John Crawfurd
John Crawfurd (born August 13, 1783 on Islay , Scotland , † May 11, 1868 in London ) was a Scottish orientalist and ethnologist .
Live and act
Crawfurd studied medicine at Edinburgh University and lived between 1803 and 1808 in the north-west provinces of East India . In 1808 he went to Penang and in 1811 to Java , where he stayed until 1817. He then returned to Great Britain.
In 1821 he came to India for the second time , visiting Siam and Cochinchina . When he came to the mouth of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya ( Chao Phraya River ) in the Gulf of Thailand at Pak Nam, Samut Prakan , he was first asked, as is usual with all ships, about the reason for his voyage. The aim was to find out how important and with what honor travelers should be received in Bangkok . Crawfurd and his society evidently felt the questioning as impertinent and only answered evasively, which in turn was viewed by the Siamese as a threatening sign. He was also asked about the nature and value of his gifts, which he also found inappropriate and greedy. The questioning was important for the Siamese because it enabled them to report which gifts were actually supposed to arrive at the court in Bangkok and to find out any misappropriations on the way there. Crawfurd's reluctance and lack of openness on these questions ultimately led to the failure of his mission in Siam.
In 1823 he was made governor of Singapore and in 1826 commission agent in Pegu and ambassador to the court of Burma . In 1827 he returned to Great Britain.
In Great Britain Crawfurd immersed himself in his studies. He died in London on May 11, 1868.
Works
- History of the Indian Archipelago . 3 vols. Edinburgh (1820)
- Journal of an Embassy to the Court of Ava . London (1829 etc.)
- Journal of an Embassy to the Courts of Siam and Cochin China . 2 vols. (2. A. London 1830), according to David K. Wyatt one of the few works that also convey a scientific foundation as an eyewitness report
- Grammar and dictionary of the Malay language . 2 vols. London (1852)
- Descriptive dictionary of the Indian islands and adjacent countries . London (1856)
Individual evidence
literature
- Barend Jan Terwiel : Through Travelers' Eyes: an approach to eighteenth century Thai history . Bangkok: Ed. Duang Kamol 1989. ISBN 974-210-455-7 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Crawfurd, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Scottish orientalist and ethnologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 13, 1783 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Islay , Scotland |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 11, 1868 |
| Place of death | London |