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Book Project Assignment
Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant
Logan H. Stovall
Department of Communication: Liberty University
COMS624: Intercultural Communication
Professor Danny Roman-Gloro
October 2nd, 2022
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Abstract
In her book entitled Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest
Confidant, historian Shrabani Basu recounts the friendship of Queen Victoria of England and her
Indian “munshi” or teacher, Abdul Karim. In this work, Basu explains how, even in the midst of
controversy from those closest to her, Queen Victoria stood up for Karim throughout her reign.
This paper will use Basu’s work and other secondary sources as a basis to discuss various issues
that surrounded the friendship of Victoria and Abdul. Lastly, this work will look into connections
between the Queen’s intercultural communication practices and concepts being promoted in the
present day.
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Written by historian Shrabani Basu (2017), Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the
Queen’s Closest Confidant tells the story of Abdul Karim, a waiter from India who travels to
England to serve in Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. After unexpectedly becoming the Queen’s
personal assistant for the event, Karim sparks a friendship with the Royal. Resulting from this
initial connection comes a journey for years to come.
Genuinely curious about his upbringing, Queen Victoria begins asking Karim questions
about the Indian culture. Within a year of his arrival, after learning about curry and other such
delicacies, the Queen tabs Karim as her teacher or “munshi” of all things Indian. It was through
this new assignment that their relationship grew even further. It would not take long for Karim to
become a trusted companion of Victoria’s for the foreseeable future. However, not everyone
surrounding the new friendship were in support— and they had their reasons.
Considering how things ended between the Royal family and the Queen’s previous
assistant, John Brown of Scotland, it was only a matter of time before those surrounding the
Queen would find fault with Karim. At the heart of the issue was the contrasting cultures and its
effect on the Queen’s rulings. However, the Queen understood her roles in life— both in the
political realm and as a friend— and she was devoted to both aspects in a powerful way.
This paper will discuss this book and the role that intercultural communication played in
the relationship between Victoria and Abdul. Additionally, this work will look at the role that the
author plays in painting a word picture of the surrounding events in “a very balanced portrait of
the relationship”. (TheBookBag.co.uk, 2018) Using various sources, this paper will look at the
relationship between these two to determine appropriate and timeless factors for intercultural
communication that can be experienced in the present day.
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In their textbook Communication Between Cultures (9th Edition), authors Larry A.
Samovar, Richard E. Porter, Edwin R. McDaniel, and Carolyn S. Roy state that, “The novelist
Louis L’Amour wrote that ‘each of us is convinced that our way is the best way,’ underscoring
the generally accepted hypothesis that people are normally more comfortable with the familiar
than the unfamiliar.” (Samovar et al., p. 381, 2017) At the heart of the matter, this quote is
precisely the dilemma that we as humans face when we are communicating with those of
differing culture. However, this perception is not always the reality for those looking to
appropriately engage in an intercultural conversation.
Such an engagement is found within the friendship of Queen Victoria of England and her
Indian assistant and teacher, Abdul Karim. According to Kristin Hunt of Smithsonian Magazine,
“Queen Victoria’s unusually close friendship with her Indian servant began at the 1887
celebration and spanned 14 years… Karim was the queen’s beloved munshi, the teacher who
gave her daily Urdu lessons, educated her on Indian affairs, and introduced her to curry. Queen
Victoria in turn showered him with gifts, titles and honors, much to the resentment of the royal
family.” (Hunt, SmithsonianMag.com, 2017) While it was contentious for those around them, the
relationship of mutual love and respect that the two had for each other was nothing short of
remarkable.
According to Basu’s work, Queen Victoria was fascinated with Karim’s culture after just
a few weeks of their initial meeting. The Queen would write in her journal that she was “learning
a few words of Hindustani to speak to my servants. It is great interest to me for both the language
and the people. I have naturally never come into real contact with before.” (Basu, p. 67, 2017)
However, Karim’s “communication with the other staff was still difficult but he was learning
quickly” (p. 69), signifying his interest in his new friend’s culture and language as well.
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So, who are these two primary characters found throughout this story? Born as the second
oldest of six children, Abdul Karim came from a high-middle class family in India with the
financial ability to hire a tutor for their young son. (Hunt, SmithsonianMag.com, 2017) It was
this tutelage that allowed Karim the opportunity to become a clerk at an Agra jail, which in turn
led to his ultimate position with Queen Victoria. Similar to Joseph of the Old Testament (Genesis
37-50 KJV), Karim’s favor with his father led him to a leadership position in a jail, which in turn
took him to the palace.
As for the Empress of India in the Royal family, the record of Queen Victoria’s story is
more intact for succeeding generations to know about her. Being placed into position at the age
of 18 years old following the death of her uncle, King William IV, the Queen “is associated
Britain’s great age of industrial expansion, economic progress, and, especially, empire.” (Oram,
Royal.uk, 2021) Shortly after, she married Prince Albert and together they had nine children
before his death at age 42. Considering this reality leaves little to no doubt as to why she enjoyed
the rich companionship of trusted confidants such as Karim and advisor John Brown before him.
(BritishHeritage.com, 2022) She went on to reign for 63 years until her death at 81. (English-
Heritage.org.uk, n.d.) She is buried beside her late husband in a mausoleum near Windsor.
Considering their close relationships with various family members, one can have a better
understanding on the connection forged by these two in moments of need. Abdul Karim and
Queen Victoria found each other in the perfect timing and thus a bond of friendship was created
that stood the tests of time and external opposition. Now, long after their deaths, the story of their
relationship is arising out of the shadows and becoming an example of devotion and connection
for the generations that has come after them. However, just as timeless as their love for each
other are the intercultural communication concepts that they each exemplified in their story.
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First, it must be noted that the life of Queen Victoria was filled with various intercultural
connections. While she was from England, her husband, Prince Albert came from Germany.
(Leontovich, pdf.ScienceDirect.com, 2014) Between this and her Royal duties involving having
intercultural conversations with leaders of other countries, having this background allowed her to
quickly adapt and grow in knowledge of Karim’s Indian culture soon after their initial meeting.
According to Samovar and his team, the most appropriate term for this concept is acculturation,
which is a process in which one learns to become both functional and comfortable in a new
cultural setting. (Samovar et al., p. 383, 2017) Queen Victoria was able to adapt to the cultural
differences and, in turn, was able to learn more about herself and those around her in the process.
Undoubtedly, with her amount experience in intercultural contexts throughout her reign,
Queen Victoria was able to learn more about Karim’s Indian culture by asking questions about its
history. (Samovar et al., pp. 181-184, 2017) Having its origins 181-184, 2017) Having its origin
from various influences including Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, these early groups became
urban dwellers by approximately the year 2600 BCE according to archeological data from the
era. This new culture continued to grow until Monguls from Central Asia invaded the region and
set up the Mughal Empire, which some call “the strongest dynasty in all of Indian history” which
lasted until the mid-1800s. (p. 183) Considering the timeline, it was during this dynasty that
Karim left India for his new role in England. Thus, he became a first-hand example of the glory
days of his country for the world to see.
Lastly, those interested in the story of Abdul Karim and Queen Victoria need to
understand the vast importance of intercultural communication in the present age. Through
technological advances, it is easier for one to have an intercultural conversation than ever before.
Thus, having a knowledge of appropriate intercultural communication is extremely valuable.
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References
Basu, S. (2017). Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant. Faber &
Faber.
BHT Staff. (2022, September 16). The truth about queen Victoria's relationship with John
Brown. British Heritage. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from
https://britishheritage.com/royals/queen-victoria-john-brown
Bookbag. (2018, April 13). Victoria and Abdul: The true story of the queen's closest confidant by
Shrabani Basu. The Bookbag. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/Victoria_and_Abdul:_The_True_Story_of_the_Que
en%27s_Closest_Confidant_by_Shrabani_Basu
English Heritage. (n.d.). Queen Victoria's story. English Heritage. Retrieved October 1, 2022,
from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-area/kids/guide-to-victorians/queen-
victoria-story/#:~:text=Victoria%20was%20one%20of%20the,and%2060%20years%20in
%201897.
Hunt, K. (2017, September 20). Victoria and Abdul: The friendship that scandalized England.
Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/victoria-and-abdul-friendship-scandalized-
england-180964959/
King James Bible. (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769)
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Leontovich, O. A. (2014). Where Angels Fear to Tread: Communication Strategies in an
Intercultural Family. Science Direct Assets. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from
https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/277811/1-s2.0-S1877042814X00492/1-s2.0-
S1877042814056031/main.pdf?
Leontovich, O. A. (2014, December 5). Where angels fear to tread: Communication strategies in
an intercultural family. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. Retrieved October 1,
2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814056031?
ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=75371df57ac5eb1b
Oram, K. (2021, February 3). Victoria (r. 1837-1901). The Royal Family. Retrieved September
30, 2022, from https://www.royal.uk/queen-victoria
Samovar, L. A., Porter, R. E., McDaniel, E. R., & Roy, C. S. (2017). Communication between
cultures (9th ed.). Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
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