Gunga Din

Rudyard Kipling, illus. Robert Andrew Parker

JM Dent 1987
Gunga Din, the Indian water carrier of a British regiment is a quietly courageous man. Throughout
the Indian Mutiny of 1857 Gunga Din loyally serves the British regiment, risking life and limb to
bring the men water. Although often berated and downtrodden by those he serves, Gunga Din rises
above the degradations and stereotypes thrown at him by the British troops to become a hero
amongst those men. His tragic death while rescuing a fallen British soldier is the epitome of self
sacrifice and courage that is so rarely seen in today's society.
Kipling's beautiful poem paints a somewhat bleak portrait of India post colonisation, while at the
same time portraying the remarkable strength of human spirit. Post colonisation, the reader is
presented with images of war, of injury and of death. The second story hidden underneath Kipling's
poem is one of mutinous Indian natives, waging war against the British colonising power.
The poem itself presents the all-too-common colonising view of 'them' versus 'us': " Of all them
blackfaced crew". Coming from the point of view of a British soldier, the poem presents the opinion
of the superiority of the European colonisers and, therefore, the inferiority of the native,
dispossessed peoples.
Even their regimental water carrier, Gunga Din, is still seen as inferior and as being 'one of them':
"You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din". Despite the fact that Gunga Din is working alongside the
European powers, he is still considered to be native, nave, childlike, all the terms the colonising
powers associate with the culture being colonised. Gunga Din is still the individual in need of help
from the British.
Because they view him as inferior, the British feel it is their right to treat Gunga Din in any way
they wish. Calling him names, threatening him, it all accompanies the idea that they are the
colonising power, and he is the colonised.
However, having established all that, Kipling's text then addresses the idea of both cultures finally
coming together and forming a mutual respect for one another. The British soldier whose life is
saved by Gunga Din comes to see him, not just as an Indian water carrier, but as a brave and
courageous man, regardless of his race. In a post-colonial world, this could be seen as an ideal
outcome: recognition of people as people, no matter where they come from or where they have
been.
Kipling's Gunga Din is a beautiful poem illustrating not only the ferocities associated with colonising
any country but also portraying the courage and bravery of one man, and the acclaim and recognition
that results from this, despite the attitude of the soldiers to his Indian heritage. To the reader,
the poem illustrates the issues associated with colonisation, but also the hope that can arise postcolonisation; hope for a better world where all people are treated as they deserve to be regardless
of their cultural heritage.

Review by Jo Enever
2005 Jo Enever
This piece was originally submitted as part of the course work in Post-colonial Literature for
Children.