PHAYRE, Arthur Purves. Shrewsbury 7.5.1812 — Bray near Dublin 14.12.1885. Sir. British (Irish Protestant) Colonial Officer and Burmese Scholar. In Burma 1834-74. Son of Richard Phayre (1761–1830) and Mary Ridgeway. “Educated in Shrewsbury, entered the Bengal Army, 1828. Served in the administration of Burma, 1834-48, in the Panjab, 1848-9; Commissioner of Arakan, 1849, and of Pegu, 1852” until 1862. He was “Interpreter to the King of Burma’s mission to the Governor-General, 1854, … led a mission to the Burmese Court at Amarapura, 1855. Lieutenant-Colonel, 1859; joined the Bengal Staff Corps, 1861. The first Chief Commissioner of British Burma, 1862-7. C.B. 1863. Went on two other missions, in 1862 and 1866, to Mandalay, then in Upper Burma. K.C.S.I. 1867. Lieutenant-General 1877. Governor of the Mauritius, 1874-8. G.C.M.G. 1878.” Returned from the East, retired to Ireland. Unmarried. Beside Burmese also knew Pāli. His brother, General Sir Robert Phayre (1820-1897) served in the Bombay Army.
Publications: History of Burma. 12+311 p. L. 1883; Coins of Arakan, of Pegu, and of Burma. 47 p. 5 pl. L. 1882.
– Articles on Burmese antiquities, epigraphy and numismatics in JASB, JRAS, JRGS, also on zoology.
Sources: JRAS Proc.1886, x-xvi; Buckland, Dictionary; *H. Yule, Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. 8:2, 1886, 103-112; *Historians of Southeast Asia; Wikipedia with portrait.
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