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Rani of Cooch Naheen
A pro-Indian Muslim politician who creates the Free Islam Convocation, a gathering of Indian Muslims who disapprove of the dogmatism and intolerance frequently present in many traditional practitioners Islam. Also known as the Hummingbird, Abdullah has the strange habit of humming, a sound that rises and falls in direct relation to his work rate. Aadam Aziz fiercely supports his attempts to influence power and religion within British India. The Hummingbird is killed by assassins following his efforts to bring his Convocation to Agra, a stronghold of staunch Muslims.
Mian Abdullah / The Hummingbird Quotes in Midnight’s Children
The Midnight’s Children quotes below are all either spoken by Mian Abdullah / The Hummingbird or refer to Mian Abdullah / The Hummingbird. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Book 1: Hit-the-Spittoon Quotes
“I started off as a Kashmiri and not much of a Muslim. Then I got a bruise on the chest that turned me into an Indian. I’m still not much of a Muslim, but I’m all for Abdullah. He’s fighting my fight.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
Here, Aadam is professing his support for Mian Abdullah (a.k.a. the Hummingbird), a pro-Indian Muslim politician, who advocates against Partition. The Hummingbird attempts to unite Indian Muslims without the traditional dogma and purity of the Muslim League, who overwhelmingly support Partition and the creation of Pakistan. Aadam adamantly opposes the creation of Pakistan and claims it is “a country built for God,” and since he has turned his back on God, he doesn’t want to be anywhere near him. Because of this, Aadam supports the Hummingbird’s political platform. This quote also reflects Aadam’s conflicted identity. Kashmir is considered a separate Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi
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Mian Abdullah / The Hummingbird Character Timeline in Midnight’s Children
The timeline below shows where the character Mian Abdullah / The Hummingbird appears in Midnight’s Children. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 1: Hit-the-Spittoon
...Aadam, has come down with the “virulent disease” of optimism, begun in the name of Mian Abdullah , also known as the Hummingbird, an Indian politician who creates the Free Islam Convocation,...
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Saleem returns to 1942, to the Hummingbird ’s optimism and the streets of Agra, where old men sit and play hit-the-spittoon, attempting...
(full context)
With the creation of the Free Islam Convocation, the Hummingbird invents an alternative space for Indian Muslims to unite without the dogmatism and partition talk...
(full context)
As the Hummingbird and Nadir work late at the Convocation offices, a mob of assassins close in. Nadir...
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...near Aadam’s house and is discovered by Rashid, the rickshaw boy. Rashid recognizes Nadir as the Hummingbird ’s assistant, and Nadir asks Rashid if he knows where he can find Dr. Aziz....
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Book 1: Under the Carpet
India’s optimism epidemic dies with the Hummingbird , and after the dogs finish their work, the authorities are unable to identify the...
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...Aadam to “tie up a few loose ends.” He is suspicious of Nadir’s disappearance after the Hummingbird ’s assassination, and he assumes that the silence in Aadam’s house is a sign of...
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...that Nadir is living in her father’s basement. Zulfikar is still searching for Nadir after the Hummingbird ’s assassination, and he is eager to find him. As Zulfikar storms the basement with...
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Book 2: My Tenth Birthday
...through time. Parvati-the-witch, born seven seconds after midnight in the same Old Delhi slum as the Hummingbird , has been given the powers of the illuminatus, “the genuine gifts of conjuration and...
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