Victoria & Abdul

by Shrabani Basu

  The Queen had chastised her Household. Despite their best efforts, her opinion of the Munshi or Rafiuddin had not changed.

  The Queen was nearly eighty, frail, but still enjoying an active life. The Aga Khan, who had an invitation to Windsor for lunch, marvelled at her appetite, noting that she ate and drank heartily ‘every kind of wine that was offered, and every course, including both the hot and the iced pudding’. She had given instructions to Reid about who was to look after her when she was ill. Not surprisingly, these were her ‘regular gentle nice Indian servants’ who were to do ‘whatever may be required to lift or help me and in any way moving me’. The Queen remembered that when she was ill in 1871, her ‘excellent servant and friend J Brown’ used always to lift her in and out of bed and on to the sofa and saved her pain. This would now be done by her trusted Indians, who looked after her reverentially.

  Thoughts about what would be done with the Munshi after the Queen’s death were now crossing the minds of the gentlemen of the House. Colonel Arthur Davidson, one of those actively involved in the anti-Munshi campaign, set up a meeting with Sir Edward Bradford, Chief of Police at Scotland Yard, to discuss how to secure all the Queen’s letters from the Munshi. Davidson told Reid that he had had a long talk with Bradford and discussed the suggestions made by the Prince of Wales about what action would be taken after the Queen’s death. His own idea was that Lord Salisbury’s approval of the discussion should be obtained first and that a responsible legal adviser should act for them. Bradford, however, thought that discussing the legality of the action would lead to a ‘tangle of difficulties’ and he was prepared to ‘do anything when the moment arrived’ and worry about the legal implications later.

  Davidson said that Bradford also felt the Prince of Wales should be kept in absolute ignorance of anything that they discussed and any decision that was made so that if ‘errors were made and there was a row’ then they would bear the blame and the Prince of Wales would not be mixed up in it in any way.

  With regard to simultaneous action being taken in India, he thought it would be sufficient if the Prince of Wales insisted on the Secretary of State wiring the necessary instructions to India when the time came. Bradford told Davidson that secrecy was of the utmost importance. He was, however, a little worried that Dennehy, in his blundering way, may have given the Munshi a hint of what to expect and this may have put him on his guard and he may have put the letters away safely. The Prince of Wales had agreed to these arrangements.

  He also had an update on Rafiuddin, who he constantly referred to as ‘the Ruffian’: ‘Of course, the Ruffian enters largely into the business and to my mind the danger lies in papers and letters being with him but Bradford said he did not see how we could well get at him,’ said Davidson.

  Davidson had gone to the British Library and looked up the newspaper reports on the MPL meetings and the letter in The Standard by Dadabhai Naoroji and had come to the following conclusion:

  29 Dec 1897 – Report of Naoroji’s meeting (no mention of Ruffian being there) at which disloyal sentiments were enunciated and similar resolutions passed.

  10 Jan 1898 – Meeting of Muslim Patriotic League. Ruffian in chair at which loyal resolutions were passed.

  12 Jan 98 – Letter from Dadabhai Naoroji with reference to Ruffian’s championship at this meeting. He was present at 29 December meeting and took part in the disloyal manifestations which he now pretended to deplore.

  14 Jan 98 – A long and wordy reply from the Ruffian. Saying he was only present as a spectator and not a participator at meeting. After which the matter apparently dropped.

  I have sent Bradford this data and we will get the papers referred to but I don’t really think there is much in it except as showing the interesting underhand nature of the Asiatic generally.6

  On receiving the enclosures from Davidson, Bradford admitted there was nothing much in it except that it showed the duplicity of Rafiuddin who had tried to make capital of his presence at the conference. The case against Rafiuddin was ending in a whimper.

  A year later, the Queen wrote to Lord Rowton:

  Lord Salisbury had a very satisfactory conversation with the Muslim Rafiuddin Ahmed, whose loyalty is now beyond all doubt and uncertainty and the contrary which was believed 2 years ago by some of the ill-disposed and misinformed people at the India Office and elsewhere and was eagerly believed and used against the poor shamefully used Munshi.7

  Nothing was unearthed on Rafiuddin and the accusations against him gradually fizzled out. It was clear that the whole business had been a case of overreaction and an attempt to discredit the Munshi.

  The Munshi affair seemed, for the time being, to be under control. The Household had begun to accept that they could do nothing about him during the Queen’s lifetime and were prepared to draw up a secret plan with the police chief to deal with him after her death. Meanwhile, the Munshi travelled to Balmoral and invited the usual media attention. On 23 May 1898, the Aberdeen Journal reported the ‘Arrival of Queen’s Indian Secretary’ to Balmoral.

  The Queen’s Indian secretary, Munshi Hafiz Abdul Karim, arrived in Aberdeen station from Windsor in a special saloon carriage by the 7.15 West Coast route train, and after having been served with breakfast in the carriage by Mr McDonald, station refreshment rooms, left by the 8.05 train for Ballater.

  While at Balmoral, the Queen, with the Munshi, watched a performance of Lord George Sanger’s Circus Company, which featured the elephant ‘Prince’ on which Prince Albert Edward rode through India. The local newspaper reported that the Queen was ‘exuberant and laughed at the clown’s jokes’. Karim was also invited to the opera Romeo et Juliet by the Royal Opera Company from Covent Garden at Windsor Castle on 27 June, according to The Times newspaper.

  The Queen had finished her eleventh Hindustani Journal that year. Karim wrote the end-piece in Urdu. For the first time he noted the hostility he had faced in Court.

  Thanks to God that today this book No 11 of Her Majesty’s lesson in Hindustani was completed well and nicely, which is a small sign of her exalted honour and dignity. And Her Majesty’s readiness and interest in this Urdu language is evident as fondness for it did not cease in the face of contentions and difficulties which I have often faced since the previous year because of the persons jealous of me. Since the charges have no stability and firmness, they faced humiliation. By God’s grace, Her Majesty enjoyed good health during this period except for occasional complaints of indigestion which was cured by administering purgatives. Though Her Majesty did not like that but had no choice and agreed to it. The demise of Duchess of Teck [mother of Princess May of Teck, later to become Queen Mary] and especially His Highness the Prince of Wales’s hurting himself in a fall were sad, otherwise there was peace and safety in all respects. In this very auspicious month, the future destiny of India began to take shape. After much effort and search, Mr Curzon, was appointed the new Viceroy of India. May God show His mercy and everything may end well! Amen! Humbly Abdul Karim, 13th August 1898.8

  The Munshi left for India at the end of the year, mainly with the aim of sorting out the purchase of his land in Agra. He had been negotiating the sale for over a year, having identified a large plot of land adjacent to what the Queen had gifted him in 1890. The land consisted of 147 acres, three roads and ten poles in the Mauza Sarai in the heart of Agra, close to the jail where his father worked.9 Several letters had been exchanged, as the land was considered government land and the formalities had to be dealt with by the Collector of Agra. The Munshi had paid Rs 7,032 for the land early in 1897 and was liable for the land revenue of Rs 335 per annum with immediate effect. However, the deeds took a long time to get finalised. On completion, he showed a clever head for figures, asking to be relieved of some of the taxes that would be assessed then or in the future as he had paid the full amount two years back on a high interest loan, but had not been able to benefit from the yearly profits from the land in that period.

  The polite request was immed
iately agreed to, as it was considered very reasonable. The handwritten letter from Balmoral reveals the progress the Munshi had made in English as it was flawless. Karim was eventually handed the papers at the end of 1898 and joined the ranks of Agra’s landed classes.10 So famous was the Queen’s Munshi that he apparently considered keeping a guestbook at his home in Agra, but soon abandoned the idea.

  When the registration forms entered his name as the son of ‘Munshi Waziruddin, Khan Bahadur’, Karim immediately wrote to the Collector of Agra: ‘Please note that my father’s name should be written either Dr Waziruddin or Mahommed Waziruddin & not Munshi.’ He remained proud and fussy about the title given to him by the Queen. The final land deed was made in the name of ‘Munshi Hafiz Abdul Karim, C.I.E, Her Majesty the Queen’s Munshi’.11

  When the Munshi arrived in Nice in April 1899, a French newspaper referred to him as ‘Le Prince’. It also said the ‘Prince Munshi’ was very well known in Nice where he visited every year with Queen Victoria.

  The Queen was calmer now, the rebellions she felt had been contained, and she knew Karim had a secure future after her death. She took her Hindustani lessons in the landscaped gardens of the Hotel Regina and in her favourite donkey chair which always travelled with her. The French were used to seeing the two together. While in Cimiez, the Queen received the news that Mohammed Buksh had fallen seriously ill and died in Windsor on 24 April. Buksh had come with Karim to England for the Jubilee and remained an attendant while Karim had moved upwards. He had been ‘the stout and jovial one’, who had meticulously served his Queen, never once complaining that he had not been hand-picked by her for further promotions as Karim had been. Some years ago, Buksh had been devastated by the death of his young daughter. The Queen remembered how he had broken down and wailed in front of her and she had tried to console him. The Queen knew how heartbreaking it was to lose a loved one. Karim, too, felt the loss of Buksh, a man with whom he had shared the excitement and thrill of travelling to England for the first time, and who had been one of the few who had remained remarkably free of jealousy towards him.

  Article in a French newspaper showing the French referring to Karim as Le Prince.

  The Queen’s eightieth birthday passed in a sea of celebration, following as it did just two years after her Diamond Jubilee. In India the occasion was marked by the issue of a special medal of honour, the Kaiser-e-Hind medal, and the Queen took a keen interest in the recipients of the honour. The Munshi gave her a brass jar decorated with scrolling foliage and a handmade card. Despite opposition from the Household, the Queen honoured the Munshi with the CVO (Commander of the Victorian Order).

  On 29 May 1899, five days after her birthday, Karim made one of the lengthiest entries in the Hindustani Journal. The three-page entry, written in Urdu, was a record of his time at the Court and a frank assessment of the attitudes towards him. It was almost as if it was written for posterity, secretly recorded in the Journal to which only his Queen and he had access.

  Sir Henry [ponsonby] died and after him there is no one who can be called your adviser or who can be said to be a worker as per your dictate, in the same manner as he was. Once he died, the persons jealous of me got a chance to defame. But all such persons had to repent and fall down just in the same way as their thoughts were mean. I have often heard you telling the stories of Henry Ponsonby and this too that he was more attached to the city of Delhi.

  It is due to him that you have so many other well meaning servants, for example William Sahib etc. Otherwise, in this cunning world, really well meaning servants are few and far between. This is why none of your work or assignments have come to a halt. It is just another thing that it is too difficult to create a place for oneself in your heart. But still, if you have more faith on and believe more in the servants of other nation; then it is certainly a result of your Highness’ inborn certitude and great faith.

  Today, you are 80 and still your health, by the grace of God is better than youths. You take good meals and there is no change in the daily life of yours; it goes on as ever. Your morning and evening outings have stopped just for now and you travel just a little less. Nevertheless, your health and sight is still excellent by the grace of God. Because having such a nice health despite such exercising work and tensions of so many nations and issues of capital, can be nothing but a grace of God.

  Apart from above-mentioned blessings, your highness is blessed with one more thing and that is wisdom and fine senses or alertness. So on this date, I would like to end this letter with a good wish that you may be graced by one hundred years and may always enjoy further happiness with your family. Also, like to thank God, that since you have punished those who were jealous of me, I would not be forced to face them. May God, make your sense of justice more and more robust day by day.

  The Munshi did not end there, however. He seemed to be in full flow and continued for another two pages:

  But there has been an increase in jealousy and prejudice against Muslims and Islam; and in comparison with other religions, they [Muslims] have suffered greater pain and losses. Apart from this after 28 years, people of Sudan have been made part of some other nation.

  Again in 1891–98, you defeated the jealousy and pride of my enemies and they got nothing but humiliation and remorse. Nevertheless, I would now like to tell something about myself unto you, the Queen of India (Kaiser-e-Hind).

  You are wholly honest, good and truthful. I was given a chance to serve you despite the fact that hundreds of others are always eager to serve you. You have been gracious enough to take me in your service. And have been gracious during all these years. I swear that you are entirely a truthful and solemn personality. Your name will always be there, and more particularly from the time your rule was established in India.

  I had quite a strange experience in this country (England). That is true to your being an Empress of multi-cultural empire, I have always found you quite free from the fire of jealousy born out of religion. All your subjects are one in your eyes. Secondly, wherever there was some contention, despite being ill advised by jealous persons, you never gave up your commitment to truth. Sometimes you did not heed even your own child. Thirdly, you have earned such a great goodwill and empathy from your empire that it will certainly be of a great help to our young Prince. Not to lose heart and that too in this age is a great thing. I have never seen your highness idle and have been witness to the fact that you almost always completed your daily work and never left it for tomorrow.

  You never signed any document without going through it and whenever a signature was not needed, and such letters were also despatched same day and you also acknowledged the letters coming from all over the world the same day.

  By the grace of God, I have been in this country for thirteen years (as per Islamic calendar) and for twelve years as English (Julian) calendar.

  I have written my entire experience in the book. But it goes without saying that serving the Empress of India (Kaiser-e-Hind) has been a very taxing and ever vigilant work. I have never had an hour of idleness or a day of leave. On the day of General Holiday, often more work is to be done as thousands of letters have to be acknowledged the same day. Nevertheless, it is a matter of great joy that at least twice or thrice or four times a year, we have to go for hunting. And I like this much more than dance or other games. In January, the hunting of barasingha [stag] and fishes is pretty difficult. In the month of November and December the hunting of birds is quite absorbing and interesting.

  But despite the whole day’s work and tiredness there is nothing like rest for you in the evening. You perform all the necessary work and do all the work related to court. And whatever the writer and readers have to bring forth before you, they must bring that also. You never like to be absent. This is proved by the twelfth book. For ten years we have been given various gifts like books and photographs on Christmas. Apart from this, I have been also made the chief of all the servants. Apart from all these works, the works related to the management of
Indian servants is also there. So anyone can guess that in the court of the Empress, there is no let up in work, even for one hour.

  It is only when you go outside for some travel, your servants like me also get some respite and enjoy that. Only this much is possible.

  Now I would like to mention something about the end of 1898 because I have been in the habit of saying something at the end of every year. The year 1898 has left many memorable things. And they were quite revolutionary. This is most unfortunate that in comparison to other religions, Islam and the Muslims have not been given their due. This is what I think. Nevertheless it is a matter of gratitude for me that I have been promoted to the great consternation of the persons jealous to me. It is also a grace of God that on your 80th birthday you are so happy and fortunate and full of command.

  But since the world is always full of happiness as well as sorrow, this year saw the demise of the son of Koburg sahib [Duke of Coburg]. But it is a matter of solace that before his death he was able to come up to your expectation and did the work well, which was assigned by you to him. I am my dear readers, Your most humble and obedient servant, M.H. Abdul Karim, CIE, CVO.12

  The three-page entry left little doubt of the Munshi’s sincere regard for the Queen and the high estimation in which he held her. It was almost as if the Munshi had unburdened himself before the Queen and any future reader who may follow his account.

  The Household had stopped him from publishing a journal some years back. The Hindustani Journals became the space where he gave his account without any censorship. His praise for Henry Ponsonby and genuine concern for the health and future well-being of the Prince of Wales is quite touching, given that the future King had no love lost for him.