Darvish Khan

Gholamhossein joined the music department of the Nezam School, affiliated with the Dar al-Fonun, where he learned music notes and playing the trumpet and small drums. After years of practice, he became skilled in playing the strings instruments like “tar” and, especially, “seh-tar”, and became the best student of his masters by achieving excellence in Iranian classical music.

Darvish Khan endeavored to make Iranian music more popular and help the poor and the underprivileged people by holding classes for those interested in music and playing tar and seh-tar and also by holding public music concerts under his own direction.

Among his efforts mention may be made of holding concerts to raise funds for the benefit of the famine victims of Russia, concerts for the establishment of the School of Culture, concerts for the benefit of the people affected by fire in Amol, concerts for the reconstruction of the bazaar that was severely affected by fire, and concerts for the people of Urmia who were looted by bandits.

Darvish Khan was of a special genius and this genius of his caused him to invent some new forms in the Iranian traditional music and also add the sixth string to the Iranian traditional instrument of “tar”.

He divided the musical modal system of traditional Iranian music into 7 parts and composed many songs, of which 22 songs (seven preludes, six ballads, and nine colors - a special form in Iranian music) are left and reflect upon the level of his skills and abilities.

He was one of the first people to hold music classes in Iran and a number of famous Iranian musicians were his students. He presented those students of his who succeeded in completing their course with an award in the form of “Tabar-Zin” (a special type of axe), which was made of copper and silver; and of gold for his students who completed the higher levels.

Darvish Khan was killed in a car accident (the first victim of car accidents in Iran) on November 22, 1926 CE and his tomb is located in Tehran.