Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/407

 SINNETT, ALFRED PERCY (1840–)

Born Jan. 18. 1840 : son of E.W. P. Sinnett : educated at London University school, London : journalist : editor of Hong-Kong Daily Press, 1865–8 : editor of the Pioneer, India, 1872 : devoted much attention to the Theosophical movement, 1879 : author of The Occult World, Esoteric Buddhism, Karma and United, The Growth of the Soul : President of the London branch of the Theosophical Society : editor of Broad Views Review, 1904.

SIRCAR, DR. MAHENDRA LAL (1833–1904)

Scientist : born Nov. 2, 1833 : educated at the Hare school, the Hindu, Presidency, and Calcutta Medical, Colleges : M.D. in 1863. Before the Bengal Branch of the British Medical Assiocation, of which he was Secretary and Vice-President, he early denoimced Homoeopathy, but in 1867 declared his faith in it, and started the Calcutta Journal of Medicine, to advance his views. In 1876, with the support of Sir R. Temple, he founded the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, and devoted his life to the cause of science for the benefit of his fellow-countrymen : physical science, astronomy, literature and general research fully occupied his time. He was a Fellow of the Calcutta University, 1870 : Honorary Magistrate, 1877–1902 : Sheriff of Calcutta, (1887), Member of the Bengal Legislative Council, 1887–93 : Doctor of Law, 1898 : Member of the Council of the Asiatic Society : Trustee of the Indian Museum : Commissioner of the Calcutta Corporation for years : made C.I.E. in 1883, in recognition of his services to science. He was an advanced Liberal, but never virulently attacked Government measvires : his speeches were often very eloquent : died at Calcutta, Feb. 23, 1904.

SIRCAR, PIARI CHARAN (1823–1875)

Educated at the Hindu College : entered the Education Department : for several years Head Master of the Hare school, Calcutta : one of the first Bengali officers of the Education Service : became an Assistant Professor of English Literature at the Calcutta Presidency College : was an advocate of female education and of widow-marriage : the Chief promoter of the Bengal Temperance movement : his death was deeply lamented for his literary attainments, his educational labours and his sterling moral worth : died Sep. 30, 1875.

SITWELL, WILLIAM HENRY (1860–)

Born Nov. 20, 1860 : son of Major Francis Henry M. Sitwell : educated at Harrow and Sandhurst : entered the Army, 1880 : served in the Afghan campaign, 1880 : Bechuanaland Police, 1891–3 : Ashanti expedition, 1895–6 : Nile expeditions, 1897–8-9 : Atbara, Khartoum, and Omdurman : Brevet-Lt-Colonel : S. African war, 1900–2 : D.S.O., 1900 : A.A.G., 1900 : F.R.G.S. : Colonel.

SIVA PRASAD, RAJA (1823–1896)

An Oswal Vaisya by caste : related to the Seths of Murshidabad, whence his ancestors fled from the Nawab to Benares : son of Babu Gopi Chand : born 1823 : owned land in Benares and Gorakhpur : educated at Benares College : became in 1839 a vakil of the Maharaja of Bhartpur, to attend the Court of Colonel Sutherland, then A.G.G. at Ajmir : attended Lord Ellenborough's darbar at Delhi : left the Bhartpur service : joined William Edwards, then Under Secretary in the Foreign Department, and was appointed, 1840, Naib Mir Munshi in that Department : was, 1848, Mir Munshi of the Simla Agency when Mr. Edwards became Superintendent of the protected Hill States : became, 1852, Mir Munshi of the Benares Agency under H. C. Tucker : was Joint-Inspector in the Department of Public Instruction and Inspector of Schools, about 1860, under Sir W. Muir : C.S.I., May, 1870 : Raja, March, 1874 : the same title declared hereditary, Feb. 1887 : was in 1883 a Member of the Governor-General's Legislative Council and Fellow of Allahabad University : died at Benares, May 23. 1895 : succeeded by his son Raja Sachit Prasad : his literary work was chiefly devoted to the popularization of Hindustani as the colloquial tongue midway between the Persianised Urdu and the Hindi of the Pandits. His works numbered 32, 18 in Hindi, the rest in Urdu : many are schoolbooks, such as a translation of Sandford and Merton; others were historical or philological.