Story of an unequal friendship

Ranjita Biswas 

Your book reveals an almost unknown story of friendship between the formidable Queen Victoria and her Muslim ‘servant’. Are you aware of any other historical book on this relationship?

The letters written by Queen Victoria to Abdul Karim were destroyed by her son and heir Bertie (later King Edward VII). Every attempt was made to erase Abdul Karim from history. He is mentioned briefly in biographies of Queen Victoria, where he is painted as a person who manipulates the Queen. My book is the first detailed look at the relationship and the first to give Abdul’s view. I discovered Abdul Karim’s diary in Karachi, lying unread for more than a 100 years. I traced his grave in Agra and met his descendants. In Windsor, I accessed Queen Victoria’s Hindustani Journals. Western biographers had never consulted these. I went through the 13 volumes and had it translated for the first time. 

You took four years to research this book. Do you personally feel that the relationship was strictly platonic? 

The relationship worked at various levels. The physical side was important. Between the two servants who were sent to her, it was the tall and handsome Abdul Karim who caught the Queen’s eye. Victoria liked to have a tall, six-foot man standing by her side and caring for her. This is the same profile of John Brown, her Scottish ghillie, who had drawn her out of mourning after the death of her husband Prince Albert.  Brown died in 1883 and the “Widow of Windsor” was lonely again. Her family and household kept a formal distance from her. Four years later, the young Abdul Karim arrived at her court for her Golden Jubilee. He was like a breath of fresh air. He told her about India, cooked her a curry and taught her Urdu. He was a friend to her, someone she could grumble to about her children, or just have a laugh with. She was like a mother to him as well as a friend. 

Wasn’t Victoria as much a victim of court politics as was Abdul, who was sent away to ignominy as soon as she died? 

Victoria was the symbolic head of state. Acts were passed in her name and wars fought on her behalf but she had no actual power. When she died, her son ordered all Indians to return to India. As long as she was alive, she had protected Abdul. The establishment now extracted their revenge on Abdul. 

What were the Royalists afraid of? That Abdul would influence her to do something un-Queenlike?

Bertie was paranoid that the letters would reveal something that would embarrass him. He hated Abdul Karim. The Queen would often write to her children scolding them for being rude to the ‘Munshi’. 

Are you satisfied with the film version?

It’s a feature film, not a documentary, so they have to have creative licence. The film has stuck to all major plot points and dramatic twists in the book. The racism Abdul faces in the court is abhorrent. All these are brought out well in the film.

How do you think the Indian audience will respond to the film? After all, a large section of moviegoers today are not interested in the Raj era

They will enjoy learning about this forgotten story. At the heart of it is a story about friendship: that we can come from different ends of the spectrum, speak different languages, believe in different religions and faiths, but we can share a bond of humanity and still become friends.  

Victoria is often portrayed as a very conservative person but she learnt Urdu at the later stage of her life.

Victoria was clearly different from the rest of the Royal family. She didn’t believe in race or class distinctions and wanted to learn Urdu. She was a meticulous learner and never missed a lesson. She would take her Hindustani lessons with Abdul whether she was travelling or on holiday. By the end of her life, she could write half a page in Urdu.