Itesham Uddin
Encyclopedia
Mirza Syed Sheikh Itesham Uddin was a Bengali
traveler during the 17th century. He worked under Mir Jafar
learnt Persian language
during that time. He went to Britain
in 1766 and lived there for two years.
Unlike most of the aristocratic Muslim
s, Itesham used to talk in Bengali and used Bengali calendar
with Hizri ones. He served in Murshidabad
before joining the British East India Company
. There he came across with a Scottish
doctor and armed officer Firehebold Swiddntan and later both became friends. Shah Alam II
, the emperor who gave Dewani (the right to collect revenue) of Bengal to the Company, had started arguments with them and decided to send Itesham and Swiddntan to George III. He send them a letter and 1 lakh Taka with them. It went to Robert Clive's hands and he delayed their visit. He ceised the letters and money. At January or early February 1766 both Itesham and Swiddntan went for Britain in a French ship. He wrote his experience in Britain in a book called "Shigrif-Namah-E-Bilayet" or "The astonishing story of Britain" 1784-1785. It took him nearly six months to reach to England and he went through Mauritius
, Kaise, West coast of Africa
and coast of France. He taught Hindi and Persian language to British people who intended to come to India for trade or service. Itesham was desperate to come back to his country as he was having trouble with eating.
Itesham was surprised to see the British culture. Even though he quoted "Motherland’s torn is better than foreign flowers" he admired what he saw in Britain. He vehemently supported the educational system and was happy to see girls going to school. He praised affair marriage and felt sorry for women who couldn’t marry. He explained the administration and law of Britain and admired the beauty of British woman. His book was translated to English
in 1827.
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
traveler during the 17th century. He worked under Mir Jafar
Mir Jafar
-Notes:# "Riyazu-s-salatin", Ghulam Husain Salim - a reference to the appointment of Mohanlal can be found # "Seir Muaqherin", Ghulam Husain Tabatabai - a reference to the conspiracy can be found...
learnt Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
during that time. He went to Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
in 1766 and lived there for two years.
Unlike most of the aristocratic Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, Itesham used to talk in Bengali and used Bengali calendar
Bengali calendar
The Bengali calendar or Bangla calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used by the Bengali people. It is used in the eastern Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura and in Bangladesh...
with Hizri ones. He served in Murshidabad
Murshidabad
Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a distributary of the Ganges River. It was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal rule. Nawabs of Bengal used to rule Bengal from this...
before joining the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. There he came across with a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
doctor and armed officer Firehebold Swiddntan and later both became friends. Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
, the emperor who gave Dewani (the right to collect revenue) of Bengal to the Company, had started arguments with them and decided to send Itesham and Swiddntan to George III. He send them a letter and 1 lakh Taka with them. It went to Robert Clive's hands and he delayed their visit. He ceised the letters and money. At January or early February 1766 both Itesham and Swiddntan went for Britain in a French ship. He wrote his experience in Britain in a book called "Shigrif-Namah-E-Bilayet" or "The astonishing story of Britain" 1784-1785. It took him nearly six months to reach to England and he went through Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Kaise, West coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and coast of France. He taught Hindi and Persian language to British people who intended to come to India for trade or service. Itesham was desperate to come back to his country as he was having trouble with eating.
Itesham was surprised to see the British culture. Even though he quoted "Motherland’s torn is better than foreign flowers" he admired what he saw in Britain. He vehemently supported the educational system and was happy to see girls going to school. He praised affair marriage and felt sorry for women who couldn’t marry. He explained the administration and law of Britain and admired the beauty of British woman. His book was translated to English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1827.