Charles Masson

Charles Masson (born February 16, 1800 in London , † November 5, 1853 in Edmonton , Middlesex) was the pseudonym of James Lewis , an explorer and soldier of the East India Company . He was the first European to discover the ruins of Harappa near Sahiwal in Pakistan's Punjab .

Early life

A native of Britain , Masson joined the artillery of the East India Company forces in India and fought in the Battle of Bharatpur .

Trips made

When he was stationed in Agra in 1827 , he deserted together with a soldier friend and traveled with them through those parts of the Punjab region that were not under British control at the time. In Ahmadpur they were rescued by Josiah Harlan and hired as mounted medics for his expedition to overthrow the regime in Kabul , Afghanistan . After a short time, near Dera Ghazi Khan , Masson deserted Harlan.

Masson was the first European to see the ruins of Harappa and described and illustrated it in his book Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan and The Panjab . He also visited the Northwest Frontier Province and Balochistan in Pakistan as an agent for the East India Company .

Fonts

• Narrative of various journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan and the Panjab incl. A residence in those countries from 1826 to 1838. 3 volumes. Bentley, London 1842.
  • Translation: Travels in Beludjistan, Afghanistan and the Pendschab, during a twelve-year stay in these countries from 1826 to 1838. 9 parts. Franckh, Stuttgart 1843/44.

literature

• Ben Macintyre: The Man Who Would Be King. The First American in Afghanistan . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York 2004, ISBN 0-374-20178-1 .

Web links

• Charles Masson: Narrative of a journey to Kalât, including an insurrection at that place in 1840. Richard Bentley, London, 1843, accessed June 17, 2011 . 
• Charles Masson: Narrative of various journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, the Panjab and Kalat. Richard Bentley, London, 1844, accessed June 17, 2011 . 
• Charles Masson: Legends of the Afghan countries, in verse. James Madden, London, 1848, accessed June 17, 2011 . 
• Charles Masson: A memoir on the buildings called topes. In: Ariana Antiqua: A descriptive account of the antiquities and coins of Afghanistan. East India Company, London, 1841, accessed June 17, 2011 . 
• Elizabeth Errington: Ancient Afghanistan through the Eyes of Charles Masson (1800-1853). The Masson Project at the British Museum . In: IIAS newsletter . No. 27 , p. 8–9 (English, ( page no longer available , search in web archives: old.iias.asia )).
• Iranica article on Charles Masson
• Charles Masson at Harappa.com