Adolf Schlagintweit facts for kids
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Adolf von Schlagintweit (born January 9, 1829 – died August 26, 1857) was a German scientist. He was a botanist, which means he studied plants. He was also an explorer who traveled through Central Asia.
Adolf and his brothers, Hermann and Robert Schlagintweit, were hired by the British East India Company. Their job was to study the Earth's magnetic field in South and Central Asia. They were the first Europeans to cross the Kunlun Mountains and explore the area between Karakoram and Kunlun. After their shared journey, Adolf Schlagintweit went on his own trip. He was the first to cross the Aksai Chin region. Sadly, he was mistaken for a spy and died in Kashgar.
The special short name A.Schlag. is used in science. It shows that Adolf Schlagintweit was the person who named a certain plant.
Contents
Adolf's Life and Explorations
Adolf was the second of five brothers born in Munich, Germany. With his brother Hermann, he wrote a science book about the Alps mountains between 1846 and 1848. This book helped them become well-known scientists.
Later, their brother Robert joined them. The three brothers then published another book about the geography and geology of the Alps in 1854.
Exploring Asia for Science
In 1854, a famous scientist named Alexander von Humboldt suggested the brothers for a big project. The East India Company asked Hermann, Adolf, and Robert to do scientific research in their lands. They especially wanted them to study the Earth's magnetic field.
For the next three years, the brothers traveled a lot. They explored the Deccan Plateau in India. Then, they went up into the high mountains of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Kunlun Mountains.
Adolf's Final Journey
Hermann and Robert finished their travels and went home in early 1857. But Adolf decided to explore even more on his own. He took a new path that no one had known before. He traveled through the Chang Chenmo Valley, the Lingzi Tang Plains, and the Aksai Chin area.
Adolf was the one who named this region "Great Aksai Chin." He then followed the Karakash River valley into a place called Turkestan.
Sadly, in August, he was thought to be a Chinese spy. Without a fair trial, he was killed in Kashgar by Wali Khan, who was the leader of Kashgar.
Discoveries from the Expedition
In 2017, the Lahore Museum in Pakistan found something amazing. They discovered 50 masks that the Schlagintweit brothers had made. They created these masks during their research trip to India from 1854 to 1858. These masks show the different types of people and cultures in India at that time.
See also
In Spanish: Adolf von Schlagintweit para niños
