehnai?
a)
Vijay Bhatt
b) Yash Chopra
c) Satyajit Ray
d) Raj
Kapoor
Answer:
a) Vijay Bhatt
25. What was the name of the film in which Bismillah Khan’s composition became a hit?
a)
Mughal-E-Azam
b) Gunj Uthi Shehnai
c) Pakeezah
d)
Sholay
Answer:
b) Gunj Uthi Shehnai
26. What was the name of Bismillah Khan’s chartbuster composition?
a)
Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya
b) Mere Sapnon Ki Rani
c)
Ajeeb Dastan Hai
d) Tere Mere Sapne
Answer:
a) Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya
27. How many films did Bismillah Khan compose music for?
a)
One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
Answer:
b) Two
28. Where was Bismillah Khan the first Indian to perform?
a)
Lincoln Centre Hall, USA
b) Royal Albert Hall, UK
c) Opera
House, Australia
d) Carnegie Hall, USA
Answer:
a) Lincoln Centre Hall, USA
29. Which country named an auditorium after Ustad Bismillah Khan?
a)
USA
b) Iran
c) Afghanistan
d) Japan
Answer:
b) Iran
30. What national award was Bismillah Khan awarded in 2001?
a)
Padma Bhushan
b) Bharat Ratna
c) Padma Vibhushan
d)
Padmashri
Answer:
b) Bharat Ratna
31. What did Ustad Bismillah Khan advise people to teach their children?
a)
Dance
b) Music
c) Mathematics
d) Science
Answer:
b) Music
32. Where did Bismillah Khan prefer to live despite traveling worldwide?
a)
Mumbai
b) Delhi
c) Benaras and Dumraon
d) New
York
Answer:
c) Benaras and Dumraon
33. What did Bismillah Khan miss the most while abroad?
a)
Indian food
b) Ganges River
c) His family
d) His
audience
Answer:
b) Ganges River
34. Which temple did Ustad Bismillah Khan regularly play the shehnai at?
a)
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
b) Vishnu Temple
c) Kali Temple
d)
Jagannath Temple
Answer:
a) Kashi Vishwanath Temple
35. Which religious tradition did Ustad Bismillah Khan belong to?
a)
Hindu
b) Muslim
c) Sikh
d) Christian
Answer:
b) Muslim
36. When did Ustad Bismillah Khan pass away?
a)
2005
b) 2006
c) 2007
d) 2008
Answer:
b) 2006
37. How old was Ustad Bismillah Khan when he passed away?
a)
80
b) 85
c) 90
d) 95
Answer:
c) 90
38. How did the government honor Bismillah Khan after his death?
a)
Declared a national holiday
b) Held a state funeral
c)
Named a monument after him
d) Published a biography
Answer:
b) Held a state funeral
39. Where did Bismillah Khan receive his musical training?
a)
At a music school
b) From his uncle
c) From his father
d)
At a university
Answer:
b) From his uncle
40. Who was Bismillah Khan’s father?
a)
Paigambar Bux
b) Rasool Bux Khan
c) Ali Bux
d) Ustad
Faiyaz Khan
Answer:
a) Paigambar Bux
41. What inspired Bismillah Khan to create new ragas?
a)
The flowing waters of the Ganga
b) His uncle’s teachings
c)
Classical concerts
d) His love for the shehnai
Answer:
a) The flowing waters of the Ganga
42. In which city did Ustad Bismillah Khan play the shehnai at a temple?
a)
Allahabad
b) Varanasi
c) Mumbai
d) Patna
Answer:
b) Varanasi
43. What was Bismillah Khan’s attitude towards film music?
a)
He loved it
b) He found it artificial
c) He wanted to
compose more film songs
d) He disliked performing live
Answer:
b) He found it artificial
44. What did King Zahir Shah gift Bismillah Khan in Afghanistan?
a)
Gold
b) Persian carpets
c) A royal robe
d) Musical
instruments
Answer:
b) Persian carpets
45. Which was one of Bismillah Khan’s memorable performances abroad?
a)
Osaka Trade Fair
b) Cannes Art Festival
c) Lincoln Centre
Hall
d) All of the above
Answer:
d) All of the above
46. Where did Bismillah Khan's music play a pivotal role in India's history?
a)
Independence Day, 1947
b) Republic Day, 1950
c) Gandhi’s
funeral
d) Nehru’s coronation
Answer:
a) Independence Day, 1947
47. Which relative of Bismillah Khan was also a great shehnai player?
a)
His father
b) His grandfather
c) His uncle
d) All of
the above
Answer:
d) All of the above
48. What was Bismillah Khan’s real name?
a)
Ali Bux Khan
b) Paigambar Bux
c) Rasool Khan
d)
Bismillah Khan
Answer:
d) Bismillah Khan
49. In which state was Dumraon located?
a)
Bihar
b) Uttar Pradesh
c) West Bengal
d)
Rajasthan
Answer:
a) Bihar
50. What was Ustad Bismillah Khan's main instrument?
a)
Pungi
b) Shehnai
c) Flute
d) Sarod
Answer:
b) Shehnai
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