RAWLINSON, Hugh George. Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire (Wikidata: Brighton) 12.5.1880 — Seaview, Isle of Wight 8.6.1957. British Civil Servant and Historian in India. Son of Rev. George R. and Evelyne Hearn. After classical studies at Cambridge, Emmanuel College (M.A.), he joined Ceylon Educational Service in 1903. Moving to India in 1908, he was Principal and Professor of English (or English History?) at Karnatak College in Dharwar in 1917–23 and then at Deccan College in Poona. Retired in 1933, but remained in India until 1940 still working for government in various capacities. Back in the U.K. worked in government service to 1944, then taught classics at Birkbeck College of University of London. C.I.E. 1933. Married 1910 Rose Fitzpatrick, one son.
As the list below shows, Rawlinson’s interests lied mainly in modern history and his works on ancient times were not particularly remarkable. Thus e.g. his Intercourse was not quite up-to-date in 1916 and the 2nd edition was only slightly revised ignoring all recent scholarship (as was pointed out e.g. by O. Stein in a review).
Publications: Bactria from the earliest times to the extinction of Bactrio-Greek rule in the Punjab. 12+150 p. Bombay 1909.
– Bactria: the history of a forgotten empire. 24+175 p. L. 1912.
– Indian Historical Studies. 13+229 p. L. 1913.
– Shivájí the Maráthá: his Life and Times. 125 p. Oxford 1915; “The Rise of the Maratha Empire”, Cambridge History of India. 1948.
– Intercourse Between India and the Western World from the Earliest Times to the Fall of Rome. 8+196 p. Cambridge 1916, 2nd ed. 1926.
– British Beginnings in Western India, 1579–1657: an account of the early days of the British Factory of Surat. 158 p. 10 pl. Oxford 1920.
– Napier’s Rifles: the history of the 5th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles. 9+200 p. Oxford 1929; History of the 2/6th Rajputana Rifles, Prince of Wales’s Own. 10+195 p. Oxford 1936; History of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment, Duke of Connaught’s Own. 223 p. Oxford 1941; History of the 8th King George V’s Own Light Cavalry. 1948.
– Great Men of India. Some little Biographies of Great Indians for young readers. 640 p. L. 1931; Makers of India. 78 p. L. 1942; The British Achievements in India. 248 p. 1948.
– India: a short cultural history. 15+452 p. L. 1937 and many editions; A Concise History of the Indian People. 1938, 3rd ed. 14+429 p. L. 1946.
– A Garland of Indian Poetry. L. 1946.
– Edited: Forbes’ Rás Málá. Hindoo annals of the province of Goozerat in Western India. 1-2. L. 1924; J. Brown’s transl. of Kāśīrāja’s An Account of the Last Battle of Panipat. 13+65 p. L. 1926; John Ovington’s A Voyage to Surat. 20+313 p. Oxford 1929; Basil Hall’s Travels in India, Ceylon and Borneo. 271 p. L. 1931; Narratives from “Purchas his Pilgrimes”. 15+215 p. Cambridge 1931; Indian editions of English literature; also wrote articles.
Sources: L. D. Barnett, JRAS 1958, 109f.; Who Was Who 1951–60: photo in BDCRI 50, 1990, 8.
B. Le Calloc‘h, “Alexandre Csoma de Kőrös vu par H.G.R.”, AOHu 57, 2004, 205-223 with the text of R.’s article from Indian Art and letters 1945 showing its many mistakes (but himself mistakenly making H.G.R. the nephew of H.Cr.R.).
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