Read Book Online : http://www.archive.org/stream/economichistoryo00dutt#page/n7/mode/2up

Download pdf Book : http://ia700309.us.archive.org/0/items/economichistoryo00dutt/economichistoryo00dutt.pdf

Oh yes Vicky with her Indian Munshi! :-)

As a child, I heard this story from an elderly person who used to smoke hookah with my grandfather. Queen Victoria expressed a desire to have two Indian boys to serve as attendants for herself. Accordingly they picked out two young lads from Etawah area and sent them off to the Queen. The two were treated with much affection, and they also served the Queen faithfully. Towards the end, she allowed them to return to India. She asked them what would they like as parting gifts and they could ask for anything. One of the boys wanted a Gramophone; the other one asked for a Bicycle. They proudly brought these gifts back to India - until their friends laughed and told them "Stupid, you could have easily asked for the tax revenue from any village". But it was too late. Both of them lived in poverty.

...Where does a connection arise between the photograph (c.1890 ) and the subject of the book ?? ...

Good question. But then it is a picture of Queen Victoria...

... Indeed ~ one taken about 50 years after her accession in 1837 (as per the title of the book ) ... Queen Victoria was a slender young girl of 18 when her uncle passed away and she came to the throne ~ not the rather portly, elderly matron as above... Pedantic, moi ?

I agree...but this was such a well-composed and fascinating a picture that I felt compelled to share.