By Anil Raturi
In 1976, while still in school in Mussoorie, I saw a famous Hollywood film at the Rialto Cinema. It was called “The Man who would be King!”.
The story of the film was based on Rudyard Kipling’s novella of the same name.
In the movie, Sean Connery and Michael Caine play two mischievous characters who have deserted the British Indian Army. Driven by avarice, the two embark upon an adventurous journey into the pristine 19th century Afghanistan. There the impressed locals open their coffers to them for a while and worship one of them as a God!
However, karma soon catches up with them!
It is said that during 1890s, while lodging at “Hotel Charleville” in Mussoorie, Rudyard Kipling had heard the story of one “Pahari Wilson”, a Yorkshire man, whose real name was Fredrick Wilson and who had deserted the British Army during the Afghan War of 1842.
After deserting, Wilson had sought refuge in a Garhwali village called “Mukhba” situated near Gangotri.
Inspired by Fredrick’s legend, Kipling penned down his novella, “The Man who would be King!”.
Fredrick, as a fugitive, arrived in “Mukhba” with his gun. The villagers were mostly “Semwals”– a caste of traditional priests of the Gangotri shrine. Seeing a tall white “malecha” with a gun, the orthodox locals were scared. The village also housed a few “Bajgi” (a socially depressed caste) families. The “Bajgi” men traditionally played music during rituals and in return received grains, etc., from the priests.
Fredrick Wilson struck a friendship with Mungetu, a “Bajgi” man of the village and started living in his house. Wilson was a skilful hunter. In due course, with a team of “Bajgis” he organised hunting expeditions in the mountains. He hunted the musk deer and sold the hides and musk in the British Market of Mussoorie. He hunted the Monal bird for selling feathers as plumes. He also introduced apple, plum and potato cultivation in the mountains. Later, he bought a lease from Sudershan Shah, the Raja of Tehri, for felling deodar trees in the Bhagirathi valley. He transported the timber via the flowing Ganga, down to the plains, to be used as sleepers by the British for laying the Railway Lines in India!
Soon, he became a wealthy man, employing thousands of Garhwalis from Harsil to Haridwar in his adventurous enterprise!
He built various pedestrian routes within the hills and also down to the plains. He built beautiful wooden rest houses and bungalows in the mountains. For himself he built an idyllic double storey home in Harsil.
His business brought money to the locals, too!
In due course, he married Mungetu’s sister, a “Bajgi” woman whose marriage had broken down. He sired three sons – Nathaniel (Nathu), Charles (Charlie) and Andrew (Indri).
Living like a king, he even struck coins in his name! The locals referred to him variously as “Whulson Singh”, “Pahari Wilson”, or “Raja Wilson!”
His son Charles ran a lodging house in the British town of Mussoorie, which was called “Hotel Charleville”. Today’s LBS National Academy of Administration is housed in the erstwhile campus of this hotel!
Raja Wilson’s son Nathu (Nathaniel) became a rogue. Armed with a gun, he often threatened villagers and pilgrims and sometimes killed them.
Smitten by the beauty of two young sisters, who lived in a village nearby, he abducted them at gunpoint!
He and his brother, each married one of the two sisters. It is said that, later, Nathu’s persistent delinquency, compelled the ruler of Tehri State to imprison him. Subsequently, Nathu died in prison.
Raja Wilson lived an eventful life in India during the 1840-80’s!
When he died, the Garhwali village folk buried him on the banks of the Bhagirathi River as per Christian rites.
In 1987, during my training at LBSNAA, while on a trek, I had the good fortune of visiting Wilson’s beautiful deodar house in Harsil. He had built it as his home. It was an exquisite specimen of Garhwali woodwork built on a stone foundation!
At that time, the Special Branch of UP Police had an outpost in the building. Unfortunately, on a night in the 1990s, the heritage structure was accidentally burnt down! Only a fragment of the original bungalow survives today in Harsil, which is running as a forest rest house!
In due course, all the offspring and kin of Pahari Wilson died.
Local legends believe Wilson was punished by Providence for felling trees and killing animals. Local folk also believe that sometimes in the night, “Whulson Singh’s” spirit haunts his house!
(Anil Raturi is a retired IPS officer)
