Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, also known as Thirakawa Khan, was born in 1892 in Muradabad. The teacher of Thirakawa Khan was late Munir Khan of Meerut who was a highly learned musician of Taal. For thirty years, Thirakwa Khan learnt music from his teacher.
Thirakwa Khan was a serious and emotional tabla player. Whenever he played tabla in company of a singer or instrument player, at no point of time his partner got disturbed at the time of changing Laya or Taal. He was honoured with the Padma shri by the Indian government and also got an award from the ’sangeet Natak Academy.
He also prepared some disciples like Premballabh, Gulam Mohammed and Nikhil Ghosh. But at no pint of time in his life he showed arrogance because of his achievements. Thirakwa was also fond of singing. He also wrote a book on music and had remembered some Urdu Sher-o-Shayari which he used to recite at special occasions. He died on January 13, 1976.