A new book about the time famous South Asians spent at Oxford is a joy to read for little-known nuggets, including that the Pataudis are a multigenerational Oxford family, but records indicate only Soha has a degree from the university
Mansur Ali, the ninth Nawab of Pataudi and captain of the Oxford University team, and his father Iftikhar Ali Khan (right), both played for Oxford University. Pics/Getty Images
Recently, Rashmi Samant’s name made headlines when she became the first Indian woman to head the Oxford Students’ Union but she stepped down soon after some of her old social media posts surfaced that viewed her as being “racist” and “insensitive”. If you read Rob Walters’ new release, Stars of South Asia from Oxford (Palimpsest), you will realise why her short-lived win was a big deal. She was up against illustrious Indian Oxonians who panned blue-blooded royalty, political heavyweights, and famous surnames from the arts, public service and sport. His research offers revelatory accounts about the student lives of such alumni from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan and Bangladesh. The book’s delightful trajectories highlight how these great minds reacted to their earliest introduction to Western values and thought.
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Indian prime minister, Indira Gandhi (1917 - 1984) delivers a lecture at Oxford University. Pic/Getty Images
Edited excerpts from an interview:
Both Indira Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto faced unique problems at Oxford. How did these facts emerge?
The problems that Indira had with Latin were hard on her. Margaret Thatcher had to face a similar challenge, as did her tutor Dorothy Hodgkin, the lady who discovered the structure of penicillin. Benazir’s early challenges may well have been exacerbated by her father’s ambitions for her, but she coped well. I used many sources that are listed in the book; the prime ones on the early days of these two ladies were Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi by Katherine Frank and Daughter of the East: An Autobiography by Benazir Bhutto.
Indira Gandhi
The Gandhis, Bhuttos, Pataudis—which of these families naturally warmed up to the Oxford way of life, and why?
The Bhuttos. The father, daughter and grandson were all students at Oxford, and Benazir was both an undergraduate and graduate student there. What’s more, she achieved that ultimate accolade of becoming the President of the Union. Of course, the Pataudis were a multigenerational Oxford family too, but the records indicate that only Soha Ali Khan received a degree from the University.
Cornelia Sorabji
Indian history textbooks have neglected Cornelia Sorabji’s pathbreaking career. What, according to you, could have possibly caused this?
I agree that she is much understated, and yet had so many achievements as an Indian female lawyer and as an Oxford student. I can only speculate that her different approach to the cause of Indian Independence may have confined her to a little known corner of history. Perhaps this will change with time?
Benazir Bhutto
Whose life was the most challenging to research in the book, and why?
I have limited my answer to the main stars, and of those I have chosen, Malala (Yousafzai). It was so frustrating that she was in residence at the college called Lady Margaret’s Hall, which was just around the corner from my apartment in Oxford, and yet I could not make contact with her. Finally, I accepted that she needed the protection surrounding her. Everyone wanted to interview Malala at that time. Besides, there was plenty of material available concerning this plucky young lady.
Rob Walters
Why did these South Asians choose Oxford for educational excellence?
In many cases the choice was not theirs, but that of their parents. Nevertheless, it is an interesting question which warrants a fuller answer. As an Oxford resident, I hesitate to mention Cambridge! But those two were the only universities in an English-speaking country for many centuries; hence, they have had plenty of time to establish their fame and hone their teaching methods. During those centuries, English, for whatever reasons, has become the lingua franca of the world, and that combination of longevity and language is quite difficult to beat. Of course, some of the stars did study in America as well.
Who stole Benazir Bhutto’s essay?
Benazir Bhutto’s stay at Oxford was marked by her possession of a smart yellow MG convertible sports car given to her by her father, Zulfikar. One day, Benazir turned up for a politics tutorial (as one must), but without the essay set by her tutor, Gillian Peele, at their previous meeting. Benazir explained: “I really did write the essay but I left it in my sports car and somebody stole the essay”. The tutor was taken aback, but not taken in as she responded, “Benazir, do you really expect me to believe this, that somebody stole your essay, rather than your car?”
The wonder years
. It is claimed that Imran Khan had a role to play in reviving Sussex’s fortunes. Each time he would step out to play for the club, female fans would rush to its grounds to watch the handsome young Pakistani cricketer.
. In the mid-1930s, Indira Gandhi [then Nehru] needed private tutors to improve her Latin that was part of her entrance exam for Somerville. She attended these while staying in London and spent her free time with Feroze Gandhi.
. Thirty years after she earned her degree in law from Oxford, Cornelia Sorabji was finally able to enroll as an advocate in India after women were called to the bar in Britain.
. Aung San Suu Kyu used a bicycle while at St Hugh’s, where she traded her traditional longyi for a pair of skinny white jeans. She was possibly influenced by pop star Sandy Shaw to sport her trademark fringe.
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