Sultan Khan

Ustad Sultan Khan (15 April 1940 - 27 November 2011) was an Indian sarangi maestro and classical vocalist from Sikar District, Rajasthan. He was the grandson of Ustad Azim Khan and the son of Ustad Gulab Khan, both distinguished sarangi players, making him the eighth generation to take up the instrument. He learned sarangi from his father and his uncle, developing a deeply expressive and melodic playing style rooted in the Sikar gharana tradition.

Sultan Khan began his career at All India Radio, Rajkot in 1960. Over the decades he became one of India's most celebrated sarangi soloists, bringing the instrument from its traditional accompaniment role to the centre stage. He was a founding member of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science alongside Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell. His music featured in the Oscar-winning film Gandhi (1982). He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and India's third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2010. His notable disciples include filmmaker-composer Vishal Bhardwaj, composer Ilaiyaraaja, Sabir Khan, and Dilshad Khan.