Mushtaq Ali Shah
Mirza Mohammad Torbati, better known as Mushtaq Ali Shah was a Sufi mystic and a Muslim musician who was martyred for playing his instrument in 1792.
Biography
Shah was a member of the Nimatullahi Order of Sufis, and a majdhoub, who attracted Ismailis and others when he sang and played his setar.Majdhoubs were "spiritual men whose mental faculties are as it were paralyzed or confused by the effect of the Divine attraction" and got "divinely intoxicated" when they performed.
Shah disregarded the social conventions of his day. He was accused of "singing and playing the call to prayer at the Jum'ah Masjid on 27th Ramadan 1792, and was stoned to death.
In another account, he was accused of "reciting the Qur'an with the sound of a setar" by Mullah Mohammad Taqi, a mujtahid."
Music
In addition to his historical role as a martyr, Mushtaq Ali Shah is remembered for his association with the setar.For centuries the setar had three strings. Then, in the 19th century, it became customary to add a fourth string.
Mushtaq Ali Shah is credited with adding the fourth string to his instrument before his death in 1791.