| When you think of Queen Victoria the picture | | | | Courtiers tried to turn her away from Abdul |
| that comes to your mind is of a grand lady | | | | Karim in every way they could. They accused him |
| reigning over perhaps the greatest empire in the | | | | of espionage and being a liar. But Victoria would |
| modern history. The British Empire stretched so | | | | have none of it. She continued to shower favors |
| far and wide that there was no part of the globe | | | | upon Abdul Karim. She helped him bring his family |
| where the empire did not have its presence. This | | | | to Britain at the royal expense and had them |
| is the reason why it is often said that the sun | | | | lodged in the grounds of royal palaces. |
| never set on this empire. | | | | While Abdul Karim's detractors were fuming and |
| The influence of Britain had been growing all over | | | | fretting, the queen went on displaying her |
| the world well before the time of Victoria. But it | | | | affection on Abdul Karim at every opportunity. |
| was in her time that India came under the British | | | | She had his portraits painted by the famous |
| fold. | | | | Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda along with her |
| This was a great moment for Britain. It had | | | | other favorites. Swoboda painted him twice -in |
| become the Great British Empire. Victoria had | | | | 1888 and 1889. Moreover, she used to write to |
| become an empress in the real sense of the | | | | him almost daily signing off her letters with "Your |
| word. Now she was the Queen Empress of India. | | | | loving Mother or, Your Affectionate Mother". |
| It was perhaps because of this or the fascination | | | | But top honors for Abdul Karim were still to |
| of the west with the mysterious east that | | | | come. |
| Victoria had become very fond of India and | | | | In 1878 the Order of Indian Empire was started |
| everything Indian. | | | | to honor people of remarkable merit from India. |
| So it should not be surprising that she should take | | | | This was a rare honor in the heyday of the British |
| an instant liking towards her Indian manservant | | | | Empire and only highly accomplished people could |
| Abdul Karim. Abdul Karim had come to Victoria as | | | | hope to be considered for it. But who could be |
| a gift from some Indian ruler at the time of the | | | | more special for the queen than Abdul Karim? He |
| Golden Jubilee of her reign in 1887. He was to | | | | got the honor along with many other Indians of |
| serve the queen at her dining table but soon | | | | outstanding merit. |
| Abdul Karim progressed to her sitting room | | | | Victoria knew very well that after her time, her |
| where he started giving her lessons in Urdu and | | | | protege would certainly be driven out from the |
| telling her about India. Recognizing his clerical skills, | | | | country. So she made arrangements to provide |
| the queen made him her Personal Indian Clerk and | | | | for him by giving him land in Agra (India) from |
| then her personal Indian Secretary. | | | | where he had originally come. Here also the queen |
| Such a meteoric rise of a mere servant and that | | | | had to face some resistance from officials but |
| too from a non-white colony was bound to raise | | | | she had her way. |
| the British heckles. Her staff threatened to resign. | | | | |