Henry George Keene facts for kids

Henry George Keene (born September 30, 1781 – died January 29, 1864) was an English scholar and public servant. He worked for the East India Company, which was a powerful British trading company. Keene was a soldier and a civil servant in India. He was also known for his deep knowledge of the Persian language. He also worked as a churchman and a university professor.

Early Life and India Service

Henry George Keene was born on September 30, 1781. He was the only son of Thomas Keene. His grandfather, also named Henry Keene, was a famous architect. Henry was taught at home by private teachers.

Around 1798, Keene traveled to India. He joined the army of the Madras Presidency as a cadet, which is like a trainee officer. Soon, he became an adjutant for a sepoy regiment. Sepoys were Indian soldiers serving in the British army. His regiment was part of a group led by Colonel Arthur Wellesley.

Battle of Seringapatam

In May 1799, Keene's regiment took part in the siege of Seringapatam. During this important battle, Keene led a group carrying ladders. These ladders were used by the soldiers to climb the walls during the attack on May 4.

Joining the Civil Service

After the battle, Keene's health was not good. In February 1801, he got a job in the Madras civil service. This was thanks to his uncle, Lord Harris, who was the commander-in-chief. After a short trip to England, Keene joined Fort William College in Calcutta. This college was new and trained young civil officers.

Achievements at College

In January 1804, Keene finished his studies at Fort William. He was in the top class. He earned special honors in Persian and Arabic languages. He also won prizes in classics, English writing, and French. He received a gold medal for his knowledge of Islamic law. He even took part in public debates in Arabic and Persian.

After college, Keene joined the East India Company service in Madras. He became a registrar for a district court. Later, he was an assistant-registrar for the main courts. In 1805, he went to Europe. He returned to India in 1809. However, he upset the governor, Sir George Barlow. Because of this, Keene decided to leave his job.

Life in England

On November 13, 1811, Keene started studying at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He finished his degree in 1815. Soon after, he retired from the Indian civil service. He became a fellow of his college on November 13, 1817. He also became a priest in 1819. During this time, he traveled in Europe. He met important people like Archduke John of Austria. In March 1819, he tried to become a professor of Arabic at Cambridge University, but he was not chosen.

Professor at Haileybury

In 1824, Keene became a professor of Arabic and Persian. He taught at the East India College, Haileybury. This college trained people for jobs in India. Later, he also became the registrar there. Many people came to visit him because he was so well-known. In 1834, he left his jobs at Haileybury. He moved to Tunbridge Wells, where he lived for the rest of his life. He passed away there on January 29, 1864.

Published Works

Around 1804, while in India, Keene wrote a book about law in Arabic. The British government gave him 10,000 rupees for this work. He also published other books:

• Akhlák-i-Mahsini, which included a printed text and its translation.
• A book of the Anwár-i-Suhaili, also with text and translation.
• Persian Fables (London), published in 1833.
• Persian Stories (London), published in 1835.
• Sermons of Rev. W. Sharpe, which included a short biography, published in 1836.

His book Persian Fables was translated into Tamil in 1840. A new edition was published in 1880 by his daughter, Katharine.

Keene also helped his friend Adam Clarke. He assisted with the language parts of Clarke's Commentary on the Bible. Keene had started writing a Persian grammar book. However, he stopped when his assistant, Mirza Muhammed Ibrahim, wrote one. He also never published his writings on Persian history.

He wrote three books for Thacker's Hand-books of Hindostan. These were published by Thacker, Spink, & Co., in Calcutta.

Family Life

In 1824, Henry George Keene married Anne. She was the daughter of Charles Apthorp Wheelwright. Charles was from Boston, Massachusetts, and had moved due to his loyalty to the British. Henry and Anne had two sons and two daughters.