The Untold Story of Abdul Karim: Queen Victoria's Indian Munshi
On June 23, 1887, a young clerk from Agra named Abdul Karim served breakfast to Queen Victoria, the most influential woman of her time. At 24, he was tall and serious, dressed in a striking scarlet tunic and white turban. The Queen, aged 68 and a widow for 25 years, ruled over a vast empire. Neither could foresee that this initial meeting would lead to a 14-year friendship, nor that shortly after her passing, her children would order the destruction of all correspondence between them. Abdul Karim's narrative is one of the significant yet overlooked stories of the Victorian era, hidden for over a century until a chance discovery and a surviving diary brought it to light.
Born in 1863 near Jhansi, Abdul Karim was the second of eight children in a devout Muslim family. His father initially worked as a hospital assistant before becoming a clerk at the Central Jail in Agra. Abdul received private lessons in Urdu and Persian and eventually became a vernacular clerk at the jail. In 1886, the jail's superintendent attended the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London, where Queen Victoria was present. Impressed by the event, she requested two Indian attendants for her Golden Jubilee, leading to Karim's selection due to his stature and demeanor. He was quickly taught English and sent to serve her.
From their first meeting, Queen Victoria was captivated by Karim. She noted his serious demeanor in her diary and immediately arranged for him to have additional English lessons. What followed was unprecedented; Victoria requested Karim to teach her Urdu. Initially, she claimed it was to communicate with her servants, but her interest quickly grew into an obsession. Within two months, she began writing to him directly, moving him into the room previously occupied by her late servant, John Brown.
When Karim expressed that serving at tables was beneath him, Victoria promoted him to Munshi Hafiz Abdul Karim, her personal Indian clerk and teacher, in August 1888. All images of him serving at the table were destroyed, and he was given cottages at royal residences along with commissioned portraits. Over thirteen years, the Queen learned Urdu, eventually being able to write half a page in the language, with Karim creating phrasebooks for her interactions with Indian dignitaries.
However, the royal court did not share the Queen's enthusiasm for Karim. Senior courtiers coined the term 'Munshimania' to express their disdain, rooted in class and racial prejudices. At a party hosted by the Prince of Wales, Karim was intentionally seated with servants, prompting him to leave in protest. At a royal wedding, he was given a gallery seat, which he refused to accept. Each slight against him ignited Victoria's anger, as she defended him fiercely, stating it was outrageous to treat him as inferior.
In March 1897, the household threatened to resign if Karim accompanied the Queen to France, leading to a furious outburst from Victoria. Despite the pressure, she remained steadfast, granting Karim land in Agra and inviting his family to England, signing her letters affectionately.
The Aftermath of a Queen's Death
Queen Victoria passed away on January 22, 1901. Edward VII allowed Karim to be the last to see her body before the coffin was closed. Following her death, a wave of destruction ensued. Guards confiscated and burned every letter Victoria had written to Karim, and her family ordered him to return to India immediately. Princess Beatrice began erasing all references to Karim from the Queen's journals, nearly completing the task.
Karim returned to India, living a quiet life until his death in April 1909 at the age of 46. His family later emigrated to Pakistan during Partition, leaving behind little trace of his remarkable life.
Rediscovery of a Hidden Legacy
For a century, Abdul Karim's story was fragmented and largely forgotten. However, in 2003, journalist Shrabani Basu discovered a portrait of Karim at Osborne House, which sparked a seven-year investigation. She explored archives in Britain and India, found Karim's neglected grave in Agra, and learned about his family's migration to Pakistan. Just as her book was set to launch in 2010, a relative reached out to Basu, revealing that Begum Qamar Jehan possessed Karim's diary. Upon meeting her in Karachi, Basu received a neatly kept brown journal with gold edges, recognized as Windsor stationery. The opening page bore Karim's inscription: "Into whose hands this may chance to fall." Over a century later, the story that a royal family tried to erase refused to remain buried.