Chapter 9 Europe

In Athens

February 7, 1910: I awoke in the morning to discover that the ship was moving very slowly. I washed my face and had tea but still did not feel well on account of having vomited last night. The ship soon stopped. We were to disembark here and then take the train for an hour.1 This would bring us to Athens. Our bags were already packed. Sarkar left them with the Cook representative. We disembarked from the ship and boarded a carriage. Here carriages are available everywhere, at every station. We took this carriage to the railway station. I went to sit in the waiting room while Sarkar left for a short time to see to our luggage and purchase train tickets. We boarded the train. After an hour we were in Athens. The train stopped, and we disembarked and entrusted our luggage to the Cook man. There is a Cook agent at the [main] train station in every city.

We got into a carriage and went to the Hotel Angleterre.2 This is a nice hotel, but it is not so vibrant as the Pera Palace. We put our luggage in the room and washed up for lunch, which was already prepared. Then we ordered a carriage and went to see the famous things. We saw some famous old buildings and hills. We saw a beautiful church. We toured around and then returned to the hotel. The city is beautiful, but the people are not good in their dealings. They are dishonest.

Socrates’s Prison

February 8, 1910: Today after breakfast we went out in a carriage. The place we went to today was a tall mountain with a large temple on it that even now attests to the greatness of the distant past.3 The wonderful objects that have been found in this temple have been placed in a set of secure rooms that comprise a sort of museum. There are awe-inspiring idols sculpted from marble that are very worth seeing. This temple and everything found in it have been put on display after intensive excavation several yards beneath the surface. They have discovered large rooms and chambers whose floors are made of marble. The door frames, walls, and pillars, all of marble, are exceptionally beautiful and very tall. The marble ceiling has been made with remarkable artistry. But—Allahu akbar!—this temple has been built on such a steep mountain that I was exhausted just walking up to it. It is twice or thrice as high as Baba Sharaf ud-Din’s hill.4 The area at the top is expansive. We looked at everything, including the museum. Everything about this place, including its dates and history, are recorded in a red book that Sarkar always carries with him and from which he reads aloud to me wherever we visit.5 There were many other travelers here who had come to see it too. They were also touring the site.

We continued our visit for a few hours before descending again. Then we got into a carriage, and Sarkar directed us to the place where Socrates used to debate. This is a plaza; there are some ancient ruins, but it is otherwise very clean. Then Sarkar brought us to where they imprisoned Socrates. It is a subterranean pit in a mountain with an opening for ventilation. We went inside and had a good look at this place too. Sarkar has a deep love for Socrates. He is almost brought to tears when he reads the history of this man. As a result of Sarkar’s love for him, I also expressed my own deep sympathy for Socrates.

For lunch we went back to the hotel before resuming our tour in the carriage again and departing for another site. Allahu akbar! Was that a road we traveled on or Satan’s own intestines? After an hour and a half, we arrived at our next destination. Again, we saw yet another old temple that had been dug out from the earth. There was more marble and, once again, a museum displaying excavated objects. The excavations are ongoing. New objects are discovered continuously. There were more large rooms, courtyards, halls, bath halls for the Greek gods, and more. All of this has been excavated. These gods also had children. We continued touring the site until five. We also saw a church. Then we got back into the carriage and traversed that same long path back to the hotel for dinner. Then we rested.

The Trip to Corinth6

February 9, 1910: After breakfast Sarkar said, “Come, there is a railway [station] not far from here. We will go from there to Corinth. We will stay there for a day to see the sights, and then we’ll go to Rome and Paris.” We went to the station around ten o’clock and left on an 11:00 a.m. train, arriving at Corinth at 3:00. We had lunch in the hotel’s “refreshment room,” which was just front of the hotel, before checking into our room. By then it was four. Sarkar and I went out for a walk and some fresh air. The sea was just in front of us. We walked a long way. This town is very small, like a village, but this country is so rich that even the villages have hotels and beautiful buildings. We went to see the church. Even such a small place has its own large, beautiful church. We returned to the hotel at 6:00 and had dinner at 7:30. I wrote a letter to Khurshid. The hotel owner sat with us for a while, conversing with Sarkar in French and showing him pictures of various local tourist sites. Then we went to our room to rest.

February 10, 1910: After breakfast we got into a carriage and set off. Half an hour later the carriage climbed a hill. Beyond it was an even higher hill that was ascended by a walking path. At the top was yet another old temple. I was not very interested in it. Sarkar read aloud to me and explained many things. I decided not to walk up; Sarkar didn’t go either. We quickly left this place and went to visit the other side of the city. Here the mountains have been cut down the middle, creating a pleasant lake that ships may sail through.7 People come from afar to see it. They use wide vessels shaped like slabs of wood to ferry people, horses, cows, and everything else from here to there and there to here. We got down from our carriage and took one of these boats over to the other side, which is not distant at all. While we were on the boat, we saw that a ship was coming down the canal. When we reached the other side, we waited there so that we could see the ship pass from up close. The boatsmen quickly moved their vessels out of the way. There is a chain that runs across the canal. They loosened it and lowered it down into the water. After about ten minutes the ship passed through the lake and the hills on either side, moving swiftly. I watched it for a long time. Sarkar wandered off quite a distance to look at everything. I collected a few pebbles from here. We took the same boat back to the other side and got into our carriage to return to the hotel for lunch. Then we went quickly to the railway station. The train pulled into the station. We departed at three.

In Patras8

We arrived at Patras at eight in the evening. The Cook employee was waiting. We gave him our luggage and found a carriage by ourselves. We went to the hotel. Dinner was already ready. We ate and went to rest.

February 11: After breakfast we took a carriage to explore the town from one end to the other. We saw a church in the center of a garden. The local jail is in an old temple that is very ancient. We saw it and then slowly made our way back to the hotel. I didn’t go out again. I wrote some letters and so on. I learned that the ship to Brindisi will arrive at nine tonight. In the evening we had dinner and waited for the ship to arrive. At nine we were told that “the ship is late. It will be delayed.”

Departure from Patras

We waited until the ship arrived at 10:30. There was a steady rain and frequent lightning. The conditions being such, everyone opened up their umbrellas and made a run for the ship. We did not need a carriage because our hotel was located right by the coast. We boarded a boat. The boat had no covering. It was a dark and stormy night. The boat set out. It took fifteen minutes to reach the ship. We went aboard along with two or three other angrez and some mems. This ship belongs to the Robotino Company. It is very nice and clean. Our luggage arrived soon after. The ship is brightly lit with electric lights. There are about ten English ladies aboard who, like us, are on a world tour. I went to the cabin. It is very nice. We inspected our baggage and then dismissed the Cook representative. After changing our clothes and so on, we slept.

February 12: I woke up, arranged my clothes and other things, and went up on deck. I do feel nauseous on this ship but only a little. We stopped somewhere at eight, and all the ladies, as well as Sarkar, disembarked to see the city. He asked me to join, but I said, “I’m tired. You go ahead. I’ll stay on board.” They returned an hour and a half later. Sarkar bought ten pieces of wooden carvings here because they were well made. We set off again. I had lunch and then lay down so that I would not feel nauseous. We stopped at four, loaded some cargo, and then set off again an hour later. I don’t feel very nauseous on this ship because of all these quick stops. I got to know the ladies on the ship well. Each of them gave me their card, and they noted down my address. We went to rest after dinner.

Arrival in Brindisi

February 13, 1910: We arrived at Brindisi at five in the morning. We quickly woke up, got dressed, had breakfast, and then gave our luggage to the Cook man.9 The ship docked at the port, so we easily disembarked and took a carriage directly to the railway station. This is a nice city too. I saw as much as could be seen from the window of a carriage.

A Journey to Rome

We boarded a train to Rome at 7:00 a.m. The ladies from before are traveling in the carriage next to ours, but they are going to Naples, and we are going to Rome, so their carriage will be removed from the train at four and sent in another direction. They will be our fellow travelers until four, though. They will come to Rome in five days, but when they come, we will be on our way to Florence. For lunch we had food we bought at the station. They have an excellent system here whereby they give you an entire lunch in paper packaging along with a bottle of water and paper cups. And this is how we were given our lunches. Sarkar bought the meal, and we ate and drank our fill. I spent most of my time with the ladies. When we reached the junction, I returned to my carriage, but I was with them until four, when their carriage was removed and sent on its own way, while we went our own way. We reached Rome at nine. We gave our luggage to the Cook man and went to the Hotel Quirinale.10 The luggage arrived. We had dinner and slept.

A Tour of Rome

Today is the fourteenth of February. Although this hotel is exceptionally grand, the manager and the staff are all very dishonest, bad people. They do not tell you how things work, and then they ask you to pay them a franc and two shillings for every little thing. In a word, dishonest. This is the only time I have ever felt frightened in a hotel.

Anyhow, we engaged a carriage and took it to the museum. This city is indeed very beautiful and clean, and we enjoyed the views on the way to the museum. There were many European men and women here. I was wearing a Turkish burqa, which caused them all to stare at me and ask, “Well, who is this?” We bought tickets, went inside, and looked at the wondrous objects in every single room. We spent two hours there. The museum feels endless. I did not appreciate the friezes [or sculptures] very much, but I did really enjoy the picture gallery. It holds priceless paintings, the likes of which I had never seen before. We kept looking around until one in the afternoon. Then we returned to the hotel for lunch. I was tired afterward, so I went to the room to rest. Sarkar went out again and returned at maghrib. We went downstairs at dinnertime. Then Sarkar went to the drawing room to read the newspapers. I went upstairs. He came up thirty minutes later. By God’s command, the night passed uneventfully.

February 15, 1910: We woke up, washed up, got dressed, and called for tea to be sent. We had a very leisurely breakfast, and then Sarkar asked me to get ready. “Please hurry, we are going to see the most famous church [in Rome].” We took tram number 14 to the church because this tram goes there directly. There were many ladies and sahibs on the train. The church is indeed very beautiful, ornate, and large. I have seen many churches here and found them all to be almost pitch-black inside. This one has some light inside, but it was nevertheless a light not worthy of the name. The building and the decor are excellent. There are no carpets on the ground, as with our mosques. Instead they have fine chairs, tables, paintings, harmoniums, and botachios.11 The walls and ceilings are covered in gold work. The building itself is also very nice. We had a nice look around before moving on.

From here Sarkar took me to a garden that was right in front of the church but located on a slope. The streets are very clean. Sarkar asked, “Should I find a carriage, or will you walk?” I decided to walk, so we both climbed the hill together. The further we walked, the more beautiful the garden became, and slowly the entire city of Rome came into view. When, after much climbing, we reached the top, we saw that there were thousands of people there, with more constantly arriving. This is a popular visiting spot. Every morning and every evening, people come here to take in the air, children and adults alike. We also had a good walk around before descending from the park on the far side.

We hired a carriage to take us to the hotel. It was 5:00 p.m. I went up to the room but forgot to collect my key from downstairs. Sarkar was still downstairs. I went into another room and rang the bell. A maid came, and I was just asking her to retrieve the key for me when a memsahiba whose room was near mine came over. I mistakenly thought that she was some member of the hotel staff. I turned away from the maid and was just about to ask her to help me collect my key when I realized that, actually, she was a lady. I apologized immediately, but she was very kind and spoke to the maid and insisted on helping me retrieve the key. She also invited me to her room: “Until your room is opened, please sit in mine.”

Then, what else, but we began to chat and in fact continued to chat even after my key was brought. The poor thing is so sweet that she has decided to consider me her sister. By chance, Sarkar was going to attend the opera tonight. I said to her, “Why don’t you come and join me in my room after dinner? My husband is going to be away at the opera.” She agreed, and after dinner Sarkar left, and the memsahib and I went upstairs together. She sat in my room, and I brought out my sewing. The poor thing took up the other end [of the garment] and began to sew as well. She began to tell me about herself. “I had been married for twenty-one days when my husband fell from his horse and died. He was an army officer. I receive fifty pounds a year as a pension. My name is Widow MacDonald.” She showed me the various medals her husband had received. He was a well-known man. She showed me pictures of her mother and her husband. We continued our conversation until midnight. When Sarkar returned, she departed after showing me her affection. She is about thirty-five. The poor thing is spending her life honorably. May God help her. After seeing the memsahib off, we went to bed.

February 16, 1910: We woke up, prayed, had breakfast, got dressed, and then took a carriage to the most famous churches. We reached the first after twenty minutes and went inside. The interior is round and has an open ceiling that makes it very bright. This lets you see the building’s design clearly. We visited this church for thirty minutes before returning to the carriage. Then we went to see two royal palaces that were located on tall hills. They were so large you must walk miles and miles to see them fully. History records that two boys named Roma were found on these hills and raised by a she-wolf who fed them with her own milk.12 We bought two tickets and went inside. We were joined by an angrez who spoke French.13 He showed us all the rooms and all of Rome, which is visible from here. These buildings are now in ruins, but their high ceilings still attest that this place must once have been in a class of its own. We continued slowly up the hill, carefully inspecting every item and viewing every site of interest along the way, until we climbed a staircase and entered a vast grassy plain. How beautiful and large it was! There was a wonderful garden here too. We strolled through it, chatting with the angrez, until we reached a place where a man and a woman stood putting color to a painting they were making. We looked and saw that they were making a painting of a stone statue that was leaning against a tree before them. By God, their rendition of it was perfect. I watched them for three or four minutes. I turned back only when Sarkar called out to me.

From here we had to descend the hill until we reached a courtyard and rooms with large floor mosaics. The walls were covered with ancient images painted by hand. To one side, there were three rooms, all right next to one another, where the emperor’s daughter once lived. We had a good look before returning up the hill. There was a constant flow of visitors here. Then we went to another area. The angrez continued to point out and explain every site, while Sarkar read the history of the place aloud [from his guidebook]. We continued our ascent until we could see the whole of Rome. We could see outlines of all the large buildings and halls. We saw the emperor’s bathhouse. At another place, a man came and, with a large broom, quickly swept away the dust to reveal a vast and beautiful floor mosaic. He said, “Once upon a time, the entire floor was like this,” and then he covered it up again. We saw so many things, one after the other, until well after lunch time. We walked back down at four, visiting more places as we went. We saw where the emperor would sit. At long last we reached the place where the wolf once lived and where the two Roma boys were found. This place is inside the mountain and is something like a lion’s den. It is empty now. We continued to visit all these places until we reached the bottom. I looked at my watch; it was 4:30. I was exhausted after five hours of walking.

Sarkar was tired too, but he wanted us to visit one last site, the place where the ancient and famous Roman bazaar was once held. The floor was marble. The shops and the walls were all marble. There were the famous arches. The sun was shining, and everything could be seen clearly. We saw the place where goats are butchered. By then I was completely exhausted. I was struggling to make my way back when suddenly, while we were passing through the bazaar to find a carriage, one or two hundred priests wearing long black overcoats appeared. They were processing through the bazaar right before our eyes. We followed behind them, wondering where they could be going.

There were a few people here making paintings and drawings of the ruins of this bazaar. We walked over to where the priests were gathering. We saw that there was an old church inside the bazaar with handmade paintings of Mary and Jesus, the Spirit of God, hanging on the walls. The paintings were covered by curtains so that what was left of them could not be further damaged. The priests had come to see these paintings. There was a shallow pool inside the church too.

We then left this place, exited the bazaar, and hired a carriage back to the hotel. We arrived at six. I went up to the room. Sarkar stayed downstairs to take care of some business. I washed up, changed my clothes, and went to Mrs. MacDonald’s room. She spoke to me affectionately. When she learned how tired I was and how sore my feet were, the poor thing knelt and began to massage them herself. I implored her not to, but she had her maid bring hot water anyhow. She massaged almond oil into my feet and then had me soak them in the hot water before vigorously drying them off and putting socks on me. “Come with me to the market tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll make sure to find you warm socks and a good petticoat. I’ll ask your husband to make sure you’re safe from the cold.”

We were going downstairs to eat together when we bumped into Sarkar. I introduced him to Mrs. MacDonald. She asked him about purchasing me new clothes right there in the hallway. I said, “All right, I will go with you tomorrow to get new clothes. Sarkar will not forbid me. I already have many warm clothes with me. The only things I need are a petticoat and an undershirt.”

In the dining room Sarkar and I went to our table, and she went to hers. After dinner she said, “A friend of mine would like to meet you. Please do come downstairs to meet her.” Since Mrs. MacDonald speaks with a very strong English accent, I thought she had said, “My friend and I will come up from downstairs.” I thus replied, “Very well,” and took the lift upstairs and waited. Eventually Sarkar came and said, “Let’s sleep.”

I replied, “I’m still waiting to meet Mrs. MacDonald.”

“Is this any time to meet with someone?” he answered. “Come now, and meet with her tomorrow.”

February 17, 1910: When we met in the morning, Mrs. MacDonald said, “My lady friend remembers you often. It’s a shame that you agreed to meet her but never came down.” I apologized and said, “It was my mistake. In my haste, I mistakenly understood that you would come upstairs, and so I waited for you there.” We both agreed it was a pity and laid the matter to rest. We chatted about this and that until 9:30, when she took me out shopping. She selected a petticoat and a fine undershirt for me and then asked, “Do you have any more undershirts?”

“Yes, I have two others. This is quite enough.”

Then, without informing me, she bought me a present, a beautiful silver box filled with sweets. At the time, I didn’t know what she had bought it for.

We returned at 11:00 a.m. Sarkar was waiting for me. I went with Sarkar and we took a carriage to the Pitti Gallery and some other places.14 It is raining a little today. We went into the Pitti Gallery and bought tickets. If you have an umbrella, you must check it with the doorman whether you want to or not. And then you must pay him for the service. We accordingly checked our umbrellas and entered. We had a good look around this picture gallery. The walls and ceilings were adorned with large and unique paintings of every possible kind. We looked at them for so long that my eyes became sore. There were many other visitors, most of whom used mirrors to view the ceilings. We spent an hour visiting each room but still did not see everything. There were so many rooms, and some of them we visited only briefly.

We returned to the hotel for lunch at one. Then I went upstairs and met with Mrs. MacDonald. This is when she gave me the box of sweets that she had bought for me. “Here is something to remind you of me. Please keep it.” This box, made of European silver, was very beautiful. It had a picture painted onto the lid. I accepted it with thanks. I gave her two Hyderabadi rupees to remind her of me. She said, “I will have them made into a brooch and keep them with me always.”

Sarkar went out again, but I was tired and so did not join him. Soon it was evening, dinnertime. Sarkar returned, got dressed, and went down to eat. I went to sit in the drawing room and wrote a few letters. Then we went to the room and slept.

February 18, 1910: We awoke in the morning as usual and had breakfast in the room. Then we quickly got ready and hired a carriage to visit more places. The carriage driver tricked us. “Come and visit the emperor’s palace,” he said, and we agreed. When we arrived, we learned that it was closed today. He did this mischief just to increase his fare.

Today we visited a museum but only saw three of the rooms. There were paintings here too. Sarkar told me the story of these paintings. “A Venetian boy once fell in love with a fairy who was more beautiful than even this.” There’s no need to repeat the story here. I looked closely at all the paintings. I didn’t want to go anywhere else today. There were more galleries, but they were closed and are only opened by government order. Then we got into the carriage and went to the university. We looked at the buildings there, saw portraits of the instructors, and went back to the hotel.

We had lunch at 1:30, and then I went up to my room as usual. Sarkar went out to tour again but returned after a short while to get me. Then we went to another university. There were courses in session. Students were coming and going. Once again, the ceilings, the walls, and the vestibules were adorned with paintings of various people, all of them buck naked. We saw all the buildings from the inside and then took a short jaunt through the city. We returned to the hotel before sunset. We washed up and got ready for dinner, which we took at seven. After dinner I met with Mrs. MacDonald. She was very sad when I said, “I will be leaving tomorrow.” We chatted for a while, and then I returned to my room and went to bed.

February 19, 1910: In the morning I packed my things because Sarkar told me that “tomorrow we will leave for Florence on the two p.m. train.” But I did my packing today. Sarkar’s things are still left to pack. Then I had breakfast and got dressed. We hired a carriage and went out to tour. We went to a church. Services [namaz] were being held. Some two hundred priests bearing lighted candles passed in a procession before paintings of Mary and Jesus. Then they split into two lines and stood still. The head priests recited something loudly, and then they all joined in and began to sing together beautifully. They sang for a long time, sometimes stopping and then starting up again. The services were still ongoing when we exited the church and returned to the carriage.

Back on the road, we saw a strange army bearing musical instruments and some type of special insignia. We learned that the priests here have some sort of leader. Ever year on the anniversary of his death, his disciples bring out this procession in his memory, as though they were commemorating their master’s urs or celebrating his barsi.15 In short, we saw quite a bit today too. In the evening we returned to the hotel. After dinner I met with Mrs. MacDonald. She is very sad that I will be leaving tomorrow.

Departure for Florence

February 20, 1910: I woke up early, packed for Sarkar, and got ready. Sarkar went out and returned at noon. We paid our bill and had lunch. We left by the 2:00 p.m. train. Mrs. MacDonald, the poor thing, cried when we left. I won’t be able to forget how she cried. We enjoyed the views throughout the trip and arrived in Florence at eight in the evening. We went to the hotel. It is also nice. We got a room and went to rest and sleep. We had already eaten on the train, in the dining car.

February 21, 1910: We woke up early in the morning and had a bath. We got dressed and went down to breakfast. Then we hired a carriage to tour. We saw the picture gallery and the museum. We saw excavated graves and other objects that were found in them. Then we came back to the hotel for lunch. I stayed in the room, but Sarkar went out again and didn’t return until evening. We had dinner and rested. I’m a bit tired of this journey now. I’d like to go home.

February 22, 1910: We woke up as usual. Sarkar said, “Let’s go.”

“I’m not going,” I replied. “I’m not interested in this trip anymore.”

“We only came here so that you could see it. If you won’t see it, then we will have come here for nothing.”

On his order, I got ready. We saw the famous places here. If you ask me the truth, this city is peerless. It is extremely beautiful, pure, and clean. However, although the churches look very grand from the outside, inside, they are shrouded in darkness. Today we returned to the hotel at 12:30. After lunch Sarkar said, “Let’s go out again.”

“Please, excuse me this time.”

Sarkar went out but soon returned. “Come, I will show you the entire city in a motorcar. Then we will leave tomorrow.”

I was delighted by the phrase “we will leave tomorrow” and thus happily agreed to the proposal. I went and sat in the motorcar. There were six other mems and sahibs with us. This is a large, open-top car. It is very nice. We toured in this car for three hours. I cannot praise this city enough. It is vibrant, clean, and beautiful. It is so nice that it is like heaven on earth. What beautiful gardens, squares, and fields, located high in the hills. We toured for three continuous hours, getting out to visit places once or twice. There’s also a beautiful tunnel in the city. We returned to the hotel in the evening. We had dinner and went to bed.

February 23, 1910: We woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, got dressed, and packed our things. “We will leave on the same twelve o’clock train.” We had an early lunch and left for the station. Here we ran into our old fellow travelers, our mem friends who had come from America and who had stayed with us in the Pera Palace, in Constantinople. We chatted for about ten minutes before boarding the same train. However, they are in second class, and we are in first. The two classes are close enough, though, that we can easily come and go from their carriage. We had a final meeting with them in the dining car. I proposed that “if I stay very long in Paris, we shall certainly meet there,” because these mems are going to stop somewhere else first along the way.

We had to change trains at the same station as before. We made the transfer at nine. Our carriage in this train was completely empty besides us, and we slept well all along the way. At three in the morning Sarkar woke me up to show me a famous lake. There was so much snow on the ground that you could not even see the tracks. The mountains and the ground were all white. I took in this enchanting sight for a while and then went back to sleep.

In Paris

February 24: I woke up very early, washed up, got dressed, and watched the snow fall. Then Sarkar and I went to have breakfast in the dining car. When we returned, we found a French mem and sahib in our carriage. They had a conversation with Sarkar in French. We had lunch in the train too. At three thirty we arrived in Paris. Adopting a leisurely pace, we took a carriage to the Louvre Hotel.16 Sarkar and his father have both been here before.17 It is very nice. The lift is very large.

I washed up, got dressed, and had tea. Then we went to the [Grand] Magasins du Louvre, which is a large store directly across from the hotel. It was 5:30, and there was a rush of people. We bought a few hats for the children and placed orders to have a few things stitched for ourselves. We gave our names and then stayed in the store until seven. Then we went back to the hotel, had dinner, and went to bed.

On February 25, we had breakfast and went back to the same shop at just after nine. This shop is very large. I picked out some cloth and some lace and selected a design for a coat. Then we got a carriage and went to tour Paris. There was a huge storm here too, and many buildings had been washed away.18 We had already seen the ruins of some of these buildings from the train.19

Paris is a very fine and expansive place. It has a large tower that you can ascend in a lift.20 I did not want to go today on account of the rain. We walked around for a long time and then went to the museum. The museum was closed when we arrived, but we were told it would open at 2:00. Still, we had a good look at the building itself from the outside. After visiting so many museums, I can no longer muster any further interest; we have already been to hundreds of museums. From here we took a motorcar to the hotel and had lunch.21 After lunch I did not go out again. After dinner I went to bed.

On February 26 I went back to the same shop again. They had made a rough fitting for the coat and set it aside. I tried it on and had the measurements amended. I asked them to correct the fitting now so that there would be no issues later. “We will be leaving by the eleven o’clock train tomorrow,” I said. “Please have it sent to London by parcel.” When I went into the shop today, they said, “When can we meet your husband?”

“You can meet him later this evening, or tomorrow he can stop by before we leave. You may speak to him then.”

I went back to the hotel. Sarkar was waiting for me. We went to see the famous picture gallery and museum.22 The picture gallery is nearby, so we went by foot. Today is a free day, so we went in without paying anything. The paintings inside were indeed impressive. The door frames were glorious. The walls and the ceiling are all adorned with paintings. The pictures are incredible, and the vastness of the building is beyond description. We began at ten and did not leave until three. There is also a small museum here, which we also visited. We returned to the hotel at three. We missed lunch today in the spectacle of it all. We made do with dinner and went to rest.

Leaving Paris for London

February 27: Sarkar and I are ready to depart. We only went out to the shop for ten minutes to ask them to quickly finish the sewing and send the clothes on to London. We gave them our address but then changed our mind and said, “Have it sent directly to your shop in London. We will collect it from there ourselves so that we can check the fitting.” Then we went to the hotel to eat, pay our bill, and clear our account.23

We left on the 11:00 train and arrived at Calais Station four hours later.24 From here it is a two-hour journey through a rough sea. So Sarkar and I, alongside about one hundred angrez, got off the train and boarded the ship. Immediately upon boarding, all the ladies went and lay down in their beds. Right away “maid stewards” came and placed a vessel for vomit beside each of their beds. I became worried because I have started to feel dizzy and nauseous at sea. I quickly went to lay down and closed my eyes. There were only women there; the men were elsewhere. I fell asleep and slept so profoundly that I only awoke when the ship arrived. I neither woke up nor felt dizzy nor vomited. When I did open my eyes, what did I see but all the poor women around me red-faced, their vessels filled with vomit. As soon as the ship stopped, Sarkar asked how I had fared. I replied, “Al-hamdulillah, thankfully, I was quite comfortable.” By God’s command, Sarkar was comfortable too.

London is two hours from here. It was 6:00 p.m. We took a train. There were many angrez [men] and angrez women in our carriage. We were comfortable in our seats. We had our luggage stored in another carriage.

Arrival in London

We arrived in London at 8:30. We had our luggage removed from the train and then took a carriage to the Westminster Hotel.25 No one met us at the station because we did not inform anyone of our arrival.26 We mailed off three letters while still at the station. The first went to Usman Nawaz Jung Sajjad Beg, the second to Mirza Abbas Beg, and the third to Khwaja Abd ul-Majid.27 This was so that all three would come to us first thing in the morning. Then we went to the hotel, had dinner, and rested.

February 28: In the morning I woke up, took a bath, got dressed, and had breakfast.28 Sarkar went out somewhere. I sat to wait for Sajjad, Abbas, and Majid. At long last Majid appeared, at twelve o’clock. I was so happy to see him. I asked after Mahmud.29 He replied, “He is doing well. I will ask him to come whenever you’d like. Just give the order. If I send a telegram today, he will be here tomorrow.” We were still mid-conversation when lunch was served. We went to the table. I asked after Sajjad.30 “He may well be in London these days, but Abbas is in Cambridge.” I replied, “I wrote to him too.”

Suddenly, a telegram from Abbas appeared. It read, “I am coming on the eleven o’clock train tomorrow.” We were still eating when Sarkar came and joined us for lunch. Then we all had a long, lively conversation. Afterward, we went upstairs. Sarkar said, “Ask Mahmudullah to come on March 7.” After this was settled, Sarkar went out again. Majid and I sat and chatted for a while longer over tea. Then it was time for dinner. I spent the day in conversation and didn’t go out at all today.

We three were at dinner when a card came. It read, “Dr. Usman Nawaz Jung.” The moment I saw the card, I leaped to my feet, for it had been eleven years since I had seen my brother Sajjad, and I wanted to meet him as soon as possible. I had already stood up from the table when Sarkar said, “Hold on, hold on, let him come first!” Sajjad came in, gave me a hug, and said, “Oh, apa! Oh, apa! Where have you been?!” He was just as happy to see me. Thank God, he has become a successful doctor. Sajjad had already eaten, so we finished our meal and went upstairs and sat together until midnight. Then Sajjad Beg and Majid left, and we went to sleep.

On the morning of March 1, we followed our usual routine. We got up, bathed, and dressed and then went down to breakfast. After eating I returned upstairs while Sarkar went out on business. Suddenly Sajjad and Majid appeared. “Come on, we want to give you a tour.” I replied, “Wait, we’ll go after lunch.” We talked for a while. We went out after lunch. First, I wanted to go on a long walk. After that we took a taxi to Hyde Park and spent a long time looking around. This is a wonderful place for an outing. Next, we took a walk around Buckingham Palace (the monarch’s palace) and looked around the city on our way back to the hotel. When we arrived, we found Abbas waiting for us. We all had tea and then dinner. Sarkar came as well. After eating we all went upstairs and chatted until 11:00 p.m. Abbas has only come for one night; he is staying in the room opposite ours. Sajjad and Majid both left, and we all went to rest.

A Tour of London

March 2: We woke up as usual and had breakfast. Abbas and I began to talk. Sarkar had a lunch appointment somewhere, so he went out. Majid and Sajjad came. Sajjad said, “Come on, apa, today I am going to make sure you get some fresh air. I am not going to let you sit here all shut up in a room. I’m taking you to see the museum and Westminster Abbey and God knows what else! The Zoological Garden. Basically, I am going to show you everything!” The four of us went out after lunch. First we saw Westminster Abbey, then Green Park, and the Zoological Garden.

Then they took me for a ride in the “Underground Rail.” This is the train that runs beneath the ground. You descend underground via a lift. Inside it is very bright. Sometimes light comes in from outside, but for the most part the light and the climate are controlled by electricity. There is every type of animal in the Zoological Garden. The “rolves” danced and played of their own accord when they saw us. They dove in and out of the water.31

We had a good tour of everything there. Then we took the underground back to the hotel. After dinner Sajjad said, “All right, now I am going to take you to the theater.” He insisted on this with bhai sahib [his brother-in-law, Nawab Sarbuland Jung] and then, after getting permission, took me away. Majid went home, and Abbas took a train to Cambridge. Sarkar went to rest.

Sajjad took me to the theater. I don’t remember the name, exactly, but it was a wonderful show. I was thoroughly entertained. It ended at 11:00. Here the plays begin at 8:00 p.m. and finish at 11:00. We took a taxi home. Sajjad Beg dropped me off. He went home; I went to sleep.

March 3: I woke up, bathed, and had breakfast. Sajjad and Majid came, and after lunch, Sajjad declared, “Come, I am going to take you to see the shops and make sure that you get some fresh air.” Sarkar had to go out for lunch again. Before leaving, he told Sajjad, “I’ve arranged for tickets to the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the House of India [the India Office]. Take her to see them.” Then he left, and we set off on our tour. Sajjad took me to a large shop. We had a good look around and then went on to another shop, where I bought a handbag for Father embossed with his name. Then we wandered here and there before returning to the hotel. They left at 11:00 p.m., and we went to sleep.

March 4: We woke up and had breakfast as usual. Sajjad and Majid arrived. Sarkar said, “Three invitations to tea have come for you today. I told them you would not have dinner. Those who have invited you are Lady Sir Charles Lyall, Lady Cromer, and the wife of some other Lyall as well.” Majid said, “At eight thirty, Ms. Beck will come to visit bhabi jan [Begum Sarbuland].” Sarkar left because he had a meeting somewhere. I went out with Sajjad. We had a short walk before returning. Ms. Beck came after dinner. We talked until eleven. Eventually Sajjad and Majid left. Ms. Beck did too. Then we slept.

An Invitation to Sir Charles’s Home

March 5: We woke up and ate as usual. Sarkar said, “Lady Sir Charles Lyall has invited you over at eleven. Please get ready.” Meanwhile, Sajjad and Majid showed up. Once I was ready they asked me, “When will you return?”

“I’ll be back in an hour or two.”

“All right, you go on, and we will go for a walk but come back before you do. Bhai sahib [Hamidullah] asked us to get him a trunk; we will try to find one.”

Sarkar and I took a taxi to the home of Sir Charles Lyall.32 Lady Charles looked after us very attentively. She served excellent tea and plenty of cake. We had a long conversation. Both her daughters were there too. It was through her that I found the address of Ms. Lorrimer, who used to be second master of our zenana school.33 I expressed my wish to meet her. Mrs. Sir Charles said, “I will write to her, and she will come to meet you.” I went back to the hotel two and a half hours later. Majid and Sajjad were waiting for me. Sajjad took me to the theater again after dinner. He brought me back at eleven, before leaving again. Sarkar was already in bed; I slept too.

March 6: I woke up and was having breakfast as usual when the waiter came and said, “There’s a telephone call. They are asking for you.” I had no idea who could be calling me.

“Perhaps it is someone looking for Sarkar?”

“No, Madame, they asked for you.”

I went to see who it was. It was Abbas, calling from Cambridge. We had a long conversation. He said, “Apa, I’ll come on the eighth for two days.”

“Please do.” The eighth is the day after tomorrow.

I returned upstairs. Sajjad and Majid had come. Sarkar has dinner invitations here every day, so he left. I went with Sajjad and Majid to the Louvre shop thinking that the clothing I had stitched must have arrived. When I arrived, I was told that it had indeed. I tried on the coat and found it fit nicely. I took the clothes and went back to the hotel. Today I was to go to Mrs. Cromer’s house. I got ready at 4:00 p.m. I wore my new clothes. Sajjad and Majid said, “We’ll wait for you to return.”

Sarkar and I went to Lady Cromer’s house. We had an excellent visit with lady sahiba. She gave us a wonderful tea. Lord Cromer came too.34 He is an elderly man. We shook hands and talked. We chatted for an hour and a half before returning to the hotel.

We had dinner with Sajjad and Majid. Sajjad took me to the theater again. I really liked the show today. It was a magic show. When the Englishman performer wrapped a mem up in cloth and brought her close for me to examine, I pressed on the cloth and felt that there was something soft and cold inside. As soon as I touched it, it gasped in surprise. I laughed. A few moments later she reappeared elsewhere before disappearing into the cloth again. We came back at 11:00 o’clock. Sajjad Beg went home, and I went to sleep.

March 7: I woke up and had breakfast as usual. Majid and Sajjad came to the hotel. Just after Sarkar went out, a telegram arrived: “Mahmudullah comes today.” It made me very happy. A lady sahiba whose name I have forgotten came to meet us today. When we received her card, Sajjad and I quickly went downstairs. Majid had gone to the station to collect Mahmudullah. I had a very nice visit with the lady. I offered her tea and ice [cream?]. We spoke for a very long time. She waited a long time for Mahmudullah to arrive. Eventually it got to be too late, and she had to leave.

He showed up a little while after she left. Sajjad was very happy to see him and gave him a big hug. Mahmud has completely forgotten Urdu. He speaks English very well. I became concerned. I tell him, “Son, speak Urdu.” Even I was compelled to speak to him in English. Mahmud’s cheeks are turning pink here, as though he really has turned into a rose. He is very healthy, thank God. I was so happy to see him. Sajjad was overjoyed. He picked him up and seated him in his lap. Sometimes they wrestle with one another, and other times they chat together. After seeing me, Mahmud now says he wants to visit India, but his term is not yet up. I said, “I’ll have you come back with Majid a month and a half from now.”

By then it was dinnertime. Sarkar came back, and we all had dinner together. Sajjad took Mahmud and me to the theater again. I said, “Bhai, bas, enough, I’ve seen enough theater now. But fine, I’ll go again today for Mahmud’s sake.” As usual, we returned to the hotel at eleven. Sajjad left, and we all went to rest.

March 8: We got up and had breakfast as usual. Sarkar went out. Majid and Sajjad came. Abbas came at eleven. We all went to have our picture taken. Majid left for class but planned to come back at four. I said, “All right, we can have the picture taken now or when Majid comes back.” We agreed on the latter, and he left. Then the four of us went for a long walk and saw the underground rail tube several times, which has a large engineering museum, until it was time for the photograph. We arrived at the photographer’s studio at three. Majid came, and we had our pictures taken (plate 7).

From there Abbas and Majid strolled back to the hotel, but Sajjad, Mahmud, and I took a taxi directly to the House of Commons. I went inside to the ladies’ gallery and Mahdmudullah and Sajjad Beg to the outer, men’s section. To get to the ladies’ section, you take a lift up. There were many other ladies present when I arrived. Mrs. Holden, whose brother Mr. Baldwin was giving a speech, was seated near me.35 She is a very affable lady. She looked after me very well and lent me a pair of binoculars: “You should use these,” she said. She explained to me, “These people rule every region here in the House of Commons.” She invited me to tea and gave me her address. I stayed until seven before taking my leave and going back downstairs. Sajjad and Mahmud were just exiting too. We went to the hotel, where we found Abbas and Majid. Sajjad said, “Apa is amazing. She makes friends wherever she goes.” We had dinner. The Becks came to visit again. They are two sisters. We concluded the gathering at eleven.

March 9: I got up as usual. Abbas and Mahmud are sharing a room. They also got up. We all got ready and went down to “breakfast.” Sajjad came [to the hotel] while we were eating. “Come, apa, I’m going to get you glasses made.” Sarkar went off somewhere again.

An Invitation from the Prince of Wales

After Sarkar had already gone, I received a letter that read, “The Prince and Princess of Wales invite you to tea. They request an immediate reply.” Sarkar wasn’t even there. What was I supposed to do? I sent the attendant back, saying, “We will reply by telephone. You may go; we will reply as soon as Sarkar returns.”

Then we went to the doctor. Sajjad had my name recorded as “Ms. Beg” to get a lower fee. He charges much higher fees to those named “Mrs.” He will take a lower fee if he considers me Sajjad’s sister. There are never fees for his wife or children; doctors don’t take a fee from one another. After a careful examination, the doctor said, “You should definitely be wearing glasses,” and wrote down the power. Then we went to a shop for eyeglasses and placed an order to have glasses made. “A pair of glasses will cost two pounds and two shillings,” they said. We finalized the order and then went to the hotel. We all had tea together. We were still having tea when Nawab Sarbuland Jung sahib bahadur returned. I gave him the prince’s letter. He immediately sent a reply: “We will certainly visit tomorrow.” We all had dinner, and as usual, Sajjad and Majid left at eleven, and we went to sleep.

On the morning of March 10, we awoke, got ready, and had breakfast. Abbas must go to Cambridge today. Ever since he and Mahmud came, we have been staying in a suite with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a drawing room, everything. Sajjad came. Majid will come at three, after class. Sarkar left before lunch but told Sajjad, “Miyan, I have lunch out today. Mr. Higg will come to collect the begum. She should be ready to go by three on the dot. You should make sure that she and Mahmud leave with him. And please tell him that I will go there directly from where I am.”

After lunch we sat and talked. At two, Sajjad said, “You should go and get ready now.” I washed up and got dressed. Mahmud also got ready. A waiter brought a card to notify me that Mr. Higg had come. The three of us went down; Abbas stayed [in the hotel room], saying, “I’ll leave at nine.”

Mahmud and I went and set off in a taxi with Mr. Higg. Sajjad and he had a long conversation. He is a good man; I met his wife twice in the Hyderabad Residency. He speaks Urdu fluently. He expressed a wish to “[be appointed as] resident and move to Hyderabad.” He really liked Sajjad. He told me, “Your brother is a good man.” I agreed. We chatted in this manner until we arrived at the palace. We got down from the taxi. There is quite a guard system here. Each of them doffed their hats for us, and we went inside.

We passed through a wide courtyard before entering a room. Sarkar was already there. He spoke to Mr. Higg. There was another gentleman there too. All the servants were standing in a line; they too removed their hats. We went into the hall and took our seats by the fireplace. The Prince and Princess [of Wales] entered five minutes after I arrived.36 I stood up. The prince shook my hand first and then Sarkar’s. Then the princess shook Sarkar’s hand and then mine. The princess sat down and had me sit near her. The Prince of Wales remained standing while speaking to Sarkar. The princess chatted with Mahmudullah. “This boy speaks English well,” she said.

“He is going to school here [in England],” I replied.

“I still remember the poem that you wrote about me. Could you give me a translation of it?”

“Of course. As soon as I have returned to India I will have a translation made and send it to you.”

She then began to tell me about her children. “All my children are in school. I have six, five boys and one girl. I really liked Hyderabad. If you meet the nizam, please give him my greetings. And if for whatever reason you are unable to do that, then please give my greetings to his wife instead.”

“Of course. I will be sure to give them your greetings.”

Then the prince began to speak to me, and the princess went to speak to Sarkar. He said, “You must be sure to have a translation of your poem made and send it to me.”

“Of course.”

“How do you like London?”

“I like it very much,” I replied.

“India is very nice.”

“It also belongs to you,” I answered.

We all spoke together for an hour before they left for another room and we went outside. All the attendants doffed their hats as we went.

When we reached the gate, a soldier immediately called for a taxi. Mr. Higg accompanied us. The method for calling a taxi here is that you just whistle, and a taxi appears. We said goodbye to Mr. Higg and left. It was dinnertime when we arrived at the hotel. We quickly gave Abbas his dinner. We also ate and then went upstairs. We sent Abbas off with Majid, who took him to the train station before returning. We all talked until eleven, when Sarkar said, “Please, go to sleep now, both of you. You will fall ill if you continue to stay up so late every night.” Sajjad and Majid left, and we went to sleep.

March 11: We woke up, got ready as usual, and had breakfast. Sarkar had a lunch to attend today too, so he left. Sajjad, Majid, and I went out for a while to take the air. Sajjad Beg got us an excellent trunk and had another trunk of leather made for our belongings. Sajjad Beg and Abd ul-Majid packed up all our things. The glasses I ordered have come too. Sajjad had two pairs made in case the first should break. We spent the entire day in these tasks. As usual, we had dinner, and they went home.

March 12: This morning Sarkar left at 4:00 a.m. to meet with his friend Sir Fitterzel in Plymouth. Before leaving, he said, “I’ll be back at three in the morning. We leave London at nine [tomorrow]. Please be ready.” Sajjad and Majid have been here since the crack of dawn. I went to Mrs. Holden’s and left my card. Then I went to Mrs. Ameer Ali’s because it is raining today.37 I also packed up Mahmudullah’s things. Sajjad and Majid stayed up until 1:00 a.m, and we had a very enjoyable conversation until then. I pressed Sajjad to “come back to India as soon as possible. Don’t think about traveling abroad any longer.” He, however, passionately wants to visit Constantinople. His brother-in-law [Hamidullah, presumably] has given him several letters of introduction. He’s already arranged his passport. Still, I tried to explain things to him. I hope he understands. After all, he is very intelligent, capable, and well-mannered, masha Allah. Inshallah, Majid will pass his exams and bring Mahmudullah back with him in a month and a half or so, God willing. Masha Allah, Abbas has advanced so much, so quickly; it made me very happy to see. The two left at 1:00 a.m. “We will come again in the morning.” Sarkar returned at 4:00 a.m.

Notes

1. 1.They presumably docked at Piraeus.
2. 2.The Grand Hotel d’Angleterre was in Syntagma Square, in the heart of Athens.
3. 3.This certainly refers to the Parthenon.
4. 4.The dargah of Baba Sharaf ud-Din is located just outside the city of Hyderabad. She had visited it in the first chapter of this travel account.
5. 5.This almost certainly refers to a book in either the Baedeker Guide or Murray’s Handbook for Travellers series of travel guides. It may refer to the fourth edition of the Baedeker travel guide to Greece, which was published in 1909.
6. 6.The diary gives “Karinta.” This and other errors are likely introduced by the lithographer rather than by Begum Sarbuland herself.
7. 7.The Corinth Canal, completed in 1881, is about twenty meters wide. Here she uses the English word “lake.”
8. 8.The diary reads “Pairas” here and elsewhere, but the passage clearly refers to Patras.
9. 9.The Thomas Cook and Co. representative.
10. 10.This hotel was in the center of Rome, just a few blocks from Rome’s central terminal. She calls it “The Kurital,” but this may be the result of a scribal error.
11. 11.Unclear.
12. 12.She refers to the legendary Romulus and Remus, though records both as being given the name “Roma.”
13. 13.A museum guide, perhaps.
14. 14.More commonly known as the Palazzo Pitti.
15. 15.The term urs, literally “wedding,” is a Sufi term that refers to the death day of a saint or holy person. It is so called because that date marks their return to and union with God. Barsi is another word for an annual commemoration of a death.
16. 16.Though she gives the name in English, this is in fact the Hôtel du Louvre, located just across the street from the Louvre Museum.
17. 17.The phrase used here for father is abba jan. As Begum Sarbuland habitually refers to her own father as bhai abba jan, and because there is no record of Agha Mirza ever visiting Europe, this presumably refers to Hamidullah’s father, Samiullah. Father and son had traveled to Europe together in 1880. For a description of the trip from his father’s account, see S. Khan, Musafiran.
18. 18.The word “too” seems to be a reference to the Great Musi Flood of 1908 in Hyderabad. She seems to connect her own experience with the floods to the more recent deluge in Paris.
19. 19.The 1910 Great Flood of Paris. A month before her visit, the Seine had reached to nearly thirty feet above its normal height.
20. 20.The Eiffel Tower—which clearly did not impress her—had been intended to be demolished the previous year, in 1909.
21. 21.The museum they visited was presumably not the Louvre; otherwise, they would not have needed to take a motorcar back to the hotel.
22. 22.This was presumably the Louvre Museum.
23. 23.It is noteworthy that in this European portion of the trip, Begum Sarbuland has stopped recording her daily prayers.
24. 24.This line appears somewhat humorously in Urdu, albeit unintentionally. The phrase “at Calais Station” is rendered such that it could be read as “kele ke station par,” which, in Urdu could mean “at the banana station.”
25. 25.This was most likely the Westminster Palace Hotel, a luxury hotel located across from Westminster Abbey. Mohandas Gandhi had stayed in the same hotel a few months before their arrival.
26. 26.The couple had a large circle of friends and family in London who might have met them.
27. 27.The first two men were her brothers. The third was her husband’s maternal cousin. Abdul Majeed Khwaja (1885–1962) was the son of Khwaja Muhammad Yusuf, an early and ardent supporter of the Aligarh movement and a close friend and the brother-in-law of Hamidullah’s father, Samiullah Khan. He studied at Cambridge University between 1906 and 1910. He reportedly studied there to become a barrister to earn the hand of Begum Sarbuland’s daughter Khurshid Begum. He was thus in some sense auditioning for the role of son-in-law as he hosted Begum Sarbuland in London. After returning to India, he practiced law in Aligarh and, later, Patna. He gave up law in 1919 to support the anticolonial movement and to help establish Jamia Millia University in Delhi. He then returned to law, practicing in Allahabad between 1926 and 1944. He retired to Aligarh.
28. 28.This sentence is indicative of Begum Sarbuland’s occasional but surprising use of English in the diary. Rather than use standard Urdu words, in this instance she writes “dress kar ke breakfast khaya.”
29. 29.The author’s middle son, aged eight, who was studying at a boarding school in Plymouth.
30. 30.The author’s brother.
31. 31.The cute animal being referenced here is unclear. This may also be the result of a scribal error.
32. 32.Sir Charles Lyall (1845–1920) was an Arabic scholar and a civil servant in British India. He probably did not work directly with Hamidullah. Instead, the pair may have known each other through their shared interest in the Arabic language. His wife was Florence Fraser.
33. 33.That is, Mahbubiya Girls’ School, where her daughter Khurshid Begum was studying.
34. 34.Lord Cromer, or Evelyn Baring (1841–1917), was a powerful colonial administrator who made his career in Egypt. He was cousin to the Earl of Northbrook, whom Hamidullah had served as a private secretary in Egypt in 1884.
35. 35.Probably Stanley Baldwin (1867–1947), who would thrice serve as prime minister.
36. 36.The Prince of Wales, George Frederick Ernest Albert, had toured India in 1905–6, during which time he seems to have met the Sarbulands. He became king in May 1910 as King George V. He was coronated in London in 1911. He then traveled to India to attend the Delhi Durbar of 1911, where he was presented to a mass gathering of Indian rulers as Emperor of India. He was joined in his travels by the Princess of Wales, Mary of Teck, or, after 1910, Queen Mary. The Sarbulands were in attendance.
37. 37.Isabelle Ida Konstam was the wife of Syed Ameer Ali, a prominent Indian jurist, writer, and political leader. Around the time of this visit, he was heavily involved in organizing Muslim political and social life in London.