Victoria & Abdul

Author/Guide: Shrabani Basu

Why a Booktrail?

How a young Muslim got a prime position in the Royal household during the days of Empire

ISBN: 978-0750982580
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Inspired by true events

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What you need to know before your trail

Tall, handsome Abdul Karim was just twenty-four years old when he arrived in England from Agra to wait at tables during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. An assistant clerk at Agra Central Jail, he suddenly found himself a personal attendant to the Empress of India herself. Within a year, he was established as a powerful figure at court, becoming the queen’s teacher, or Munshi. Devastated by the death of John Brown, her Scottish gillie, the queen had at last found his replacement, but her intense and controversial relationship with the Munshi led to a near revolt in the royal household.

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Travel Guide

Visit Scotland

There are many gorgeous places in Scotland but Queen Victoria was most taken with The Cairngorms and Glen Affric “It was amidst landscapes like these where Victoria had something of an epiphany.”

Balmoral Castle

This castle also stars in the film. Set in the lush green landscape of Aberdeenshire, this was the home bought for Victoria by her husband Prince Albert. It is still a favourite of the Queen today who holidays here and spends time in nature. There is a cottage in the grounds, called Karim Cottage which was specifically built for Abdul. Now it can be rented out as it’s a self-catering property!

It’s during their time in the Cairngorms that Victoria realizes that Abdul is not just a servant but has something much more to offer. More than that however, she feels an affinity with him and is fascinated by him and finds herself wanting to learn about his life and the culture including the Koran. She declares that he will be her Munshi; Abdul goes up into the Highlands as a servant and he comes down as the Queen’s teacher.

India

India is of course the background of the story since Abdul first comes to England having worked as an assistant clerk at Agra Central Jail. He suddenly found himself a personal attendant to the Empress of India herself and then to the Queen of England, Victoria.