THIS is truly a story worth telling. That is why I am so grateful that William Dalrymple spent 6 years slaving away at this one. To chronicle a slice of history that might otherwise be lost.
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WHITE MUGHALS
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White Mughals is essentially the story of James Achilles Kirkpatrick, the Resident at Hyderabad at the turn of the 18th century and his Indian wife, the Hyderabadi noblewoman, Khair-un-Nissa. But it is much more than a mere love story. It is first and foremost, a faithful history of the period, choosing to focus on Englishmen who successfully assimilated themselves into Indian culture. While the book is scholarly, it is never dry. It reminds me of the wonderful classic “A History Of England” by GM Trevelyan. Dalrymple, of course trains his sights on one particular episode in history.
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Beginning at the beginning…
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This is not a book meant to be speed-read. Read it the way I did – the introduction, the foreword and every footnote. You may have to go back and re-read certain portions. But Dalrymple’s narration is so straightforward and he holds each thread together so well, that this story, in spite of its wealth of detail, makes for fairly easy reading. (If you want very easy reading, then I am sorry, you’ll just have to pick up a few Sidney Sheldons.)
The introduction must not be missed. It shows just what inspires Dalrymple to write this story, to spend hours – years, sifting through the correspondence of various East India Company officials including James Kirkpatrick and Henry Russell. Also how difficult it was to get the relevant documents in India, through a combination of carelessness and beaurocratic crassness.
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Dramatis personae
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It is impossible to list all the important people in this book, but here is the main cast:
James Achilles Kirkpatrick - An Englishman born in India, educated in England, he seeks his fortune in India. Through a unique understanding of Indian ways and a knack for local languages, he rises to the post of British resident at the Nizam’s court in Hyderabad. Known in Hyderabad as Hushmat Jung, James like a few other enlightened Englishmen of his time, successfully assimilates himself into his surroundings.
William Kirkpatrick – his illegitimate half-brother, William is Lord Wellesley’s private secretary. Much of the book’s material is derived from the correspondence between the two.
Aristu Jah: the Nizam’s prime minister and James’ invaluable ally, who refers to him as Solomon.
Mir Alam: One of Aristu Jah’s protégés, Mir Alam is ostracized because he betrays the prime minister. One of the villains of the piece.
Khair-un-Nissa: A 14 year old Hyderabadi of Persian descent. Mir Alam’s niece.
Sharaf-un-Nissa and Durdanah Begum: Khair’s mother and grandmother, instrumental in pushing her into James’ arms.
Henry Russel: One of James’ residency juniors, and one of the other villains, though his treachery comes at the fag end.
General and Fyze Palmer: The Pune Resident and his Muslim wife, friends of the Kirkpatricks.
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The (his)tory
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HISTORICAL in style, the book does not at any point attempt to slot itself into the ‘historical novel’ genre. So do not expect Dalrymple to put words into his protagonists’ mouths. No dialogues. No interior monologues. Instead you’ll get a wealth of commentary, supported by excerpts from the actual letters. The upright, Indophile Kirkpatrick soon becomes a familiar figure. Khair remains shrouded in her Purdah, primarily because her correspondence (she was a prolific letter writer in Persian) has been lost.
THE STORY runs thus: Kirkpatrick, the Resident at Hyderabad, meets the teenaged Khair at a social function. The two appear to be taken with each other. While James is understandably reluctant to pursue her, the willful young lady actively pursues him. In this, she is aided and abetted by her mother and grandmother, who probably consider it an advantageous match. Their menfolk don’t agree. In the meantime, the two become lovers and Khair eventually becomes pregnant. The East India Company’s top brass get wind of the affair. 4 separate enquiries are conducted into the affair.
INITIALLY, James pretends nothing is going on. He however, is not merely toying with Khair’s affections. The sentiment they share is genuine. James practically puts his career on the line to acknowledge Khair’s presence in his life. He marries her according to Islamic rites but not without a price – the disapprobation of Wellesley and the males in Khair’s family.
FOR A WHILE, all is placid in James’ life. Two children are born of the union – Sahib Allum (later William George) and Sahib Begum (later Kitty). But James’ political life is far from ideal, largely due to Wellesley’s dictatorial policies. While enlightened ‘white mughals’ like James and Palmer chose to win over their Indian allies through fairness and friendship, Wellesley believed in bullying his Indian counterparts and imposing crippling treaties on them.
THE couple’s bliss unravels when their children are sent off to England to be brought up the English way (I confess my eyes were moist at this point). James, whose constitution has been severely tested by the harsh climate, begins to decline.
AND what became of Khair? Well into his research, Dalrymple had not found an answer to this question. Then, serendipitously, he stumbles on the answer in Henry Russell’s correspondence. And it is nothing short of tragic.
There is an epilogue of sorts. Dalrymple’s research has extended into the lives of the two children, Sahib Allum and Sahib Begum. Many, many years later, the girl, re-christened Kitty Kirkpatrick, re-etablishes a correspondence with her grandmother, Sharaf-un-Nissa. The relationship is undoubtedly cathartic for the two and most definitely for the reader!
If this review has been too long, my sincere apologies. This was a story worth telling and I am glad that it was William Dalrymple who chose to tell it. He keeps a legend burning bright without sentimentalizing, or making it the stuff of cheap romantic fiction.
White Mughals offer an invaluable look into the largely unexplored world of the Hyderabadi courts. It captures a moment in time when the relationship between the English and the Indians was one of mutual respect. It shows how that relationship slowly deteriorates into dictatorial imperialism.
Read this book. But I warn you, it requires commitment.
