LEES, William Nassau. London 26.2.1825 — London 9.3.1889. British (Irish) Colonial Officer and Oriental Scholar in India, Specialist of Arabic, Persian and Hindustani. Fourth son of Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. (1776–1852), a Protestant clergyman from Ireland, and Sophia Lyster, educated at Nut Grove and Trinity College in Dublin. In 1846 joined the 42nd Bengal Native Infantry. Lieutenant 1853, finally Major-General 1885. For some years he was Principal and Professor of Calcutta Madrasa, Secretary to the Board of Examiners at Fort William, and Translator to Government of India. He also worked as journalist and was a part-proprietor of the Times of India. Left active service in 1884 and returned to the U.K. Without success he tried to enter politics as conservative. LL.D. 1857 Dublin, hon. Ph.D. Berlin. Unmarried.
Publications: With J. T. Thompson: A Dictionary, Hindi and English. 498 p. 1862.
– Edited a number of works in Arabic, Persian and Hindūstānī.
– Many articles on history in JASB and JRAS, e.g. “Materials for the History of India for the 600 Years of Mohammadan Rule”, JRAS N.S. 3, 1868, 414–477.
– Also wrote on current economic questions of India.
Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; H.M.C[hichester], D.N.B. 32, 1892, 395f.; JRAS N.S. 21, 1889, 463–466; Wikipedia (from D.N.B.).
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