Gunga Din

For Kipling, the bhisti forced into service by the British occupational army symbolizes the dedicated work ethic, long-suffering stoicism, and courage of the peoples of India.

It is difficult to underestimate the historical importance of a regiment’s bhisti. In India, where the torrid dry season could last eight months, bhisti proved invaluable to the supply and transport system of the British occupational army. Before the development of canteens, and before scientific discoveries challenged the hygiene of lugging water in an animal skin, water-bearers saved lives second only to field medics.

The Hindi word bhisti comes from the Persian word bihishtī, meaning “heavenly one,” a suggestion of the enormity of the relief that the water-bearer brought. Moreover, their work was done under battle conditions—although they were not permitted to be armed, water-bearers worked on the front lines. When the regiment “charged or broke or cut” (Line 38), Din was only a scant “fifty paces back” (Line 40).

Kipling’s depiction of the regiment’s bhisti draws on Christian and Hindu imagery. Din’s quiet courage and disability align with Christian ideals of turning the other cheek when assaulted. Din’s first name, Gunga, is a masculine variation of Ganga, the Hindu goddess of purification and spiritual cleansing for whom the Ganges River is named.