Edward Eastwick facts for kids

Edward Backhouse Eastwick (born 1814, died 1883) was an important English scholar, diplomat, and politician. He was known for his work on languages and cultures of South Asia. He also served as a Member of Parliament.

Early Life and Education

Edward Eastwick was born into an Anglo-Indian family. This means his family had connections to both England and India. He went to school at Charterhouse and then studied at Merton College, Oxford University.

Starting a Career in India

In 1836, Edward joined the Bombay infantry, which was a part of the British army in India. Because he was very good at learning languages, he soon got a special job in politics. This job involved working with different cultures and governments.

Language Studies and Translations

Edward was very interested in languages. In 1843, he translated an important Persian book called Kessahi Sanjan. This book tells the story of how the Parsees people arrived in India. He also wrote a book about Zoroaster, a famous religious figure. He created a vocabulary for the Sindhi language and wrote many papers for the Bombay Asiatic Society.

Return to Europe and New Studies

Due to poor health, Edward had to leave India and return to Europe. He went to Frankfurt, Germany, where he learned German. While there, he translated two important German works: Schiller's Revolt of the Netherlands and Bopp's Comparative Grammar.

Becoming a Professor and Author

In 1845, Edward Eastwick became a professor of Hindustani at Haileybury College. This college trained people for jobs in India.

Important Books and Works

Two years later, he published a grammar book for the Hindustani language. He also worked on many other important books. He created a new edition of Saadi's Gulistán, which is a famous Persian book of poems and stories. He translated it into both prose (regular writing) and verse (poetry). Edward also helped publish a Hindi translation of Prem Sagar and translated other well-known stories like Bagh-o-Bahar and Anwar-i Suhaili.

In 1851, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for scientists and scholars.

Diplomatic and Political Career

Edward Eastwick had a varied career that included diplomacy and politics.

Work as a Diplomat

From 1860 to 1863, he worked as a secretary for the British Legation in Persia (modern-day Iran). A legation is like a small embassy. When he returned, he wrote a book about his experiences called The Journal of a Diplomate's Three Years' Residence in Persia.

In 1866, he became the private secretary to Lord Cranborne, who was the Secretary of State for India. This was a very important job in the British government. In 1867, he went on a special government mission to Venezuela, just as he had in 1864.

Member of Parliament

From 1868 to 1874, Edward Eastwick was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Penryn and Falmouth. An MP is a person elected to represent their area in the country's government. He was a member of the Conservative Party.

Later Life and Recognition

In 1875, Oxford University gave him a special Master of Arts (MA) degree. This was to recognize his important services and achievements. He also wrote several guidebooks about India for a famous publisher named John Murray. His last major work was a two-volume book called Kaisarnamah-i-Hind, which means "The Lay of the Empress."

Edward Eastwick passed away on July 16, 1883, in Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight.