Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/78

 career, which are well known apart from his relations to India.

BURKE, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS (1769–1837)

Entered the Army as a Hospital Mate on Sep. 13, 1795, and rose, through the grades of Regimental Surgeon, Apothecary, Surgeon, etc. to be, on Oct. 5, 1825, Inspr-General of Hospitals of the Forces in the East Indies, until his death. In 1817, he was Physician-General in the Mauritius, was present at the capture of nearly all the French and Dutch colonies in the West Indies and South America: served in Europe, including the Mediterranean and Gibraltar: and was at the capture of Bhartpur by Lord Combermere in 1826: died at Calcutta, May 22, 1837.

BURLTON, PHILIP BOWLES (1803–1829)

Son of William Burlton: joined the Bengal Artillery at Dumdum in 1821: was transferred to Africa: was actively employed in the Burmese war of 1824: devoted himself zealously to discovering the sources of the Brahmaputra and Irawadi, and solving geographical questions: he also wrote about the Assamese: was murdered, with Lt. Bedingfield of the Artillery, by the Khasias at Nunklow, in Assam: died April 4, 1829.

BURNE, SIR OWEN TUDOR (1837–)

Maj-General: son of the Rev. Henry Thomas Burne: entered the Army, 1855: served in the Crimea and in the Indian mutiny: present in 15 actions, including the siege and capture of Lucknow: promoted for gallantry in the field: Military Secretary to Lord Strathnairn, when C.-in-C. in India, 1861: Private Secretary to Lord Mayo, Viceroy of India, 1869–72: Political A.D.C. to the Secretary of State for India, 1872: Assistant Secretary, 1873, and later. Secretary, Political and Secret Department, India Office, 1874: Private Secretary to Lord Lytton, Viceroy of India, 1876–7: Member of the Council of India, 1887–97: author of Clyde and Strathnairn, in the "Rulers of India" series; Lord Strathnairn, Imperial Assemblage at Delhi, etc.: C.I.E., 1877: K.C.S.I.. 1879.

BURNELL, ARTHUR COKE (1840–1882)

I.C.S.: born 1840: son of Arthur Burnell, of the E.I. Co.'s Marine Service: educated at Bedford and King's College: after passing the open competitive examination, went to Madras, 1860: held minor appointments and, from 1870, district judgeships in various districts, longest at Tanjore, until 1880, when his health, always indifferent, gave way. On his retirement, the Madras Government recorded their regret for being "prematurely deprived of the services of so distinguished a scholar": died Oct. 12, 1882. He began early to collect Sanskrit MSS., and made an extensive collection, which he presented to the India Office Library: was an excellent Sanskrit scholar: published translations from Sanskrit, and catalogues: also knew some Tibetan, Arabic, Kawi, Japanese, Coptic and Pali: travelled in Arabia, Egypt, Nubia: wrote a Handbook of South Indian Palæography, on The Portuguese in India, The Aindra School of Sanskrit Grammarians, 1875: made a catalogue of the Tanjore Library, and, with Sir H. Yule, compiled the Hobson-Jobson, a Glossary of Anglo-Indian colloquial words and phrases: besides many papers on law, languages, ethnography and inscriptions: C.I.E.: and Ph.D. of the University, Strasburg.

BURNES, SIR ALEXANDER (1805–1841)

Political: son of James Burnes: born May 16, 1805, connected with the family of the poet Burns: educated at Montrose Academy: entered the E. I. Co.'s military service at 16: Interpreter at Surat in 1823: transferred to Cutch in 1825: sent, in 1830, on a mission, with a gift of horses, to Ranjit Singh at Lahore, and to explore the country: in 1832, travelled, under the orders of Government, in N. India, Afghanistan, Bokhara and Persia: in England in 1833–5, was lionized as a traveller: received the medal of the Royal Geographical Society, and elected member of learned Societies: on return to India, he succeeded, by negotiation at Hyderabad (Sind), in warding off war with the Amirs, who agreed to a survey of the Indus: in 1836, Burnes was sent on a mission, nominally commercial, but really political, to, Amir of