The Malady that spurred a Mutiny

Haemophilia is a genetically inherited disorder that affects the body’s ability to clot blood when there is an injury. Blood contains more than 20 “clotting factors”- proteins that help in the clotting or coagulation of blood. Sometimes, the genes that code for the clotting factors are defective, and this defective gene is passed through generations.

Thus, the corresponding protein cannot be made in the body, and this affects the clotting ability of blood. Haemophilia A is caused due to the deficiency of Clotting Factor VIII, and accounts for 80% of Haemophilia cases. The other 20% are affected by Haemophilia B, caused by the deficiency of Clotting factor IX. Since the corresponding gene is present on the X chromosome in humans, the disorder is usually passed on from mothers to their children.

It is called an X-linked recessive disorder: that means, the effects of the gene are not seen when there is a pair of X chromosomes (as in women) and one of the X chromosomes has a normal copy of the gene. Men, on the other hand, have a single X chromosome paired with a Y chromosome. So, if the defective copy of the gene is present on the single X chromosome, the man becomes haemophilic.

Mothers/ Women are usually “carriers” of the defective gene, and pass on the disorder to their sons, as in the case of Tsarina Alexandria of Russia, who passed on the gene to her son Prince Alexis. It is true that because of their son’s illness, the Tsar and Tsarina depended too much on Rasputin, and brought about the Russian Revolution.

“It pains, Mama”, said little Alexis, tears flowing out of his eyes, as he lay motionless on his royal bed, cushioned by gold sequined pillows. His mother, Alexandra, was on her knees beside him, her hands folded in prayer, her eyes red and swollen with crying. Five doctors stood by, trying out what they thought were the best measures to ease the young boy’s pain.

Numerous servants waited at hand, with water, cotton, gauze, iodine tinctures and ointments, ready to aid the medical men. A few more stood by, fanning the boy, while his sisters sat around his bed in bejewelled armchairs, silently weeping and praying for his recovery.

Tsarevich Alexis, the Prince of Russia, suffered from a strange malady, a disease— one, that did not bode well for the heir to the throne of the country. Being the only son born to Tsar Nicholas, the Emperor, and the Tsarina Alexandria, the Empress, after five daughters, Alexis enjoyed a very special place in the royal household.

His birth had brought untold joy to his parents, till they discovered that he suffered from Hemophilia, the rare disorder that did not let the blood clot. This meant that no wound suffered by the Prince would heal, as it bled unceasingly without clotting. Even a small injury spelt danger to the young Tsarevich’s life.

The Tsar paced the room pensively, a little away from the small crowd gathered around the prince. He had called in the best doctors in the country, and hoped they could save his son’s life. Unlike his wife who sought divine intervention, the Tsar was a man of a more scientific outlook, who believed in the power of medicine. However, chances of the boy’s recovery seemed bleak.

“There is not much hope”, whispered one doctor to the other, as he tried to stem the blood flow from the Prince’s thigh with a thick wad of cotton coated with ointment, “Don’t you think we better tell them?” “And then what? Face the royal anger?” hissed the other doctor back. “Just keep trying, there’s nothing else that we can do!”

Unfortunately, the Tsarina heard their whispers, and she sprang up in an instant. “You lie!” she cried, “My son cannot die! God will not let my poor, innocent boy face death at this tender age!” Weeping inconsolably, the Tsarina slumped back down at her son’s bedside. The doctors stood with their heads hung.

The Tsar, hearing the outburst, rushed to the child’s bedside. He hardly had any comforting words to tell his wife, for it was she, who had unwittingly passed on the disease to their son. It was an inherited disorder, he knew; and so did the whole of Russia. Most Russians, in fact, hated the Tsar’s German wife, and they hated her even more when the knowledge of the Prince’s affliction became public.

It was a well-known fact that the disease was common among the men of the British royal family, and Alexandria being the grand-daughter of Queen Victoria only made it crystal clear who was to be blamed for the Prince’s condition.

“When I am dead, it will not hurt any more, will it Mama?” whispered little Alexis, his young body hardly able to bear the pain. The boy’s words sent the Tsarina into a frenzy. “Send for him!” she demanded her husband. “Send for him this very minute! I will not let my child die!”

The Tsar stood still, his face impassive. He did not react to his wife’s entreaties. He knew who his wife was referring to. It was Rasputin, the famed monk, the healer, who was apparently blessed with spiritual powers. He wasn’t at all inclined to call him though; Rasputin’s notoriety as a fraudster was as wide as his fame for his miraculous powers.

“Away with you all, men with mortal abilities!” said the Tsarina to the doctors, who had by now moved away and formed a huddle near the door. “All your potions and powders cannot give life to my child! Only the Almighty’s supreme power can!”

The doctors scurried away in hurry. Sensing the turn of events, the servants beat a quick retreat as well. “I shall not call him”, said the Tsar quietly. “I do not believe he can do anything to save our child. And I tell you too, Alexandria, dispense with your foolish notions regarding the man. He is, but one like us, and only more of a sinner.”

The Tsarina turned to her husband, deaf to his words, and her face grim. “Call him now”, she said, her voice husky with emotion. “Or I shall give up my life before my child dies.” The Tsar was perplexed. As the ruler of his country, he did not wish to promote the belief that mystics guided the sensibilities of the royal family. But his wife’s threat left him with no option. He sent for Rasputin, who had once earlier healed the child, just by placing his hand on the boy’s head and uttering a prayer. The bleeding had miraculously stopped then.

The Tsarina waited for Rasputin to turn up. A telegram with a prophecy from him arrived soon: “The little one will not die. Do not allow the doctors to bother him too much.” To the Tsar’s utter surprise, the prophecy seemed to work! The doctors were sent away, and very soon the boy showed signs of improvement. The Tsarina offered several prayers of gratitude, both to the Almighty and to Rasputin, for saving her son’s life.

It looked like no doctor had the cure for the Prince’s condition; only the revered monk Rasputin could heal him. Rasputin found favour with the royal family once again, much to the chagrin of his detractors and critics. He was once again a frequent visitor at the palace, with the Tsarina showering her unabashed devotion to him, and the Tsar silently accepting his advice and guidance in matters concerning not just his son, but also the administration of the country.

The Russians, who were already dissatisfied with the monarchy and the economic conditions prevailing in the country, became even more restless and unhappy. Requests and proposals for a democratic government were turned down by the Tsar. When the First World War broke out, the inflation and bloodshed played havoc with the lives of commoners and peasants. People no longer considered the Tsar fit to rule them.

Yet, the Tsarina refused to stop consulting Rasputin. While the Tsar was at the battlefront, the Tsarina was in charge of ruling the country, of course under the influence of Rasputin. “She’s German, and she’s helping the German spies”, whispered some. “She doesn’t have a mind of her own. Rasputin is bringing about the downfall of Russia”, whispered others. “It’s all because of her blind love for her son.”

It looked like Rasputin was the cause for all of Russia’s suffering, and people plotted to get rid of him. One night, he was invited by his enemies to dinner and stealthily fed cupcakes filled with poison. Strangely, the monk seemed unaffected. The men then fed him wine that contained large amounts of cyanide. But even that had no effect on Rasputin! His enemies panicked.

Why wasn’t Rasputin dying? When they knew he was drunk, they shot him several times, and beat him mercilessly while he lay, seemingly dead. They dumped his body into a river, and that was the end of Rasputin. With Rasputin gone, the Tsar and Tsarina had no one to turn to, either for their son or matters of the state. The February of 1917 spelt doom for the entire Royal Family, with the public rising up in revolt. The Russian revolution ran its course, and the entire Royal family, including Prince Alexis, was shot to death.

What if the little Prince had never been haemophilic? The Tsarina may never have consulted Rasputin. The Tsar may have never neglected his duties as an Emperor. And Russia might still have been a monarchy today! But a little boy’s sickness changed the fate of an entire country.