Queen Victoria and her Indian servant Abdul Karim (The Munshi) - 1893

Hafiz Abdul Karim, (1863?-1909), better known as "the Munshi" (variously translated as "teacher" or "clerk" in Urdu), was an Indian servant of Queen Victoria who gained her affection in the final fifteen years of her reign.

The Munshi was one of two Indian servants brought over to mark Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. The Munshi was initially a dining room waiter. The Queen took a great liking to him, and, after he supposedly alleged that he had been a clerk at home and thus menial work as a waiter was beneath him,[1] he was soon promoted to the unique position of "the Queen's Munshi"--he gave her Hindustani and Urdu language lessons,and taught her Indian customs. In later years, he became first Personal Indian Clerk to the Queen, and later her Indian Secretary (not to be confused with the Cabinet office of Secretary of State for India).

he Queen appointed him Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1895 and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1899. She also awarded him land in Agra and lodged him and his family in cottages at Balmoral, Windsor and Osborne House.

After the Queen's death, her son, King Edward VII dismissed the Munshi and his relations from his court and had his officials send them back to India. King Edward did, however, allow the Munshi to be the last to view his mother's body before the casket was closed, and to be part of her funeral procession.

After returning to India, the Munshi lived in his home in Agra, Karim Lodge, until his death in 1909. (Wikipedia)

The People of India - The Races and Tribes of Hindustan - 1868 - Part 6

The people of India : A series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan, originally prepared under the authority of the government of India, and reproduced. by J. Forbes Watson and John William Kaye between 1868 - 1875.

Teehurs, supposed aboriginal, Oude

Syuds, descendants of Mahaomed, Oude

Rajkoomars, Rajpoot tribe, Hindoos, Oude

Pathans, mahomedan, Oude

Pasees, low caste Hindoos, Oude

Moormi group, Tibetans, Nipal

Mohunts of Hunoomangurhee, Hindoo, Oude

Maharajah of Benares, Hindoo, Benares

Gurgbunsees, Rajpoot tribe, Hindoos, Oude

Gungapootree, Hindoo worshipper of Ganges, Benares

Ghauteea, Hindoo friar, Benares

Dundee, Hindoo devotee, Benares

Chohans, Rajpoot tribe, Hindoos, Oude

Bujgotees, Rajpoot tribe, Hindoos, Oude

Bhurs, supposed aboriginal, Oude

Bhur, aboriginal tribe, Benares District

Bhat, wandering minstrel, Benares

Bhali sooltans, mostly mahomedans, Oude

Bais, Rajpoot tribe, Hindoos, Oude.

Aghoree, Hindoo mendicant, Benares

Source: digitalgallery.nypl.org

Bengal famine of 1943 Part - 2

The Bengal famine of 1943 (তেতাল্লিশের মণ্বন্তর) occurred in undivided Bengal (now independent Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal) in 1943. It is estimated that over three million people died from starvation, malnutrition and related illnesses during the famine.
This photographs are taken from Life archive hosted by Google. The photographer was William Vandivert. See the true face of British Raj and how they governed India at the end of their reign.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Indian Army convoys of grain head out across Howrah Bridge Calcutta to villages where it will be distributed under government controlled prices

A Hindu family sitting along the roadside, suffering from the famine

ARP truck drivers picking up a child's corpse

people watching while Army convoy unloads government controlled food

A starving child stuffing himself with creamy food

A man suffering from famine, causing his bones to seep through his skin

An overheated boy washing his face off with water from a fire hydrant

A living skeleton suffering from hunger during the famine

ARP sweepers loading a young Hindu girl's corpse onto the truck

A woman sweeping up each grain she dropped, carefully off the road

A starving man sitting on the dirt covered ground

An old 64 year old peasant and his granddaughter looking out over the lush growing rice fields

A little boy being picked up by the Co.-Ordinator of Relief Officials to be fed at the government kitchen

An older Hindu man suffering from the famine

ARP truck sweepers disposing corpses and carrying them to one of Calcutta's burning ghats.

An old starving woman lying on the roadside, dying

Starving people waiting for the government controlled Grain Shop to open

Dead bodies being taken to one of Calcutta's burning ghats

Bodies of unidentified destitutes lying under mats, waiting to be burned

Agra Station - 1920s

Source: ebay.com

Prince of Wales Museum - Bombay (Mumbai)

Prince of Wales Museum - Bombay (Mumbai)

Source: ebay.com

Fakir Group - 1898

Group of Fakirs (Sadhu, Sanyasi, Hindu Priest) - 1898

Source: ebay.com