The King’s Physician

Lillias Hamilton at the Harem and Court of Amir ‘Abd al-Rahman, King of Afghanistan

Series: 

Author:
Senzil K. Nawid
This book examines the experiences and writings of Lillias Hamilton, a British woman who traveled to India and Afghanistan at end of nineteenth century and served as a medical advisor and physician to Amir ‘Abd al-Rahman, King of Afghanistan.
Hamilton’s accounts of her experiences in Afghanistan are unique because they chronicle her double-layered interaction with the Royal Court and the Royal Harem. They provide insight into Amir ‘Abd al-Rahman, King of Afghanistan's personality and court life. Additionally, they offer singular insights into harem, domestic life, and slavery in Afghanistan in the late nineteenth century.
Copyright Year:
2025
E-Book (PDF)
Availability:
Not Yet Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-73001-4
Publication:
07 Aug 2026
Hardback
Availability:
Not Yet Published
ISBN:
978-90-04-73000-7
Publication:
28 Aug 2026
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Senzil Nawid (Ph.D. 1987), University of Arizona, was professor at the same institution. She is the author of Religious Response to Social Change in Afghanistan (Mazda, 1999), as well as numerous articles, book chapters and encyclopedia entries on Afghanistan.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
Abbreviations
Note on Transliteration and the Spelling of Names

1 Introduction: Lillias Anna Hamilton
 1 Nineteenth-Century English Women Voyagers to the East
 2 Hamilton’s Early Life, Professional Training and Travel to India
 3 Unexpected Opportunity and Relocation to Afghanistan
 4 Purpose and Structure
 5 Note on Sources

2 Amir ʿAbd al-Rahman: Z̤ia al-Millat wa al-Dȋn (Light of Nation and Religion), r. 1880–1901
 1 Afghanistan and the British Empire
 2 ʿAbd Al-Rahman Khan’s Ascendance to the Throne
 3 Amir ʿAbd Al-Rahman’s Early Life
 4 British Observers’ View of Amir ʿAbd Al-Rahman
 5 Relations with the British
 6 The Rule of the Iron Amir
 7 The Amir’ Court
 8 Foreign Employees of the Amir

3 At the Royal Harem: Lillias Hamilton and Bibi Halima
 1 Hamilton’s Audience with the Amir and the Sultana
 2 Harem Life in Nineteenth-Century Afghanistan
 3 Amir ʿAbd Al-Rahman’s Harem and Household
 4 Bibi Halima, the Crowned Lady of the Harem
 5 A Resolute Feminist and a Powerful Queen: Hamilton and the Sultana
 6 Hamilton and the Amir’s Household

4 Lillias Hamilton and Afghan Women
 1 Hamilton on the Elite Women and Harem Life in Kabul: Idleness and Intrigue
 2 Hamilton on Marriage and Polygamy
 3 Hamilton on Female Slaves and Non-elite Women
 4 Female Slaves in Hamilton’s Novels
 5 Hamilton on Women in the Countryside

5 The King’s Physician
 1 Appointment to the Royal Court
 2 Hamilton’s Involvement in Court Politics
 3 Amir ʿAbd Al-Rahman’s Invitation to England
 4 Hamilton’s Appointment to Nasr-Allah Khan’s Mission
 5 Continuing Efforts to Discredit Hamilton and Prevent Her Return to Kabul
 6 Escalation of Tensions with the Sultana
 7 Hamilton’s Impressions of the Royal Court

6 Amir Ê¿Abd al-Rahman through the Eyes of Lillias Hamilton
 1 A Charming, Intelligent Man of Good Taste
 2 The Amir’s Views on Religion
 3 A Ruthless but Astute Ruler
 4 Establishment of Law and Order
 5 Modernizing Tyrant
 6 Progress in the Field of Medicine
 7 Centralization of Power and Unification of Afghanistan
 8 Hamilton’s Defense of the Occupation of Kafiristan
 9 The Question of Succession

7 Departure from Afghanistan
 Epilogue
Appendix: ʿAbd al-Rahman’s Wives, Concubines and Children
Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
Index
Students and scholars of gender studies, anthropology, the history of Afghanistan.
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