A Hindu mystic from Portraits of the Princes and People of India

The written description that accompanied this print when it was first published notes that the man depicted here is a Hindu. That he is a religious recluse is indicated by his long untamed hair. Emily Eden, the artist of the original drawing from which the print was made, described the standing male figure as a "fakeer." The word fakir (Arabic: faqir) originally applied to wandering Muslim mystics but was used in India to refer to Hindu holy men as well. Eden lived in India between 1836 and 1842 while her brother, Lord Auckland, served as governor-general there. During her travels, she produced numerous sketches depicting the people she encountered. Shortly after her return to England, a portfolio of prints based upon her drawings—and from which this image comes—was published under the title Portraits of the Princes and People of India.