Maheboob Khan


Shaikh-ul-Mashaik Pyaromir Maheboob Khan was born in Baroda, India. An Indian classical musician and younger brother of Inayat Khan, he became the representative of the International Sufi Movement on the latter's death in 1927.

Life

Their grandfather :w:nl:Maula Bakhsh|Maula Bakhsh recognized his ability in improvisation and trained him in music with Inayat. As he grew up Maheboob was exposed more to European music than Inayat had been, he conducted and took some interest in Western musical theory.
When Inayat began to travel from Baroda, he entrusted his musical students to Maheboob, but when Inayat sailed to the West in 1910 Maheboob Khan accompanied him. He settled in The Hague, marrying a Dutch disciple, Shadbiy van Goens, who bore him two children, Raheemunnisa and Mahmood. In Europe, Maheboob learned musical composition and singing with composer and musicologist Edmond Bailly.
Maheboob had a particularly strong voice, but Maheboob, musical, intelligent, thoughtful and retiring, would rarely sing for others. There is a story that Inayat and his brother Ali Khan would sometimes pretend to go out, slamming the front door, then wait quietly in the front hall to hear Maheboob practise his singing. He composed more than 60 sacred songs. Barbara Blatherwick, the coloratura soprano, performed his songs in her recital in 1937 at the New York Town Hall. Maheboob composed a song on a sacred poem by Inayat Khan but could not bring himself to show it to his brother who died without having heard it.
Upon the passing of Inayat Khan in 1927, Maheboob Khan took the responsibility of leading the International Sufi Movement, a post he held until his own death in 1948. He kept the Sufi message through the difficulties of WW2 time and is remembered with love, respect and gratitude. A time over than 12 years had been sent on the making of "Mughal-e- Azam".

Music

LP recordings

Articles

Spirituality - the Tuning of the Heart by Shaikh-ul-Mashaikh Maheboob Khan. "Toward the One" Volume four. USA. Spring 2003 pp. 66–68