Naushad Akhtar/Patna
The Patna-born Sheikh Din Mohammad was the first to introduce the West to Champi, the traditional Indian head-body massage before bath. Today, when therapeutic messaging products and treatment are a multi-billion-dollar global industry, the man behind it remains unknown in his country of birth. Sheikh Din Mohammad's story began in the narrow streets of Patna and led him to the royal palaces of London about 250 years ago.
Sheikh Din Mohammad was born in 1759 at Patna's Diwan Mohalla, which was known for its glamorous surroundings. His father, who served in the East India Company's army, passed away when Din Mohammad was 11. He was raised by a British officer, Captain Evan Baker.
Baker raised him as his own son and trained him in the army. It was there that Din Mohammad learned surgical skills and discipline.
When Baker resigned, he left for Ireland with Deen Mohammad. For Deen Muhammad, living in Europe was like living in another world. He quickly adapted to the language and culture and attended school.
There, he fell in love with a local girl named Jane Daly. At that time, a relationship between an Indian and a white woman was frowned upon; objections were also raised about Mohammad being a Muslim. However, Deen Mohammad did not give up. He converted to Christianity, changed his name to Sake Dean Mahomed, and married Jane.
For some reason, he turned to writing from this phase of his life.
In 1794, he wrote his first book, "The Travels of Dean Mahomed." and it was the first book in English by an Indian.
This was a major achievement for an Indian, and it changed the perception of the British that Indians can't speak or write English.
Around 1810, Dean Mahomed moved to London. He noticed that the British were attracted to Indian food and lifestyle. He opened the "Hindustani Coffee House" in a posh London area.
This was Britain's first Indian restaurant. He introduced chillum and hookah there. Chapati and spicy curry became a favourite among Londoners.
However, this business didn't last long, and he went bankrupt. But this failure paved the way for another major venture.
Mahomed's Baths, opened in Brighton in 1814 by the remarkable Sake Dean Mahomed (born in Patna in 1759). He wrote perhaps the first book by an Indian person in English, opened the UK's first Indian restaurant, and became the 'shampooing surgeon' to King George IV. Quite the résumé! pic.twitter.com/SS44VSIhNF
— Edward Anderson (@edanderson101) January 17, 2022
'Shampoo' made from champi, and the world was enamored
Din Mohammed noticed that the British were far behind in terms of cleanliness. They simply rubbed their bodies with soap. Deen Mohammed introduced them to the Indian 'champi' (scented shampoo). He opened a luxurious bathhouse in Brighton, England. There, he introduced head massages and steam baths with herbal oils.
The Hindi word was 'champo' or 'champi,' which he called 'shampooing' in English. Initially, the local doctors mocked him and called him a 'magician' and a 'fraud.'
But when people suffering from arthritis and body aches began coming to him and getting cured, his critics were silenced. His fame quickly spread and King George IV of Britain himself came to him for a massage.
The King was so enamoured of the massages that he appointed Deen Mohammed as his 'Royal Shampoo Surgeon'. This was the highest honour for an Indian in those days. He served as personal surgeon to two British kings. He transformed Brighton into a medical hub. People from far and wide flocked to his bathhouse to improve their health. He gave Indian Ayurveda and massage a new identity in medical science.
A plaque commemorating Dean's restaurant at its original location. Photo by Simon Harriott from Uckfield, England
This legendary figure died in Brighton in 1851. Today, a multi-billion-dollar shampoo industry flourishes worldwide. Google even created a doodle for him. But sadly, few people know about him in the very soil of Bihar that gave birth to him. Din Mohammad's story isn't just about a businessman. It's about the tenacity of a Bihari who taught the world a new way of sanitation.
He was a bridge that connected the simplicity of the East and the modernity of the West. He proved that if you have talent, you can make your mark even across the seven seas. Today, when we speak of Bihar's pride, we must also remember heroes like Sheikh Din Mohammad. He conquered the world not through any political arena, but through his intelligence and hard work.
He was a writer, an entrepreneur, and above all, a man who never accepted limitations. Today, the shampoo bottle in every Indian bathroom reminds us of the Bihari mind that taught the world how to bathe. We need to rise above politics and controversy and recognise and be proud of these roots.
