This character list is to help readers on [our slow read](https://footnotesandtangents.substack.com/p/midnights-children) of _Midnight’s Children_. ## Saleem Sinai The protagonist and narrator, with an enormous, constantly dripping nose, is born at the exact moment that India becomes independent and has complex and confusing parentage. He is referred to variously as The Nose, Snotnose, and Sniffer, referring to his nose; Stainface, Mapface and Piece of the Moon, referring to his birthmarked face; Baldy, referring to the bald patch on his head where the hair was pulled out by a violent school teacher. ## Padma Mangroli Saleem’s lover. Padma serves as the listener within the novel's storytelling structure. She is described as plump, muscular and hairy. # Characters introduced in Book One Characters introduced in Book One in approximate order of appearance: ## Aadam Aziz A doctor and the father of Amina Sinai, or Mumtaz, Saleem’s mother. He has many children with Naseem Ghani, and struggles with questions of the existence of God throughout the novel. He is a “half and halfer,” an Indian with a Western education and outlook. ## Aadam Aziz’s Mother Runs the jewel business of her husband. She is often shrewd toward Aadam. She spends time caring for her disabled husband until his passing, at which time she follows him, relieved of her duty. ## Aadam Aziz’s Father A formerly successful jewel merchant, whose mentality has now declined. He spends all his time in his room in the company of birds, with whom he can communicate. When the birds leave, he passes away. ## Tai A boatman on Dal Lake and a friend of Aadam Aziz. At times, he demonstrates the ability to predict the future, and although most people consider him insane, he makes several insightful remarks, the most important of which is his advice to Aadam Aziz to “follow his nose.” ## Naseem Ghani The daughter of the wealthy landlord Ghani. She is first Aadam Aziz’s patient and then becomes his wife. She is the mother of Mumtaz Aziz, who later becomes Amina Sinai. She is dramatic and strong-willed, possessing a lot of power in her relationship with her husband Aadam Aziz. Later referred to by Saleem as “Reverend Mother.” She has two large moles on her face referred to as witch’s nipples. ## Ghani The landowner is Naseem’s father. He owns a lot of property around Dal Lake in Kashmir. ## Oskar Lubin A German anarchist friend of Doctor Aziz from his student days in Heidelberg, Germany. He is killed in a road accident while demonstrating outside an army barracks in Germany in 1919 during the German Revolution. ## Ilse Lubin Oskar’s wife and another anarchist friend of Aadam Aziz from his student days in Heidelberg. After Oscar’s death in 1919, she visits Aadam in Srinagar and drowns herself in Dal Lake. ## Ingrid Another anarchist friend in Heidelberg. ## Brigadier R. E. Dyer An officer in the British army and Martial Law Commander of Amritsar, who orders his men to fire on an unarmed crowd. An actual historical event and personage. ## Alia The eldest daughter of Aadam and Naseem Aziz, she is the sister of Amina Sinai (Mumtaz) and Emerald. Together they are known as the “Teen Batti” or three bright lights. ## Amina Sinai (Mumtaz) The middle daughter of Aadam and Naseem Aziz, the sister of Alia and Emerald. She is described as dark skinned; in later life she becomes plump and suffers from facial hair and verrucas. She has her name changed to Amina when she gets married. ## Mian Abdullah (The Hummingbird) A pro-Indian Muslim political figure, who dies at the hands of assassins. ## The Rani of Cooch Naheen A wealthy Muslim woman who sponsors the political campaign of the Hummingbird. She is the intellectual friend of Aadam Aziz. Her name is a play-on-words, literally meaning “The Queen of Nothing” in English. ## Nadir Khan Mumtaz’s first husband. He is “the Hummingbird’s” personal secretary, and is known for his rhymeless poetry. After the Hummingbird’s assassination, Aadam Aziz agrees to hide Nadir in the Aziz basement. Naseem is so infuriated by Aadam’s decision that she vows silence, which lasts for three years. Mumtaz falls in love with Nadir, they marry privately, and live together in the basement. Aadam discovers that the marriage has not been consummated after two years, Naseem breaks her silence, berating her husband and Nadir, and Nadir summarily divorces Mumtaz and flees the household. ## Hammdard The rickshawman is a rickshaw servant who lives behind Aadam and Naseem’s house. ## Rashid The rickshaw boy is Hammdard's son. He lives behind Aadam and Naseem’s house. He is often seen talking with Hanif and other boys outside the house. He informs Doctor Aziz that Nadir Khan needs a place to hide. ## Emerald The youngest and prettiest daughter of Aadam and Naseem Aziz; she is Saleem’s aunt, the sister of Mumtaz. She marries General Zulfikar. ## General Zulfikar Is the husband of Emerald, who is involved with Pakistani political events. Is described as having a face like Pulcinella. ## Ahmed Sinai Saleem’s father and Amina’s husband. He is originally a dealer in leathercloth, but becomes a property speculator when he moves to Bombay. He dreams of reordering the chapters of the Koran in a true chronology. ## Lifafa Das A peep show street man who leads Amina to Shri Ramram Seth in gratitude after she saves his life from a Muslim mob. ## Shri Ramram Seth A Hindu seer, a cousin of Lifafa Das. Amina visits him while pregnant, and he makes prophecies about the future life of her yet unborn son, Saleem Sinai. ## William Methwold An Englishman from whom the Sinais buy their house in Breach Candy, Bombay. When selling his housing estate (known as Methwold’s Estate), he stipulates that all buyers must live exactly as their previous English occupants did until the hour of independence. ## Wee Willie Winkie An accordionist and entertainer. ## Vanita The wife of Wee Willie Winkie. ## Mary Pereira A midwife and servant, present at Saleem’s birth. She is a Christianised Indian. ## Joseph D’Costa Mary Pereira’s sweetheart, a hospital porter, a communist political radical and a most wanted man by the Indian police. ## Suresh Narlikar A child hating gynecologist and businessman, who lives on Methwold’s Estate in Bombay. He owns the nursing home where both Saleem and Shiva are born at midnight on 15 August 1947. ## Doctor Bose The doctor who delivers Saleem. He works in the charity ward of Doctor Narlikar’s nursing home. ## Ibrahim Ibrahim A next-door neighbour in the Sans Souci villa on Methwold’s Estate in Bombay. He is elderly and owns sisal farms in Africa. He lives with his sons, Ismail and Ishaq. ## Ismail Ibrahim A neighbour to the Sinai’s who is a crooked lawyer. ## Nussie Ibrahim Ismail’s wife, who is nicknamed The Duck because of the way she walks. She is the mother of Sonny Ibrahim. ## Ishaq Ibrahim A hotel owner lives with his father and brother on the Methwold’s Estate. ## Adi Dubash A nuclear physicist who works on India’s nuclear program. ## Mrs Dubash His wife, who is a religious fanatic. They are the ground-floor neighbours to the Sinai’s in the Versailles Villa on the Methwold’s Estate in Bombay. Their son is called Cyrus the Great by the children of Methwold’s Estate because of his intelligence. ## Cyrus the Great The Dubashes’ only son and childhood friend of Saleem’s. #### Sonny Ibrahim Saleem’s neighbour and friend. His forceps-assisted birth has resulted in a misshapen forehead. ## Eyeslice Sabarmati One of Saleem’s childhood friends on Methwold’s Estate, the son of Commander Sabarmati and his wife Lila, and the brother of Hairoil. ## Shiva A boy who is born at the same moment as Saleem.