2.3 Abdul Becomes a Courtier
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Eight English.
ShareAdvertisement
Margin Questions
In the context of the play, 'a brighter tomorrow' means a successful, prosperous, and better future built through education and knowledge.
Abdul wants to acquire knowledge and erudition to rise high in the world. He plans to do this by studying hard, borrowing books, or working for a rich merchant to earn the opportunity to read the books in the merchant's store.
Some rhyming pairs from the passage include:
- aspire – require
- passed – last
- expensive – exclusive
- borrow – tomorrow
- great – wait
- get – set
- son – one
- dejected – rejected
- chores – scores
- mind – kind
In this context, 'a gem' refers to a highly valuable, hardworking, honest, and extraordinary person.
The phrase from the text that means rare is one in a million.
Abdul must have requested the Emperor to grant him a suitable, honourable office or position at the royal court where he could use his intellect and knowledge.
Abdul managed to feed the royal hens by using scraps, shells, and kitchen waste from the royal kitchen, which the birds relished and which cost nothing from the Emperor's wealth.
The Emperor rewarded Abdul by promoting him to be in charge of the royal library. Yes, the Emperor's action was right because he recognized Abdul's intelligence and resourcefulness, and by putting him in the library, he gave Abdul a responsibility closer to his scholarly interests while further testing his abilities.
Abdul noticed that formal requests sent to the Emperor were enclosed in bags made of the best fabrics (silk, velvet, brocade). Since these bags were discarded after the papers were read, he collected them and got the Royal Tailors to stitch them into expensive jackets for the library books without spending any money.
It reflects Abdul's resourcefulness, excellent observation, persuasive communication, and highly efficient management skills. He knew how to utilize available resources (discarded fabrics and the Royal Tailors' time) to achieve a grand result at no expense.
English Workshop
| Category | Words from the play | Other related words (added) |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and learning | erudition, study, scholar, intellectual, sagacious, astute, philosophy, astronomy, Arabic, Persian | education, wisdom, intelligence, research, academics |
| Fabrics | silks, brocades, velvets | cotton, wool, linen, satin, polyester |
| Books | manuscripts, store, library, jackets, papers | pages, volumes, chapters, text, publisher |
| Work | clerk, care, keeper, duties, chores, service, office | job, occupation, profession, employment, task |
(a) Abdul gets what he wants in the end. What is the major factor that contributes to this success?
The major factor contributing to Abdul's success is his attitude. Despite facing rejections and being assigned menial tasks like managing the Murgikhana or just keeping books, he never shirked his duties. Instead, he applied his intelligence, perseverance, and patience to turn every challenge into an opportunity, proving his worth to the Emperor.
(b) The Emperor says he had realised earlier that Abdul has great talent. Does this tally with his actions? Give your opinion.
Yes, it does tally with his actions. Instead of giving Abdul a high position immediately, the Emperor tested him by putting him in charge of the royal poultry and then the library. This was a strategic move by the Emperor to see if Abdul's practical wisdom and administrative skills matched his scholarly knowledge. Once Abdul proved his merit consistently, the Emperor finally rewarded him with the position of a courtier.
Advertisement
To,
His Majesty, the Emperor,
The Royal Palace,
Agra.
Subject: Request for an opportunity to serve in the Royal Court.
Your Majesty,
I am Abdul, a humble scholar and a devoted subject of your grand empire. Since my early days, I have had a deep thirst for knowledge and have spent years studying philosophy, astronomy, Arabic, and Persian. I have also gained practical experience working honestly as a clerk for a merchant.
It has always been my dream to utilize my knowledge and skills in the service of the state. I humbly request you to grant me a suitable position in your honourable office. I assure you that I am willing to take up any responsibility you deem fit for me, and I will execute my duties with utmost sincerity, zeal, and dedication to save the state's resources and contribute to its prosperity.
I eagerly await a chance to prove my merit.
Yours faithfully,
Abdul
Once there was a poor but ambitious boy named Abdul who thirsted for knowledge. His father, a schoolmaster, could not afford to buy him expensive books. Unfazed, Abdul took up a job as a clerk for a rich merchant. He worked so honestly and diligently that the merchant rewarded him by allowing him to read all the books in his store. Abdul read voraciously and soon became an expert in philosophy, astronomy, Arabic, and Persian.
Hoping to secure a high position, Abdul sent a request to the Emperor. However, the Emperor appointed him as the keeper of the royal poultry (Murgikhana). Though disappointed, Abdul accepted the challenge. He fed the royal hens using nutritious kitchen scraps instead of spending royal funds. When the Emperor noticed this brilliant cost-saving measure, he promoted Abdul to be the librarian.
Abdul continued to impress. He noticed that the formal requests sent to the Emperor came in bags of expensive silk and velvet, which were discarded. He collected these bags and persuaded the Royal Tailors to stitch them into beautiful covers for the library books, again without spending a single penny. Seeing Abdul's consistent astuteness, patience, and intelligence, the Emperor finally declared him a royal courtier, bringing Abdul the respect and success he truly deserved.
We can easily create a beautiful and useful pen stand from a discarded plastic water bottle. Simply cut the top half of the bottle off, smooth the edges, and wrap the bottom half with leftover colorful yarn or decorate it with old, torn pieces of colored paper using glue. This not only recycles plastic waste but also creates a lovely organizer for the desk.
I take care of my books by always wrapping them in a sturdy brown cover or transparent plastic sheet to protect the bindings. I ensure my hands are clean before reading and I never fold the corners of pages; instead, I use a proper bookmark. I also keep them arranged vertically on a dry bookshelf, away from direct sunlight and moisture, so that the pages remain crisp and undamaged.
'We put the plan of action in motion immediately. We kept it a secret. We wanted to give Mrs Desai a surprise. But her intelligence is really appreciable. She spotted the change within a week.'
The abstract nouns in the paragraph include:
- intelligence
- surprise
- secret
- action
(You can write any three from the list above).