Kim, Rudyard Kipling's classic picaresque novel, was published serially in McClure's Magazine before publication as a book in 1901. The story is set in India during the British-Russian political conflict which ended in 1881. The book depicts people, cultures, and various different religions in India. Kim, a boy of Irish descent who is orphaned and grows up independently in the streets of India, is taken care of by an 'half-caste' woman. She owns an opium den. Although born in Ireland, he grew up in the Indian subcontinent and is able to merge seamlessly with many diverse ethnic and religious groups of Indian subcontinent. When he meets a wandering monk looking for a sacred river, Kim becomes his follower and proceeds on a journey which covers the whole of India. Kipling's writing about the travels of Kim gave him the opportunity to describe what life was like for many Indians at that time. There were many different cultures, which contributed to our society back then. The Modern Library ranked "Kim" 78th on its list of top 100 English-language novels from the 20th century.