Noble Sahib's view of the Mutiny

One of the passages of Ibn-ul-Waqt which immediately strike out is the monologue or memoir of Noble Sahib given in chapter 3 in which he comments on the Mutiny. As a character representing the Imperial agent or colonizer, we see complete lack of empathy on his part for the locals. Where the natives bore much severe human and economic loss, saw the collapse of their glorious days of rule and were reduced to unimportant and subjugated people in India, there Noble Sahib is preoccupied with his own trivial problems which deal only with his own self. He complains that “mein walaiyat jaane se raha....meri gyaara bars ki kamayi sab talf hui” (I was unable to go back....I lost all that I had saved during the last eleven years”. This is all his personal agony and in no way does he show any remorse for what the British had done to the natives of India. In fact, the mentality of the Imperial colonizer is further exemplified in “Hindustani qaum ne sarkari quwat ka andaza karne mein ghalti ki” (The Indian soldiers were mistaken in their estimate of the power of the Government). Clearly, the Noble Sahib speaks for the entire British Government and finds it superior and better armed and equipped than the Indians. He reminds everyone of the superior position of the British and the insignificance of the efforts and fight put up by their enemies during the Mutiny.

Moreover, he paints the Governor General of India as a benefactor and saviour of the rebellious natives. He uses words like ‘muddabar’, ‘muntazim’ and ‘saib-e-alrai’ for his superior portraying him as a prudent statesman and good administrator of India. The Governor General is apparently a forgiving man who would spare the people unless they have taken English lives during the Mutiny. It is interesting to note that only English lives are to be mourned while the terrible human loss of natives is never mentioned in Noble Sahib’s memoir and we don’t see any resentment or apologetic sentiment in his monologue.