History of Bihar and Mithila

"Born in Patna, India, in 1759 into a Muslim family, Mahomed began his career in the army of the British East India Company where he served until 1782.  He left to accompany his friend and commanding officer to Ireland where he met and married a local woman, Jane Daly. When the couple migrated to England, Mahomed was never short of ideas about how to make his living.  In 1794 he published a book about India, The Travels of Dean Mahomet [Deen Muhammed], now regarded as the first work in English by an Indian author. He also opened a restaurant in London selling Indian food, the ‘Hindoostane Coffee House’ near Portman Square. Opening in 1810, this was the first Indian restaurant in Britain. Unfortunately Mahomed’s restaurant was perhaps a little too ahead of its time and it fell into difficulty.  However, his next career move was much more successful. Arriving in Brighton in 1814, at the height of the popularity of sea bathing, Mahomed promptly opened an indoor baths in Pool Valley on the seafront. Mahomed’s Baths could be considered one of the first spa experiences. It was such a successful enterprise that many other indoor baths started to pop up in Brighton. Mahomed’s success didn’t go unnoticed, and he was appointed shampooing surgeon to kings George IV and William IV. He treated both kings in the nearby Royal Pavilion." brightonmuseums.org.uk/disco…