Introduction
When Queen Victoria (r. 1837-1901) acquired a motherly affection for a lowly Indian clerk, her servants and her ministers were united in their resentment. But for a lonely widow weary of the flattery of courtiers and fascinated by the ‘jewel’ in Britain’s crown, Abdul Karim was a godsend.
ABDUL Karim arrived in England in June 1887, as a waiter in the Queen’s household for her Golden Jubilee year. It was a rapid promotion for a clerk to the jail in Agra.
A year later, Victoria promoted him again to ‘munshi’, her personal clerk. He taught her Urdu, and they talked all things Indian, from culture to curry.
Karim was no flatterer, and Victoria trusted his integrity. But showing him the Viceroy’s letters and favouring Karim’s Islam over Hinduism alarmed her ministers of state. Among the Queen’s Household, Victoria’s maids of honour grumbled at waiting on another commoner as if he were a prince.
Victoria saw a racial element and declared it unBritish, though Karim himself declined to mix with other Indians or servants in the Household.
There was relief in Windsor when Edward VII released Karim from his service. Karim retired, a proud British subject and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, to his handsome estates in Agra, granted to him by Victoria.
Précis
Abdul Karim, a lowly Indian brought to England to wait at table in Victoria’s Goslden Jubiliee in 1887, became the Queen’s favoured courtier, enjoying her complete confidence and trust but stirring considerable resentment in government and in the royal Household. After Victoria’s death, he returned to India, living on the estate in Agra which she had given him. (58 / 60 words)
Abdul Karim, a lowly Indian brought to England to wait at table in Victoria’s Goslden Jubiliee in 1887, became the Queen’s favoured courtier, enjoying her complete confidence and trust but stirring considerable resentment in government and in the royal Household. After Victoria’s death, he returned to India, living on the estate in Agra which she had given him.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, may, must, ought, until, whether, who.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Proud. See. She.
2 Favor. Flatterer. Showing.
3 Arrive. Golden. Waiter.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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