CHAMBERS, William. Newcastle-upon-Tyne 21.11.1748 — Calcutta 22.8.1793. British Colonial Official and a Pioneer of Indology. Son of Robert Chambers (d. 1749), an attorney in Newcastle, and Anne Metcalf, younger brother of —> Robert Chambers (1737–1823). Educated in Newcastle. Went to India before 1774. Political servant of E.I.C., apparently first in Madras. In 1775-92 interpreter of the Supreme Court in Bengal (in the As. Misc. called judge). Member of A.S.B. from its foundation. He married 1878 Charity Fraser (1758–1824) and had two sons (William Frederic Chambers, 1786-1855, a physician), and two daughters. A good scholar of Persian and Hindūstānī, apparently also knew Telugu.
Publications: Ed. with Sir William Jones: The Asiatic Miscellany. Calcutta 1787, himself contributed two translations: “An account of embassies and letters that passed between the Emperor of China and Sultan Shahrokh, son of Amir Timur. Extacted from the Malta us Sadein of Abdur Rezak”, 100-125, and “A short account of the Marratta State. Written in Persian by a Munshy, who accompanied Colonel Upton on his Embassy to Poonah”, 127-133.
– “A short History of the Origin and Progress of the Marratta State. Extracted from the Khazanah e Aamerah”, The Asiatic Miscellany vol. 2, Calc. 1786, 87-122 (translated with text and notes).
– “Some Account of the Sculptures and Ruins at Mavalipuram”, As. Res. 1, 1788, 8° reprint 1798, 145-170 (originally written in 1784).
Sources: Briefly in D.N.B. 10, 1887, under his brother. Not in Br. Biogr. Arch. 1st ser. – but several articles on his brother and son, both also in Wikipedia; dates of birth and death in Wikitree.
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