I am cross posting this review here because Hindoo Holiday is a fascinating work of literature describing one man’s experience in a princely state during late colonial rule. Ackerley is a well-regarded British author.Â
J.R. Ackerleyâs Hindoo Holidayâoriginally published in 1932âtells the story of the five months (December 1923-May 1924) he spent as secretary to Maharaja Vishwanath Singh of Chhaturpur (called âChhokrapurâ in the book). In his âExplanationâ, Ackerley describes the Maharajaâs motivations for hiring a private secretary from England. He writes:
He wanted someone to love himâHis Highness, I mean; that was his real need, I think. He alleged other reasons, of courseâan English private secretary, a tutor for his son; for he wasnât really a bit like the Roman Emperors, and had to make excuses.
As a matter of fact, he had a private secretary already, though an Indian one, and his son was only two years old; but no doubt he felt that the British Raj, in the person of the Political Agent who kept an eye on the State expenditure and other things, would prefer a labelâany of the tidy buff labels that the official mind is trained to recognize and understandâto being told âI want someone to love me.â But that, I believe, was his real reason nevertheless.