The eldest son of Allabande Khan, Nasiruddin Khan was already a famous musician in his own right when Zakiruddin and Allabande Khan were alive. He had a soft and melodious voice, and was renowned for his serene and imaginative alap and was especially a great master of shruti- the subtle microtonal shades of notes that establish the flavour of ragas.

He had learnt from his uncle Zakiruddin Khan, his father Allabande Khan and from Behram Khan's grandson Inayat Khan.

It has been reported that he could effortlessly demonstrate the subtle shades of the same note in different ragas. He was well versed in sanskrit and the shastras, and often quoted from old sanskrit texts to illlustrate the finer points of his music. He would invariably begin a performance with a sanskrit shloka.

He had developed his voice with the practice of nada yoga to a point where it appeared to blend with the tanpura and become one with it. His voice has been said to have resembled that of several veenas playing simultaneously.

He trained his younger brothers Rahimuddin Khan, Imamuddin Khan and Hussainuddin Khan apart from his sons Moinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar. Hussainuddin Khan the youngest son of Allabande Khan was almost entirely trained by Nasiruddin Khan.

Nasiruddin Khan appeared in all the major conferences of the 1920's and 30's and his death in his early 40's at the prime of his career and the height of his fame had a profound effect on the future develpment of Dhrupad and of the tradition, because it disrupted the training of the following generation. He was called the last of the giants. S. K. Choubey has referred to him as the last of his race. There no known recordings of him or of Zakiruddin , Allabande and Ziauddin Khan.

Below is an excerpt from review of Nasiruddin Khan's performance at the 2nd session of the All-Bengal Conference, Calcutta, December 1935. This was probably Nasiruddin Khan's last appearance in a major Conference. He died in Indore following a brief illness attributed to diabetes on 18th June 1936.

From Amrita Bazar Patrika 9th Jan, 1936

For more on Nasiruddin Khan and other musicians of his time with rare photographs see book Dhrupad of the Dagars, Conceptual Foundations and Contemporary Questions