Empire (66th of 90) -- Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim [audio 15min]

The man who replaced John Brown in the heart of Queen Victoria was an Indian servant by the name of Abdul Karim. He had arrived to be a khitmagrar -- to wait at table -- but quickly became so powerful in Victoria's affections that, on more than one occasion, her Royal Household threatened to resign. Victoria ignored this. Abdul Karim, or the Munshi (Teacher), as he was also known, was always at her side, assisting in her daily administration with letters and, most significantly, conversing in Hindi and Urdu. He became a confidant in the way that few other than Henry Ponsoby, her private secretary for three decades, and her physician, James Reid, did. Also, Abdul Karim made her feel like an empress. After Victoria's death he burned papers and never wrote nor told stories that would embarrass her memory. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. ~Visit website to listen again to 5 most recent episodes, plus interactive maps and timeline, biographical dictionary, image galleries, listeners' comments, quizzes, sources and resources.