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Hafiz Mohammed Abdul Karim CIE, CVO (1863–1909) ((ヒンディー語:हाफ़िज़ मुहम्मद अब्दुल करीम), (ウルドゥー語:حافظ محمد عبد الكريم)) known as "the Munshi", was an Indian Muslim attendant of Queen Victoria. He served her during the final fifteen years of her reign, gaining her maternal affection over that time. Karim was born near Jhansi in British India, the son of a hospital assistant. In 1887, Victoria's Golden Jubilee year, Karim was one of two Indians selected to become servants to the Queen. Victoria came to like him a great deal and gave him the title of "Munshi", an Urdu word often translated as "clerk" or "teacher". Victoria appointed him her Indian Secretary, showered him with honours, and obtained a land grant for him in India. The close platonic relationship between Karim and the Queen led to friction within the Royal Household, the other members of which felt themselves to be superior to him. The Queen insisted on taking Karim with her on her travels, which caused arguments between her and her other attendants. Following Victoria's death in 1901, her successor, Edward VII, returned Karim to India and ordered the confiscation and destruction of the Munshi's correspondence with Victoria. Karim subsequently lived quietly near Agra, on the estate that Victoria had arranged for him, until his death at the age of 46. ==Early life== Karim was born into a Muslim family at Lalatpur near Jhansi in 1863.〔Basu, p. 22〕 His father, Haji Mohammed Waziruddin, was a hospital assistant stationed with the Central India Horse, a British cavalry regiment.〔Basu, pp. 22–23〕 Karim had one older brother, Abdul Aziz, and four younger sisters. He was taught Persian and Urdu privately,〔Basu, p. 23〕 and as a teenager travelled across North India and into Afghanistan.〔Basu, pp. 23–24〕 Karim's father participated in the conclusive march to Kandahar, which ended the Second Anglo-Afghan War, in August 1880. After the war, Karim's father transferred from the Central India Horse to a civilian position at the Central Jail in Agra, while Karim worked as a ''vakil'' ("agent" or "representative") for the Nawab of Jawara in the Agency of Agar. After three years in Agar, Karim resigned and moved to Agra, to become a vernacular clerk at the jail. His father arranged a marriage between Karim and the sister of a fellow worker.〔Basu, p. 24〕 Prisoners in the Agra jail were trained and kept employed as carpet weavers as part of their rehabilitation. In 1886, 34 convicts travelled to London to demonstrate carpet weaving at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in South Kensington. Karim did not accompany the prisoners, but assisted Jail Superintendent John Tyler in organising the trip, and helped to select the carpets and weavers. When Queen Victoria visited the exhibition, Tyler gave her a gift of two gold bracelets, again chosen with the assistance of Karim.〔Basu, p. 25〕 The Queen had a longstanding interest in her Indian territories and wished to employ some Indian servants for her Golden Jubilee. She asked Tyler to recruit two attendants who would be employed for a year.〔Victoria to Lord Lansdowne, 18 December 1890, quoted in Basu. p. 87〕 Karim was hastily coached in British manners and in the English language and sent to England, along with Mohammed Buksh. Major-General Thomas Dennehy, who was about to be appointed to the Royal Household, had previously employed Buksh as a servant.〔Basu, pp. 26–27〕 It was planned that the two Indian men would initially wait at table, and learn to do other tasks.〔Anand, p. 13〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Abdul Karim (the Munshi)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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