Who founded the Maihar Band?

In the Indian classical-music context, an "orchestra" or "band" is an ensemble of instrumentalists assembled, trained, and directed as a group by one musician-director, distinct from a "gharana" (a stylistic school or lineage) - though the same master may establish both.

The Maihar Band was founded and organized by Baba Alauddin Khan (Ustad Allauddin Khan), the court musician of the princely state of Maihar in present-day Madhya Pradesh, in the early 20th century. He assembled and trained local musicians into an orchestral ensemble, incorporating specially designed and adapted instruments, that performed Hindustani classical ragas at the Maihar court's music college; he is also separately credited as founder of the Maihar Gharana, the broader stylistic lineage that grew out of his teaching.

• Brijnath Singh Ju Deo was Maihar's ruler and patron, whose support enabled the band's establishment, but he did not personally organize or direct it.

• Ali Akbar Khan was Baba Alauddin Khan's son and sarod disciple, who performed within the ensemble and gharana rather than founding it.

• Ravi Shankar was Baba Alauddin Khan's sitar disciple, who later popularized the Maihar tradition internationally but did not found the band.

Hence, the founder of the Maihar Band is Baba Alauddin Khan.