John Briggs (East India Company officer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Briggs
Born	1785
Died	27 April 1875
Rank	general
Unit	Madras Infantry
Battles/wars	Mahratta wars
Signature

General John Briggs (1785–1875) was a British officer who served in the army of the East India Company. He was also a talented writer.

About John Briggs

Early Career in India

John Briggs joined the Madras Infantry in 1801. This was a part of the British East India Company's army in India. He fought in the Mahratta wars. During the last part of these wars, he worked as a political officer. He served under Sir John Malcolm. Briggs had also traveled with Malcolm on a trip to Persia in 1810.

Briggs later worked with Mountstuart Elphinstone in a region called the Dekhan. He also served in Khandesh. After that, he took over from Captain Grant Duff as the British representative in Sattára.

Important Roles and Return Home

In 1831, Briggs became the Chief Commissioner of Mysore. This happened when the British took over the administration of that state. Lord William Bentinck, the governor-general, chose him for this job. However, the government in Madras did not agree with this choice. After about a year, Briggs resigned in September 1832.

He was then moved to Nágpur, where he stayed until 1835. In that year, he left India for good. He never returned. Briggs continued to rise in the military ranks. He became a major-general in 1838. Later, he became a lieutenant-general in 1851. Finally, he reached the highest rank of full general on February 6, 1861.

After returning to England, Briggs became an important member of the East India Company's court of directors. He often spoke about issues in India. He disagreed with some of the government's decisions, like Lord Dalhousie's policy of taking over new territories. He was also involved in the Anti-Corn-law League, a group that wanted to change laws about food prices.

Briggs was chosen as a fellow of the Royal Society. This was because he was very good at studying languages and cultures from the East. He passed away in Burgess Hill, Sussex, on April 27, 1875. He was 89 years old.

His Writings

John Briggs was skilled in the Persian language. He translated two important books. One was Mohammadan Power in India by Ferishta. The other was Siyar-ul-Murákhirin, which described how the Moghul power declined.

He also wrote an essay about land taxes in India. In a series of letters called Letters Addressed to a Young Person in India, he gave advice. He discussed how army officers and civil servants should act. He especially wrote about how they should treat Indian people. In 1836, he wrote an essay arguing for better training for Indian officers in the East India Company's armies. These Indian officers were very important. They helped British officers communicate with and lead the Indian soldiers, known as sepoys and sowars.