Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla
احمد غلام علی چھاگلہ |
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| Background information | |
| Born | 31 May 1902 Karachi, British India |
| Origin | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Died | 5 February 1953 (aged 50) Karachi, Pakistan |
| Genres | National anthems, Instrumental, Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, writer |
| Years active | 1922–1953 |
Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla (Urdu: احمد غلام علی چھاگلہ; born May 31, 1902 – died February 5, 1953) was a talented Pakistani musician and composer. He is most famous for writing the music for Pakistan's national anthem in 1949. Chagla was also a scholar and a writer. He was an active member of the Theosophical Society.
Early Life and Musical Journey
Ahmed Chagla was born into an important family in Karachi. His father, Ghulam Ali Chagla, was the third elected leader of the Karachi city government. He served from 1921 to 1922.
Ahmed Chagla went to the Sindh Madrassat-ul-Islam school in Karachi. He started learning classical Indian music in 1910. Later, in 1914, he began studying how to compose Western music.
Chagla became very interested in understanding music theory. This included both Eastern and Western music styles. In 1922, he started studying these different music systems. He learned from a famous art critic named James Cousins. Chagla was especially curious about how these two music styles connected.
To learn more, Chagla traveled a lot. In 1923, he went from Karachi to Iraq. He traveled through Balochistan and northern Iran. This trip included places like the Caspian Sea, Tehran, Tabriz, and Kermanshah. After visiting Iraq, he returned to Karachi. In 1928, he earned a qualification from Trinity College of Music in London.
In 1929, Chagla took another long journey. He traveled by land from Europe back to Karachi. He wanted to see how far Western music had influenced Eastern music. He visited countries like Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. During this trip, Chagla gained a lot of practical experience. He visited opera houses and listened to symphony orchestras. Besides classical music, he became skilled in composing and conducting Western orchestral and opera music. He made two more trips to Europe in 1935 and 1938.
Creating the National Anthem
After his 1935 trip, Chagla moved from Karachi to Bombay. He spent several years there. He studied the basics of Indian music with other experts. From 1947 onwards, he wrote many articles. These articles were about the music, art, and culture of the countries he had visited.
In 1948, Chagla was chosen to be part of the National Anthem Committee (NAC) of Pakistan. Their job was to create Pakistan's national anthem. The Shah of Iran was planning to visit Pakistan in 1950. This made it urgent to have a national anthem ready.
The committee looked at many different tunes. They chose a tune that Chagla had presented. This tune was then sent for official approval. Chagla then created the full musical piece. He worked with other committee members. These included Radio Pakistan's first director-general Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari and musician Nihal Abdullah. The Pakistan Navy band also helped.
Besides being a composer and music historian, Chagla was also a writer and journalist. Most of his articles were written before Pakistan became independent in 1947. He wrote about classical Urdu poets like Mirza Ghalib and Allama Iqbal. He also wrote about the Sindhi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. This article appeared in the Illustrated Weekly of India in December 1937. He also composed music for many plays in Urdu, Gujarati, Sindhi, and English. He created music for various films using both Eastern and Western instruments.
Chagla also wrote several articles on different topics. Some titles included "Some Aspects of Iqbal's Thought" and "Music of Pakistan."
Death
Ahmed Chagla passed away on February 5, 1953, in Karachi. This was before the national anthem was officially adopted by the Government of Pakistan. The anthem was formally approved in August 1954.
Awards
Chagla's important work on the national anthem was recognized in 1996. He was given the Pride of Performance award after his death. The President of Pakistan presented this award on "Pakistan Day," March 23, 1997.
Writings
- K̲h̲ūnī, Hyderabad : Ṭāgor Ḍrāmeṭik Klub, 1931, 116 p. This book was based on a German play.
- "The romance of Shah Latif" in Pakistan miscellany, Karachi : Pakistan Publications, 1952, vol 2.
See Also
- List of Pakistani musicians
- Music of Pakistan
- Qaumī Tarāna
