Kim · Character

Colonel Creighton

A British army officer and amateur ethnologist who runs intelligence operations in northern India, he sees in Kim a rare asset and oversees his training as a spy.

supporting

Also known as Creighton, Creighton Sahib, the Colonel, Colonel Creighton Sahib

First appearance: ii

As a supporting figure in Kim, Colonel Creighton is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Observes Kim and Mahbub Ali; takes an interest in the boy's potential for the Ethnological Survey.

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See Colonel Creighton in Chapter VI Book page

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Colonel Creighton moves through the novel with the quiet authority of a man who knows more than he says, treating espionage as a branch of scientific inquiry. He recognizes Kim's value precisely because the boy can go where no white agent could, and he arranges the education that will make Kim useful to the Survey of India. His manner with Kim is neither warm nor cold but professionally respectful, treating the boy as a promising recruit rather than a child. He represents the impersonal machinery of empire, efficient and calculating, for which individuals are instruments to be deployed.

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See Colonel Creighton in ii

Character Web

32 connections

A slice of how Colonel Creighton sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Social
Other

Character groups

Spymasters and Trainers
Minor Characters and Symbols
Disguised Agents and Travelers
Protagonist

+27 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Kim experiences an emotional and psychological peak of submission…

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Relationships

Kim
professional · ambivalent
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's… How this plays out →
Mahbub Ali
professional · positive
Teshoo Lama
social · ambivalent
Kim
professional · ambivalent
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's… How this plays out →
Mahbub Ali
professional · positive
Teshoo Lama
social · ambivalent
Mahbub Ali
professional · positive
Kim
professional · ambivalent
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's… How this plays out →
Teshoo Lama
social · ambivalent

Kim
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's training and deployment as a spy.
Mahbub Ali
Colonel Creighton and Mahbub Ali are colleagues in British intelligence, with Creighton relying on Mahbub for field reports and recruitment.
Teshoo Lama
Colonel Creighton meets the Teshoo Lama with formal respect, recognizing the lama's influence over Kim while pursuing his own intelligence agenda.
Kim
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's training and deployment as a spy.
Mahbub Ali
Colonel Creighton and Mahbub Ali are colleagues in British intelligence, with Creighton relying on Mahbub for field reports and recruitment.
Teshoo Lama
Colonel Creighton meets the Teshoo Lama with formal respect, recognizing the lama's influence over Kim while pursuing his own intelligence agenda.
Mahbub Ali
Colonel Creighton and Mahbub Ali are colleagues in British intelligence, with Creighton relying on Mahbub for field reports and recruitment.
Kim
Colonel Creighton is the head of British intelligence in India who oversees Kim's training and deployment as a spy.
Teshoo Lama
Colonel Creighton meets the Teshoo Lama with formal respect, recognizing the lama's influence over Kim while pursuing his own intelligence agenda.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Colonel Creighton in ii

In the story

Colonel Creighton appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter VI
Observes Kim and Mahbub Ali; takes an interest in the boy's potential for the Ethnological Survey.
The Gates of Learning
Colonel Creighton travels with Kim to Lucknow, advising him on the importance of understanding native customs and hinting at future work in the Great Game.
The Road to Simla
Colonel Creighton is referenced as the one who will take Kim out of school and send him on the Road.
IX
Referenced as the Colonel to whom Lurgan Sahib will report about Kim.
The Great Game Intensifies
Orders Kim to map Bikanir, sends him an examination paper, and arranges his position in the Canal Department.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Colonel Creighton unlock in the free preview.

See Colonel Creighton in ii

See Colonel Creighton in Chapter VI