Victoria & Abdul

by Shrabani Basu

  A leaf from the Hindustani Journal of 31 December 1892 shows how they worked together:

  Today I at all out not went, because cold worse was. I was uncomfortable, but I downstairs twice went and arrangements of the tableau saw. [Karim’s entry in English]

  Aj ham bilkul bahar nahin gae kuinke zukham zyadah raha. Ham ko taklif the, lekin ham niche do dafa gae aur taiyari tableaux mulazah ki. [Karim’s entry in Urdu in roman letters]

  Today I did not go out at all as my cold was worse and troublesome, but I went twice downstairs to see the arrangements (rehearsals) for the Tableaux. [Queen Victoria’s entry with corrections].29

  With the arrival of the Munshi’s wife, the Queen now had two people to fuss over. She would often drive to see the Munshi’s wife in her cottage, whether she was in Balmoral, Windsor or Osborne, and always noted her visits in her Hindustani Journals. She also liked to take her family, visiting foreign Royalty and ladies of the Household to meet her, as well as other Court officials. The Munshi’s house soon became filled with gifts and memorabilia given to the couple by visitors accompanying the Queen. Victoria, now more than ever, became a mother figure to the couple.

  Visitors to the Munshi’s house included Duchess Helena, as well as Princesses Beatrice and Louise, Empress Frederick, Princess Henry of Prussia and the Empress of Russia, among others. The Queen would often take her daughters and her grandchildren to the Munshi’s house where they would have cake and tea, the Munshi’s wife and mother slowly losing their initial shyness and inhibition. Princess Victoria and Princess Maud were taken there, as were ladies-in-waiting like Lady Churchill and Lady Lytton. The Munshi often received a note from the Queen which informed him at short notice that the Queen was bringing a visitor.

  ‘Would you and your wife prefer if I only brought Beatrice, or might Victoria who is so interested in India come at the same time or would she rather only see one at a time?’ the Queen wrote to Karim in Osborne shortly after their arrival. ‘Perhaps tomorrow mg. wd. do? P.S. Pcss. Louise w. also go some morning – perhaps later.’30

  A few weeks later, she wrote again:

  My dear Abdul, The Empress [Frederick] wd. much like to go – see your dear wife tomorrow (Friday) mg. at a little past 12. She says she is sorry she shd. trouble herself by dressing in her smart clothes for her, but I know you wd. like her to be seen in her fine clothes. Only I think the large nose rings spoil her pretty young face. Your loving mother, Victoria R.I [signed in Urdu]31

  Sometimes the Queen signed these hastily written notes as ‘Your affectionate friend’. At other times it was ‘Your loving mother’. She nearly always signed now in Urdu. The presence of Abdul Karim and his wife, and the knowledge that there was now a cosy domestic atmosphere in his cottage, gave the Queen a feeling of satisfaction. She was happy that he could have his family by his side and she appreciated his closeness to his wife and her extended family. Her own children, by contrast, were often troublesome. The Queen provided the Munshi and his wife with cottages in Balmoral, Osborne and Windsor. In Windsor the Munshi lived in Frogmore Cottage; in Osborne it was Arthur Cottage, which was extensively renovated and extended for him, and in Balmoral a special cottage was built for him on the estate. The Queen called it ‘Karim Cottage’ in his honour. Alexander Profeit reported to the Queen that he was trying his best to follow the Munshi’s instructions on the furnishing. The Munshi himself spared no expense in decorating his house.

  On the completion of the building of Karim Cottage, a delighted Munshi threw a house-warming party, inviting the ladies and gentlemen of the Household. Among those present were Lady Ampthill, Miss McNeil, Miss Cadogan, Revd A.A. Campbell, Revd Jonper, Dr Noble, Dr Mitchell and Dr Profeit. At his party, Karim made a gracious speech thanking the Queen for all her kindness:

  Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you most heartily for coming here today, and thus honouring with your presence this new home of mine which Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to name Karim Cottage. Your visit, I assure you, gives me very great pleasure indeed. There can be no doubt that the great majority of the people of Her Majesty’s Empire are well aware of the position which I hold as Indian Secretary to the Queen Empress; and this position I have tried, and will always try by faithful service, to be worthy of. I do hope that my service here will ever grant me the sympathy of the Royal Family, the noblemen and the people of the British Empire. Ever since the year 1887, the year when first I came to Scotland (but especially the people of Balmoral) has been that of good faith and kindness, and I sincerely trust that as long as I and my family remain in this country and among you, this feeling may reciprocally remain unchanged.

  The Aberdeen Journal, which faithfully reported the party, noted that the Munshi again thanked his guests after which Dr Profeit, on their behalf, ‘thanked the Munshi in a few words for his hospitality, and hoped that he and his wife would be long spared to live happily in his new house and to serve our beloved Queen’. The newspapers noted that the Queen and the Princess of Wales were among the first to visit Karim Cottage.

  The Queen now took on the role of mother to Karim and his young wife. She very quickly learnt from Karim that they had been unsuccessfully trying to have children, and decided to get medical advice:

  I spoke to Dr Reid about your dear wife and I think he will understand easily what you have to tell him. It may be that in [sic] hurting her foot and leg she may have twisted (moved or hurt) something in her inside, which would account for things not being regular and as they ought.

  If this is so, it can only be found out by her being examined (felt) by the hand of this Lady Doctor. Many, many 1000 ladies have to go through this with a Doctor, wh. is vy. disagreeable, but with a Lady Dr there can be no objection, and without that, you cannot find out what is the matter.

  It may be something is out of its place which can be put right and then the object of your great wishes may be obtained.

  There is nothing I would not do to help you both, as you are my dear Indian children and you can say (any) thing to me. I have had 9 children myself, and have had daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, grandchildren etc to look after and I can help you, Your loving Mother, VRI [signed in Urdu].32

  Three days later, Reid was despatched to London to check out a lady doctor for the Munshi’s wife. Reid called on Barlow to discuss this.33 The next day he received Mrs Boyd at the station, who had come to see the Munshi’s wife, and drove her to Frogmore along with the Munshi.

  The Queen wrote to Karim: ‘The Lady Dr. Dr Reid has heard about is very good and quiet and clever and … is a married woman.’34

  Some time later, the Queen wrote again to Karim, giving him every possible advice about his wife:

  Your wife should be very careful not to neglect her bowels and never to let a second day pass without their acting. She should take a weak pill if necessary.

  She shd. be careful at the particular time every month not to tire herself or go on rough roads.

  If she has passed 2 of these times already the 3rd and 4th ought to be past before we leave for Windsor and the journey cd. be safely performed. If it would be safer to go a little sooner, you could, by that time consult the Doctor about it, for you cd. easily ask Dr Reid who then might be told about her. She ought in another fortnight or 3 weeks to increase in size.

  Lying down every day for a short time and for longer as time goes on, would be good for her. If her back hurts her she should lie down.35

  The intimate details that the Queen wrote about showed how close she had come to Karim and how freely she discussed everything with him. Monitoring their love life and giving them suggestions on pregnancy and childbirth gave her a sense of matriarchy and fulfilment. The ‘purdah ladies’ were a novelty in the Royal Court and the Queen showed them off to her Royal visitors as if they were a collection of rare ornaments. The Munshi soon found that his days were getting very packed. Between attending on the Queen’s innumerable boxes and letters, the Hindustani lessons and the supervision of the Indian att
endants, there was now a steady supply of visitors to the house to deal with. The Queen herself visited regularly, every two or three days. The Queen wrote to him every day giving him instructions or advice or both. She wrote:

  My dear good Abdul, The Dss. of Roxburghe who goes away quite early on Thursday morning will come with me tomorrow morning at about 12 – she is very good and kind and has had many sorrows and trials within the of late years.

  Your dear wife must not dress and must not tire herself. She always looks so nice. We only will stop a few minutes as you know.

  Mr Bryce is anxious to see you again about the Pilgrims and other things.

  As the days will soon oblige us to be in before six (6) I should like to make another arrangement, viz, for you to come at 6 or ½ p.6 to do what has to be done and then once more after 8 to see if my letters are ready to be put up – & to say good night.

  We might wait 3 or 4 days before making the change. God Bless you. VRI [signed in Urdu].36

  Sometimes a note would be carried to his cottage at night by the pageboy. The Queen had probably had another idea:

  You spoke of coming back tomorrow and going out again in the afternoon, but you must not forget that I shall bring the Pss. of Wales at ½ p.3 or ¼ to 4 to see your wife and you must be there.

  Mr Bryce told me how pleased he was with his talk with you. Ever your truly devoted and fond loving mother, VRI.37

  The conversations with Karim kept the Queen up to date on India. Karim would often voice his concern that Muslims, being a minority, could be marginalised in India. Every report of a religious riot now convinced her that the Hindus were often the antagonists, hearing as she did the story from Karim. She always wrote immediately to the Viceroy about her worries: ‘Distressed at terrible religious riots at Bombay. Believe that Hindoos are generally the aggressors. Cd. not some arrangement be made by which festival were not at same time, and each section agreed not to interfere in other’s devotion. Cd not Moharum be altered?’38 A few days later she wrote again:

  Can no sensible and reasonable Hindus of some influence and standing be spoken to as to the possibilities and necessity of putting a stop to this anti-cow killing practice which naturally enrages the Mahomedans? If leading and enlightened men on both sides cd. be spoken to – and the danger of stirring up such gt. strife which might lead to very serious complications – it wd. be a gt. thing.39

  The Viceroy always replied on these occasions informing the elderly Queen that there was no question of changing the dates of Hindu or Muslim festivals. ‘A change in the date of the Moharram, would be, the Viceroy believes, out of question. It would be like changing the date of Christmas Day in Great Britain …’40

  The Queen soon learnt that Lansdowne was to return to Britain and the new Viceroy, Lord Elgin, was to take up his post. Though she had been displeased with the Viceroy over what she thought was the heavy-handed dealing of the Senapati’s revolt in Manipur, she was on the whole pleased with him because of the effort he had made to look after her Munshi and his father at her request, and for ensuring that Karim had received the plot of land she wanted him to have. She now begged him to stay another six months in office, as she felt the situation in India was still very uneasy.

  She wrote to Lansdowne: ‘She [the Queen] feels very uneasy at the state of India, lest these riots shd. increase and take a more dangerous form. The Native troops she believes to be faithful, the Native princes are very friendly, at least most of them and the Mahomedans generally support our rule.’41

  The Queen felt that Lord Elgin was clever but inexperienced, and hoped he would be ‘firm, prudent and cautious’. The Queen had been convinced by Karim that her Muslim subjects were far more loyal to the Crown than the Hindus. This was against the general line of the British administration’s thinking at the time, as the Muslims were seen as the main agitators in the Indian Mutiny, since the uprising had been led in the name of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. The extent of Karim’s influence on her is clear from her thoughts, which she expressed to the Viceroy: ‘She thinks Mahomedans do require more protection than the Hindus, and they are decidedly by far the most loyal. Though the Mahomedans’ cow killing is made the pretext for the [Hindus’] agitation, it is in fact, directed against us, who kill far more cows for our Army etc than the Mahomedans.’42

  The Viceroy usually chose to ignore these inputs as he could not agree with the Queen’s views. Instead, knowing Victoria’s weakness for Karim, he tried to draw her delicately away from political comments and gave her some news that he knew would please her. He informed the Queen: ‘The Viceroy had almost forgotten to tell your Majesty that while he was in Agra, he asked Sir John Tyler to bring the Munshi’s father to see him. He is very well and full of devotion and gratitude to your Majesty.’

  The Viceroy also informed her that he was shown at Agra Jail ‘a large and very beautiful carpet which is being made for your Majesty. The design is extremely good and the Viceroy thinks your Majesty will be pleased with the carpet.’43

  The Queen was delighted with this. She immediately informed Karim of the Viceroy’s meeting with his father and replied that the visit had ‘greatly gratified his good son’, who wished his sincere thanks for the kindness to be conveyed to the Viceroy. She also added another request for the Viceroy:

  The Doctor is about to retire from the service and to ask for his pension. He has served 36 years and has always borne the highest character, and was with the army under Lord Roberts on the celebrated march to Kandahar. The Queen would be very glad, were it possible, on his retirement from active and honourable service, to give him some reward, such as the title of Khan Bahadur.44

  Before he left India, the Viceroy completed the last wish of the Queen. He wrote to tell her he had included Dr Wuzeeruddin’s name in the list of New Year Honours.

  Your Majesty’s letter received just in time to include Dr W among the recipients of the honour which will be distributed on New Year’s Day. The title of Khan Bahadur is one which under ordinary circumstances the Doctor cd not have ventured to expect, but it will be well understood in this country that he has obtained the distinction as much on account of the regard which yr Majesty feels for him and his family as for the services which he has rendered to the state.45

  The Queen sent a delighted reply from Osborne on New Year’s Day: ‘Many thanks for kind wishes and reward to Dr Wuzeeruddin which is great pleasure to the son.’

  The New Year had begun well for Karim. His father had received the equivalent of a knighthood, and become Khan Bahadur. He broke the good news to his family and there were celebrations that evening in Arthur Cottage.

  8

  THE VICEROY RECEIVES A CHRISTMAS CARD

  That year in Europe the Munshi could be seen riding through the town in his own carriage with a footman on board. At the luxurious Villa Fabricotti in Florence, where the Queen stayed with her entourage, he was given a room on the first floor with large windows and sweeping views of the city’s skyline. He shared the floor exclusively with the Queen, Prince and Princess Henry of Battenberg, Lady Churchill, Harriet Phipps and Dr Reid. Resentment for the Munshi grew in the ranks. The other Indian attendants were lodged in a detached tower in the grounds where they could enjoy complete seclusion and the privacy to cook their own meals. The Munshi moved in a different circle now. His name appeared regularly in the Court Circular and the Queen had allowed him to use the Billiard Room with the other gentlemen of the Household. They could not accept the fact that the Queen expected them to socialise with an Indian man who had once done menial jobs. John Brown had remained a servant till his last day, even though his closeness to the Queen was well known. But the Munshi had been elevated in rank and the Household found that intolerable.

  Even Sir Henry Ponsonby, a man usually patient and tolerant, grew ballistic. ‘The advance of the Black Brigade is a serious nuisance,’ he wrote to Reid. ‘I was afraid that opposition would intensify her [the Queen’s] desire to advance further. Progre
ssion by antagonism.’ The Royal family and the aristocracy that made up the Household had never shared the Queen’s total lack of race or class barriers. With the Munshi, she was now pushing them to breaking point.

  If the Munshi was aware of the deep-rooted ill-feeling towards him, he did not allow it to affect him. With the Queen as his protector and promoter, he continued to climb the social ladder. When the Queen’s party arrived at Villa Fabricotti, the Munshi gave the Queen’s courier, Dosse, an autographed manuscript which he asked him to publish in the Florence Gazette. He also gave him a photograph of himself taken by Royal photographers Byrne & Co. with instructions for the head to be made ‘thinner and less dark’. The article, drafted by the Munshi himself, said that he ‘belonged to a good and highly respectable family’ and that all his family were in high positions in the government service, including his father who had been in the service for thirty-six years and a brother who was a City Collector. It also clarified that all the Indian attendants of the Queen worked under him.

  The article was published in the Florence Gazette on 21 April 1894 with the brief that it had been requested by the Queen’s Munshi to correct ‘erroneous impressions being in circulation as to this gentleman’s social status’. The Munshi also sent a large frame with ten cabinet photos to a shop in Florence to put up as a window display. It consisted of nine photographs of the Queen and the tenth one of him in the centre. Crowds of people looking into the shop window said he was a ‘Principe Indiano’ with whom the Queen was in love, hence the photo being put where it was. Once this was brought to the Household’s notice, the Vice Consul, Placci, was sent to the shop and had the photo of the Munshi removed.