--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-jp/gharana/senia-shahjahanpur-gharana' title: 'Senia-Shahjahanpur Gharana' author: name: Anonymous updated: '2026-11-05T00:23:00+00:00' type: website summary: "The Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana is a sarod line that grew from a Bangash Pathan family of rabab players in Shahjahanpur, in present-day Uttar Pradesh. It took its present form in the mid-20th century under Radhika Mohan Maitra, who joined the family's Shahjahanpur style to Senia teaching. Most players and writers call it the Shahjahanpur gharana." tags: - 'Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana' - 'Senia-Maihar Gharana' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- # Senia-Shahjahanpur Gharana सेनिया-शाहजहाँपुर घराना A Shahjahanpur sarod family line that Radhika Mohan Maitra joined to Senia teaching Sarod Gharana Shahjahanpur The **Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana** is a [sarod](/en-jp/instrumental/hindustani-classical/sarod) line that grew from a Bangash Pathan family of rabab players in Shahjahanpur, in present-day Uttar Pradesh. It took its present form in the mid-20th century under **Radhika Mohan Maitra**, who joined the family's Shahjahanpur style to Senia teaching. Most players and writers call it the Shahjahanpur gharana. [Sign in to follow](/en-jp/user/login?flag_anon=follow_term-350&destination=/en-jp/markdownify/taxonomy/term/350) [ Share ](/en-jp/share/term/350) ### Quick Facts Type Sarod Gharana Origin Shahjahanpur ## Origins & History By the lineage's own account, the family came from Afghanistan as Bangash tribesmen with the rabab, an Afghan lute. It credits Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash, working with his kinsmen Enayat Ali and Niamatullah Khan, with turning the rabab into the sarod; the Gwalior Bangash family tells that story differently. In the same account, Ghulam Ali's son Murad Ali Khan adopted a boy from Enayat Ali's family in Shahjahanpur and named him **Abdullah Khan**, who became a court musician at Darbhanga. Abdullah Khan's son Mohammed Ameer Khan, also written Mohammad Amir Khan, served the Maitra zamindars of Rajshahi, now in Bangladesh, by the lineage's account, and died in 1934. Radhika Mohan Maitra, born into that family in 1917, trained with him from childhood until his death. Maitra later studied with **Mohammed Dabir Khan**, a Senia musician, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi archive credits him with combining the Shahjahanpur and Senia styles. Senia names Tansen's line, whose history is on the [Senia gharana](/en-jp/gharana/senia-gharana) page. The short name is shared. A 2023 Scroll article gives the name Shahjahanpur gharana to Irfan Muhammad Khan's family as well, which Peter Yelding's 2026 thesis studies as a separate line, the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur gharana. > "One of the specialties of my gharana, the Shahjahanpur sarod gharana, is a type of gat called the Ferozkhani gat" > > — Arnab Chakrabarty > > Strings attached: my journey as a modern sarod player, Scroll (2016) ## Historical Timeline 1917 ### Birth of Radhika Mohan Maitra Radhika Mohan Maitra is born into a zamindar family of Rajshahi. Mohammed Ameer Khan teaches him the sarod from childhood until 1934. 1934 ### Death of Mohammed Ameer Khan Mohammed Ameer Khan, Maitra's first teacher, dies in Rajshahi. Maitra goes on to study with the Senia musician Mohammed Dabir Khan. 1980 ### Maitra writes on the Ferozkhani gat Radhika Mohan Maitra writes an article on the Ferozkhani gat, describing its medium or medium-fast tempo. Arnab Chakrabarty later quotes it. 1981 ### Death of Radhika Mohan Maitra Radhika Mohan Maitra dies in October 1981, leaving disciples who include Buddhadev Das Gupta and Kalyan Mukherjea. ## Lineage & Legacy The guru-shishya tradition passed down through generations The line ran through the Bangash family to Mohammed Ameer Khan, and from him to Radhika Mohan Maitra. **Radhika Mohan Maitra**, who died in 1981, taught Buddhadev Das Gupta, Kalyan Mukherjea and Samarendra Nath Sikdar among others. Buddhadev Das Gupta taught at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata, where his pupil Abir Hossain is now a guru. ### The Bangash family line #### Murad Ali Khan Sarod player In the lineage's account, a son of Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash who had no children and adopted Abdullah Khan from Enayat Ali's family in Shahjahanpur. #### Abdullah Khan Sarod player Born in Shahjahanpur and adopted by Murad Ali Khan. By the lineage's account he became a court musician at Darbhanga in Bihar. #### Mohammed Ameer Khan Died 1934 Sarod player and teacher Son of Abdullah Khan, born in Shahjahanpur. He taught Radhika Mohan Maitra from childhood until his death in 1934, and by the lineage's account served the Maitra family of Rajshahi as resident musician. Guru-Shishya Tradition ### The Senia synthesis #### Mohammed Dabir Khan Senia musician A musician of the Senia line and Radhika Mohan Maitra's later teacher. The lineage's own account says Maitra learned dhrupad from him. #### Radhika Mohan Maitra 1917-1981 Sarod player and teacher From a Rajshahi zamindar family, he trained with Mohammed Ameer Khan and then Mohammed Dabir Khan, and is credited with combining the Shahjahanpur and Senia styles. Guru-Shishya Tradition ### Maitra's disciples #### Buddhadev Das Gupta Sarod player and guru A pupil of Radhika Mohan Maitra and a guru of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, which places him in the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana. #### Kalyan Mukherjea Died 2010 Sarod player and mathematician A pupil of Radhika Mohan Maitra from about the age of 11 who also learned from Dhruba Tara Joshi. He belonged to the Shahjahanpur gharana and worked as a mathematician. #### Samarendra Nath Sikdar Sarod player A sarod player named among Radhika Mohan Maitra's disciples. Guru-Shishya Tradition ### Players of the line today #### Abir Hossain Sarod player and guru Trained under Buddhadev Das Gupta and now a guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. #### Arnab Chakrabarty Sarod player Trained by Buddhadev Das Gupta and Kalyan Mukherjea, he writes of the Shahjahanpur gharana as his own. The gharana system is rooted in the guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition, where musical knowledge and style are passed down through direct apprenticeship over three or more generations. ## Key exponents - Murad Ali Khan, Bangash sarod player and adoptive father of Abdullah Khan - Abdullah Khan, sarod player, court musician at Darbhanga in the lineage account - Mohammed Ameer Khan, teacher of Radhika Mohan Maitra, died 1934 - Radhika Mohan Maitra, sarod player and teacher, 1917-1981 - Buddhadev Das Gupta, sarod player, disciple of Maitra and Academy guru - Kalyan Mukherjea, sarod player and mathematician, died 2010 - Samarendra Nath Sikdar, sarod player and disciple of Maitra ## Musical Characteristics Distinctive style, techniques, and aesthetic philosophy ### Overall Style By the lineage's own account, the early style was **rababiya**: heavy right-hand strumming carried over from the rabab. The lineage also names **bol-taans**, fast passages that imitate percussion, and **ekhara taans**, alternating da and ra strokes on each note, and credits Buddhadev Das Gupta with first bringing khayal-based ekhara taans to the sarod. Arnab Chakrabarty adds the Ferozkhani gat and an aesthetic that does not chase speed for its own sake. #### Rababiya strumming In the lineage's account, the early playing kept the heavy right-hand strumming of the rabab, from which the family's sarod came. #### Ekhara taans Fast runs with alternating da and ra strokes on each note. The lineage credits Buddhadev Das Gupta with bringing khayal-based ekhara taans to the sarod. #### The Ferozkhani gat A fixed composition that Maitra's 1980 article puts at medium or medium-fast tempo. Arnab Chakrabarty describes sudden octave jumps and a spread over at least three rhythmic cycles. #### Restraint Arnab Chakrabarty describes a line that avoids speed for its own sake and places tihais, the thrice-repeated closing phrases, sparingly. ## Signature Repertoire Arnab Chakrabarty calls the **Ferozkhani gat** a speciality of his gharana and quotes Radhika Mohan Maitra's 1980 article for its medium or medium-fast tempo. Buddhadev Das Gupta, by the lineage's account, also played khayal-based bandishes on the sarod and wrote sarod bandishes on Rabindrasangeet melodies from the 1970s. ## Compare with Similar Gharanas Understand how Senia-Shahjahanpur Gharana differs from other traditions Select a Gharana to Compare: Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana Senia-Maihar Gharana | | Senia-Shahjahanpur Gharana (Current) | Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana (Comparing) | |---|---|---| | Type | Sarod | Sarod | | Origin | Shahjahanpur | Lucknow | | Era | | Late 19th century | | Style | By the lineage's own account, the early style was rababiya: heavy right-hand strumming carried over from the rabab. The lineage also names bol-taans, fast passages that imitate percussion, and ekhara taans, alternating da and ra strokes on each note, and credits Buddhadev Das Gupta with first bringing khayal-based ekhara taans to the sarod. Arnab Chakrabarty adds the Ferozkhani gat and an aesthetic that does not chase speed for its own sake. | McNeil hears in Sakhawat Hussain Khan's recordings of the 1920s a strong influence of tarana, the fast vocal form on syllables, and the gharana's emphasis on right-hand technique, which he traces to systematic training on the Seniya rabab. Kaukab Khan, a generation earlier, was known for a systematic alap. The line plays both sarod and sitar. | [View Lucknow-Shahjahanpur Gharana Details ](/en-jp/gharana/lucknow-shahjahanpur-gharana) | | Senia-Shahjahanpur Gharana (Current) | Senia-Maihar Gharana (Comparing) | |---|---|---| | Type | Sarod | Sarod | | Origin | Shahjahanpur | Maihar, Madhya Pradesh | | Era | | Early 20th century | | Style | By the lineage's own account, the early style was rababiya: heavy right-hand strumming carried over from the rabab. The lineage also names bol-taans, fast passages that imitate percussion, and ekhara taans, alternating da and ra strokes on each note, and credits Buddhadev Das Gupta with first bringing khayal-based ekhara taans to the sarod. Arnab Chakrabarty adds the Ferozkhani gat and an aesthetic that does not chase speed for its own sake. | Darbar writes that Allauddin Khan leaned towards dhrupad and brought a dhrupad approach to the sarod and to the other instruments he taught. On the sarod, Banglapedia credits him with the right-hand stroke pattern diri diri in place of dara dara. The Ali Akbar College of Music, which calls its tradition the Seni Baba Allauddin gharana, tunes every instrument to C. | [View Senia-Maihar Gharana Details ](/en-jp/gharana/senia-maihar-gharana) ## Influence & Legacy Through Buddhadev Das Gupta the line reached the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata, which places him in the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana. Kalyan Mukherjea, a mathematician by profession, also taught the sarod until his death in 2010. Their pupils Abir Hossain and Arnab Chakrabarty carry the line on. ## Sources 1. ITC Sangeet Research Academy, guru biographies 2. Sangeet Natak Akademi archive, catalogue of recordings by Radhika Mohan Maitra 3. Amal Das Sharma, Musicians of India 4. Peter Yelding, The body as musical archive (PhD thesis, Bath Spa University, 2026) 5. Arnab Chakrabarty, Strings attached: my journey as a modern sarod player, Scroll (2016) ## Frequently Asked Questions What is the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana of sarod? It is a [sarod](/en-jp/instrumental/hindustani-classical/sarod) line that grew from a Bangash family of rabab players in Shahjahanpur and took its present form under Radhika Mohan Maitra in the mid-20th century. Maitra joined the family's Shahjahanpur style, learned from Mohammed Ameer Khan, to the Senia teaching of Mohammed Dabir Khan. Who founded the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana of sarod? No single founder is agreed. By the lineage's own account the family line runs from Ghulam Ali Khan Bangash through Murad Ali Khan and his adopted son Abdullah Khan to Mohammed Ameer Khan. Radhika Mohan Maitra, Ameer Khan's pupil, is credited with combining the Shahjahanpur and Senia styles. Which musicians belong to the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana of sarod today? Abir Hossain, a pupil of Buddhadev Das Gupta, is a guru at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. Arnab Chakrabarty, trained by Buddhadev Das Gupta and Kalyan Mukherjea, calls the Shahjahanpur sarod gharana his own. Both learned from disciples of Radhika Mohan Maitra. How does the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana of sarod differ from the Senia-Maihar gharana? The Senia-Shahjahanpur line grew from a hereditary Bangash family of rabab and sarod players, and by its own account began with rabab-style strumming. The [Senia-Maihar gharana](/en-jp/gharana/senia-maihar-gharana) began with Allauddin Khan at Maihar, who learned from Wazir Khan of Rampur and brought a dhrupad approach to the sarod. Both lines draw on Senia teaching. Why is it called Senia-Shahjahanpur, and is it the same as the Shahjahanpur gharana? Shahjahanpur names the family's town, and Senia stands for the teaching of Tansen's line that Radhika Mohan Maitra took from Mohammed Dabir Khan. Players and writers mostly use the short name Shahjahanpur gharana for this line. The same short name is sometimes given to Irfan Muhammad Khan's Lucknow-Shahjahanpur family. How is the Senia-Shahjahanpur gharana different from the Lucknow-Shahjahanpur gharana? They are separate lines that share the Shahjahanpur name. This one runs through Mohammed Ameer Khan to Radhika Mohan Maitra and his pupils. The [Lucknow-Shahjahanpur gharana](/en-jp/gharana/lucknow-shahjahanpur-gharana) is the hereditary family of Irfan Muhammad Khan, which Peter Yelding studies in his 2026 thesis. How does it relate to the Senia-Bangash family of Amjad Ali Khan? Both families trace themselves to Bangash migrants from Afghanistan, and each credits its own forefathers with shaping the sarod. The Gwalior family of the [Senia-Bangash gharana](/en-jp/gharana/senia-bangash-gharana) credits Ghulam Bandegi Khan and then Ghulam Ali Khan; this line credits Ghulam Ali Khan working with Enayat Ali and Niamatullah Khan. The two are separate lines. What are ekhara taans and the Ferozkhani gat? Ekhara taans are fast runs with alternating da and ra strokes on each note; the lineage credits Buddhadev Das Gupta with bringing khayal-based ones to the sarod. The Ferozkhani gat is a fixed composition at medium or medium-fast tempo, with octave jumps and a spread over at least three rhythmic cycles. Have more questions? 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