Binning, Robert Blair Munro, 1814-1891 (Linguist; East India Company Official, Madras Civil Service)
Dates
- Existence: 1814 - 1891
Biography
Robert Blair Munro Binning was the third son of David Monro of Softlaw (who by deed of entail assumed the surname and arms of Binning), by his second wife Isabella Blair. Binning had a career as an administrator in the East India Company Service in Madras. He was an enthusiastic linguist in Arabic, Persian and Hindi, in the pursuance of which he collected many manuscripts and other examples of the use of these languages, and published A grammar, with a selection of dialogues and familiar phrases, and a short vocabulary in modern Arabic, edited by Fletcher Hayes, in 1849. He travelled in the Cape of Good Hope, the Levant, Arabian peninsula and Egypt in 1845-1847, but had to quit his post for health reasons in 1850. For the next two years he travelled again, in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] and Persia [Iran], which he described in his published Journal of two years' travel in Persia, Ceylon, etc., (2 volumes, London: 1857). Binning bequethed his substantial book and manuscript collection to New College, Edinburgh, and Edinburgh University Library.
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Or Ms 319: قصهٔ شاه و گل Qissah-yi Shāh-u Gul, 1118 A.H., 1706 C.E.
The love-story of Akbar-Shāh (r. 1806-1835 C.E.), a descendant of Tīmūr (d. 1405 C.E.), with Gul-i Surkh.
Or Ms 337: منشئات رنجهور داس Munshaʼāt-i Ranjhūr-Dās, undated
An incomplete collection of letters written by Ranjhūr-Dās (fl. 1732), also called Ranchūr-Dās, son of Ranjīt-Rā who was a Kāyath of Jawnpur. The author states in the preface that he made the selection for his younger son, Rādha-Kishn. The letters are followed by a work apparently on grammar, but with no clear beginning or end.
Or Ms 359: قواعد فارسی Qawā‘id-i Fārsī, undated copy (earliest version compiled 18th-19th cent. C.E.)
A short treatise on grammar by Rawshan ‘Alī Anṣārī of Jawnpur (d. circa 1225 A.H., 1810 C.E.), who was a professor in the College at Fort William, Calcutta (Kolkata). In the introduction it is stated that the author compiled this work for his son Faz̤l ‘Alī.
Or Ms 382: قصّها Qiṣṣahā, undated
A few short tales of the wisdom of birds. In the last tale, the compiler has described the condition of Calcutta (Kolkata) and Monghir as it existed during his time. At the end there is a short selection from the poems of the celebrated Mirzā Muḥammad Rafī‘, poetically styled 'Sawdā' of Dehli (d. 1195 A.H., 1781 C.E.).
Filtered By
- Subject: Compilation manuscripts X
Additional filters:
- Subject
- Correspondence -- Persian 1
- Persian language--Grammar 1
- Persian poetry 1
- Tales--India 1