The
Kabuliwallah by Rabindranath Tagore
Genre: Short Story
Published: 1892
Setting: Calcutta (now Kolkata), India
🧭 Summary
“The
Kabuliwallah” is a touching story about human relationships, particularly the
bond between a father and daughter, and the unexpected friendship
between a little Bengali girl and a fruit-seller from Kabul, Afghanistan.
The story is
narrated by a Bengali writer who lives in Calcutta. His five-year-old
daughter Mini is a lively and talkative child. One day, she meets a Kabuliwallah
(an Afghan dry-fruit seller) named Rahamat, who visits Calcutta every
year to sell dry fruits. Mini and Rahamat quickly become friends despite their
cultural and age differences.
Rahamat reminds
Mini of his own daughter who lives far away in Kabul. Their innocent friendship
grows — Mini talks endlessly, and the Kabuliwallah listens patiently, giving
her nuts and raisins.
However,
tragedy strikes when Rahamat is arrested for stabbing a customer during
a quarrel over money. He is sentenced to prison for several years.
When he is
finally released, Rahamat visits Mini’s house hoping to see her again. But now,
Mini is grown up and about to be married. She no longer remembers him. Seeing
her dressed as a bride reminds Rahamat of his own daughter in Kabul, and he
realizes how much time has passed.
The narrator,
moved by Rahamat’s grief, gives him some money so he can return to Kabul
and reunite with his daughter. The story ends on a note of deep human
emotion and universal love.
🏙️ Setting
- Place: Calcutta
(Kolkata), India
- Time: Late 19th
century
- The story moves between the
narrator’s home and the streets of Calcutta.
💡 Themes
- Parental
Love:
Both Mini’s father and Rahamat share the same tender affection for their daughters, though their lives are very different. - Innocence
of Childhood:
The bond between Mini and Rahamat is pure and untainted by social or cultural barriers. - Separation
and Longing:
Rahamat’s longing for his daughter and his years in prison emphasize the pain of separation. - Universal
Brotherhood:
Despite differences in nationality, language, and religion, the emotions of love and humanity unite people. - Time and
Change:
The story shows how time transforms relationships and memories.
🧠 Moral /
Message
The story
teaches that human emotions transcend all boundaries of race, religion,
and culture. Love — especially the love between a parent and child — is
universal and eternal.
🗣️ Important
Vocabulary
|
Word |
Meaning |
|
Kabuliwallah |
A man from
Kabul (Afghanistan); fruit seller |
|
Peddler |
Street vendor |
|
Raisins |
Dried grapes |
|
Almonds |
Edible nuts |
|
Prison |
Jail |
|
Compassion |
Sympathy and
concern for others |
|
Innocence |
Purity, lack
of guilt or evil |
|
Reunion |
Coming
together again after separation |
🏙️ PLACES
IN “THE KABULIWALLAH”
|
Place |
Description / Importance |
|
Calcutta (Kolkata) |
The
main setting of the story. It is where the narrator and his family live, and
where the Kabuliwallah comes to sell dry fruits. |
|
Narrator’s House |
The
home of Mini and her father. It is where Mini and the Kabuliwallah first meet
and develop their friendship. |
|
The Streets of Calcutta |
The
Kabuliwallah roams these streets selling dry fruits and calling out to
customers. He also meets his customers and later has the quarrel that leads
to his arrest. |
|
The Prison |
Rahamat
(the Kabuliwallah) is imprisoned here after being convicted of stabbing a man
during a quarrel. He spends several years here before being released. |
|
Kabul (Afghanistan) |
The
Kabuliwallah’s homeland. His wife and little daughter live there. It
represents his memories, longing, and emotional connection as a father. |
|
Mini’s Wedding Venue |
The
place where Mini’s marriage ceremony is held. The Kabuliwallah visits here
after his release, marking the emotional climax of the story. |
👥 CHARACTERS
IN “THE KABULIWALLAH”
|
Character |
Description / Role in the Story |
|
Narrator (Mini’s Father) |
A
Bengali writer and the storyteller. He observes the friendship between Mini
and the Kabuliwallah with both affection and concern. He represents love,
understanding, and human compassion. |
|
Mini |
The
narrator’s five-year-old daughter. She is talkative, innocent, and curious.
Her pure friendship with the Kabuliwallah is central to the story. |
|
Rahamat (The Kabuliwallah) |
A
dry-fruit seller from Kabul, Afghanistan. He befriends Mini and treats her
like his own daughter. After being jailed for several years, he returns to
find that Mini has grown up. |
|
Mini’s Mother |
She
is cautious and protective. She fears the Kabuliwallah and doesn’t approve of
Mini’s closeness with him. She represents the practical and cautious side of
human nature. |
|
Rahamat’s Daughter |
Though
she never appears in the story, she is very important symbolically. Rahamat’s
love for his daughter mirrors the narrator’s love for Mini and connects the
two men emotionally. |
|
Rahamat’s Customer (Unnamed) |
The
man Rahamat quarrels with over money, leading to the fight and Rahamat’s
imprisonment. His role is brief but significant, as it changes Rahamat’s
life. |
🧾 1. Short
Answer Type Questions (2–3 Marks Each)
Q1. Who
was the Kabuliwallah?
Answer:
The Kabuliwallah was an Afghan fruit-seller named Rahamat
who came to Calcutta every year to sell dry fruits like almonds, raisins, and
apricots.
Q2. Who
was Mini?
Answer:
Mini was the five-year-old daughter of the
narrator. She was lively, talkative, and innocent, and she became a close
friend of the Kabuliwallah.
Q3. How
did Mini and the Kabuliwallah become friends?
Answer:
Mini, being curious and friendly, started talking to the Kabuliwallah one day.
Rahamat was amused by her innocence, and soon a bond of affection grew between
them.
Q4. Why
was the Kabuliwallah arrested?
Answer:
The Kabuliwallah was arrested because he stabbed a customer during a quarrel
over money. He was sentenced to several years in prison.
Q5. What
reminded the Kabuliwallah of his own daughter?
Answer:
Mini’s innocence and talkative nature reminded the Kabuliwallah of his own
little daughter who lived far away in Kabul.
Q6. What
happened when the Kabuliwallah met Mini after coming out of prison?
Answer:
When Rahamat met Mini after being released, she had grown up and was about to
be married. She did not recognize him, which made him very sad.
Q7. How
did the narrator help the Kabuliwallah in the end?
Answer:
The narrator gave the Kabuliwallah money to return to Kabul and reunite with
his own daughter, showing compassion and understanding.
Q8. What
is the main theme of the story?
Answer:
The main theme is universal love and human connection,
especially the bond between a father and his child,
which transcends boundaries of race and culture.
Q9. What
is the meaning of “Kabuliwallah”?
Answer:
“Kabuliwallah” means “Man from Kabul.” It refers to
a person from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Q10.
What emotion dominates the ending of the story?
Answer:
The story ends with deep pathos (sadness) as Rahamat
realizes how much time he has lost away from his own daughter.
🧩 2. Long
Answer Type Questions (5–8 Marks Each)
Q1.
Describe the relationship between Mini and the Kabuliwallah.
Answer:
The relationship between Mini and the Kabuliwallah is one of pure
affection and innocence. Despite belonging to different worlds,
they form a beautiful bond. Mini’s chatter reminds Rahamat of his daughter in
Kabul. Their friendship is based on simplicity and love, untainted by social or
cultural barriers. The story highlights how innocence and humanity can connect
hearts across distances and differences.
Q2. What
does the story “The Kabuliwallah” tell us about human emotions?
Answer:
Tagore shows that human emotions are universal.
The love Rahamat feels for his daughter and the narrator’s affection for Mini
are the same, even though they come from different countries and backgrounds.
The story expresses how love, compassion, and longing connect all human beings,
transcending boundaries of race, religion, and culture.
Q3. How
does the story highlight the theme of parental love?
Answer:
Both the narrator and the Kabuliwallah share the same feeling of paternal
love. Mini’s father cares deeply for her, while Rahamat’s love
for his daughter drives the story’s emotion. When Rahamat sees Mini grown up,
he realizes the years he has lost away from his child. This comparison makes
the reader understand that a father’s love is universal and eternal.
Q4. What
role does the narrator play in the story?
Answer:
The narrator serves as the observer and moral center of
the story. Through his eyes, we see the friendship between Mini and the
Kabuliwallah. Initially skeptical, he later shows compassion by helping Rahamat
return to Kabul. His actions reflect empathy and the belief in shared humanity.
Q5.
Explain how Tagore uses the contrast between Mini’s childhood and her
adulthood.
Answer:
When Mini is a child, she is open, curious, and loving toward the Kabuliwallah.
But when she grows up, she becomes shy and distant, forgetting him completely.
This change symbolizes the loss of innocence and the inevitable
passage of time. Tagore uses this contrast to evoke emotion and
highlight how time transforms human relationships.
🎯 3.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)
|
Question |
Options |
Answer |
|
1.
Who wrote The Kabuliwallah? |
(a)
Premchand (b) R.K. Narayan (c) Rabindranath Tagore (d) Mulk Raj Anand |
✅ (c) Rabindranath Tagore |
|
2.
What was the Kabuliwallah’s real name? |
(a)
Rahamat (b) Karim (c) Akbar (d) Rehman |
✅ (a) Rahamat |
|
3.
What did the Kabuliwallah sell? |
(a)
Toys (b) Fruits (c) Dry fruits (d) Carpets |
✅ (c) Dry fruits |
|
4.
What was Mini’s nature as a child? |
(a)
Silent (b) Naughty (c) Talkative and curious (d) Shy |
✅ (c) Talkative and curious |
|
5.
Where was the Kabuliwallah from? |
(a)
Delhi (b) Kabul (c) Lahore (d) Kashmir |
✅ (b) Kabul |
|
6.
Why was Rahamat imprisoned? |
(a)
For stealing (b) For stabbing a man (c) For selling without a license (d) For
cheating |
✅ (b) For stabbing a man |
|
7.
What gift did Rahamat give Mini? |
(a)
A doll (b) Almonds and raisins (c) A coin (d) A shawl |
✅ (b) Almonds and raisins |
|
8.
What is the emotional climax of the story? |
(a)
Mini’s birth (b) Rahamat’s arrest (c) Mini’s wedding (d) Rahamat’s return to
Kabul |
✅ (c) Mini’s wedding |
|
9.
What did the narrator give Rahamat at the end? |
(a)
Food (b) Money to go home (c) A letter (d) A new job |
✅ (b) Money to go home |
|
10.
What is the story mainly about? |
(a)
Friendship (b) Patriotism (c) Fatherly love and humanity (d) Poverty |
✅ (c) Fatherly love and humanity |
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