BROWNE, Edward Granville. Uley near Dursley, Gloucestershire 7.2.1862 — Cambridge 5.1.1926. British Oriental Scholar (mainly Persian, Turkish and Arabic, also Hindi-Urdu). Professor in Cambridge. Son of Sir Benjamin Chapman Browne (1839–1917), a civil engineer, and Annie Atkinson. Educated at Trinity College in Glenalmond and at Eton. Studies at Pembroke College, Cambridge, graduated 1882, 1887 its Fellow. Following his father’s wishes first became a physician, but soon switched to philology, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, also Urdu and a little Sanskrit (Cowell). In 1887-88 travelled in Iran. From 1888 University Lecturer in Persian at Cambridge, from 1902 Adams Professor of Arabic there. Fellow of British Academy 1903. Married 1906 Alice Caroline Daniell (d. 1925), two sons.
Browne was a famous scholar of Persian literature and Bābi religion, also interested in Turkish, Arabic, and Urdu. His strong political opinions, pro-Boer, pro-Irish and vehemently anti-Russian, made him unpopular with the government. His studies had included Indian Tripos, but later he was rather averse to India. His travel book was much read.
Publications: Much on Persian (esp. on bābism), also on Turkish and Arabic.
– A Year Among the Persians. 594 p. L. 1893.
– Literary History of Persia. 1-4. L. & Cambridge 1902-24.
Sources: *J. Gurney, Oxford D.N.B.; E.D. Ross, D.N.B. 1922–30, 123-125; G.M. Wickens, J. Cole & K. Ekbal, Encyclop. Iranica 5, 1989, online version; *T.W. Arnold & R.A. Nicholson (eds.), A Volume of Oriental Studies Presented to E.G.B. Cambridge 1922; Wikipedia with two photos.
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