Servant of Sahibs: The Rare 19th Century Travel Account as Told by a Native of Ladakh (Adventure Travel Classics)

There has never been another book remotely similar to “Servant of Sahibs”! It is the remarkable, but true, story of Rassul Galwan, a native of Ladakh who early on in life became a trusted assistant to various nineteenth century European explorers. Setting off at a young age, Galwan was soon to be found in the company of adventure travelers like Sir Francis Younghusband, who explored the Tibetan plateau, the Pamir mountains and the deserts of Central Asia. Quietly bringing up the rear of these now-famous caravans was Rassul Galwan. Having taught himself how to run the expedition, the intelligent mountaineer was soon turning his talents to acquiring languages, picking up a working knowledge of Chinese and English, among others. It was with this rudimentary English vocabulary that Rassul Galwan authored “Servants of Sahibs”, the only account of its kind. “Everywhere he like, there he go. From top hills to hills tops,” Galwan wrote about his life of journeying. The resulting delightful book is a first-hand account of the most famous Central Asian expedi­tions, as seen by Galwan, and the natives involved. The story remains as entertaining as the day it was written, its pages filled with excitement, adventure and laughter.