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Ustad Qawal Bahauddin Khan is a great Legend in the history of Music Of Amir Khusro. 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 South Asia, Hazrat Amir Khusrou banded together twelve (12) elite youngsters and personally imparted special instructions regarding Sufiana style of music, namely Qawali 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 Tanrus Khan Sahab his elder son Ghulam Ghous Khansahab remained in Hyderabad (Deccan) to took over and prolong the versatile, dynamic and powerful living tradition of Qawal Bachchay while the younger one namely Umrao Khansahab shifted to Lahore and dominated as well as look after the disciples of Central part of Indo-Pak specially Punjab and later his son Sardar Khan Sahab fulfill this responsibility until death in 1963.

Ghulam Ghous Khansahab had four sons namely Abdul Raheem Khansahab, Abdul Kareem Khansahab, Abdul Azeem Khansahab and Haji Suleman Khansahab. Out of these Abdul Kareem Khansahab shifted to Delhi to look after the family affairs there as well as guarded the spiritual affiliation and connection with the sufi order of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Mehboob-e-Ilahi, being the Head of Main Qawali Group namely Qawal Bachchay or else Chowki Tanrus Khan, until his death. The group was inclusive of all the persons now residing in Delhi, running their own groups and claim themselves as Main Chowki of Dargah Nizamuddin.

Bahauddin Qawal, son of Haji. M. Suleman Khan Sahab, was born in 1934, took formal musical training from his father and uncle 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 and migrated to Pakistan where he started afresh with his cousins Raziuddin A. Khan and Manzoor A. Khan Niazi, as Manzoor Niazi Qawal & Party which included his brother and other nephews also, under the patronage and guidance of 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-Mousiqaraan.

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 Khusrou, having the desire to propagate Islam beyond the confines of the South Asia, 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? He is the only qawal in the history who has made 700-1000 his own new compositions in qawali, including the ones he did for Pakistan Television & Radio Pakistan, which completely changed the trend of traditional & classical qawali singing and as such made the qawali acceptable and understandable to the needs and requirements of general public apart from the Sufis & Elites. To have his classical style of Qawali recorded for safe-keeping up to 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. Zoe 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 Aulia (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.

Now his children are following his footsteps and are assisting him in his performances and the mission for the revival and development of Qawali as well as working at their own under the name and style Najm, Saif Bahauddin & Group. In November 1997, lovers and admirers of his unique & classical style of Qawali crowned his elder son M. Najmuddin. In May 1999, Lok Virsa invited them to perform at Islamabad in the National Youth Festival organised under their auspices at the anniversary of Pakistan’s becoming of 7th World and 1st Islamic Nuclear Power. During this festival they performed specially for Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Minister of Culture, UAE and presented Qawalis in Urdu and Arabic languages. All the persons attended the programme, including the chief guest, government dignitaries and eminent personalities, admired their performance specially their command on Arabic language. During Nov.-Dec. 2005 UK Tour they gave 13 concerts in 10 different cities there and in Jan. 2006 Swiss Tour they performed in 6 cities. All these concerts were arranged to help raise funds for the Earthquake victims in Pakistan. Also, they were recorded by Iran Radio, Zahidan, during visit of Iran In 2000, and by Pakistan Television and ARY Digital and QTV-Private Channels. They have so far received Hazrat Amir Khusrou Award and New Qawali Talent Award for their remarkable performances. So far their Two Audio Cassettes are released one each in 2003 and 2004.

Bahauddin contemporaries Ravi Shankar, Khadim Hussain Khan, Allah Rakha, Singh Bandhu, Shamim A. Khan, Great Musicians-Naushad, Khayyam, Kalyanji Anandji, Daleep Kumar, Johny Walker, Mukri, Naveen Nushchal & numerous renowned artists, musicians and show biz personalities like, loved and admired him and his art of Qawali. They all derive great solace and comfort from him who fulfills their yearning to enrich their souls.

Until his sad demise on February 3, 2006 Bahauddin always soldiered on unceasingly and relentlessly in his mission both at home and abroad.

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