John Alexander Stewart (scholar)
Encyclopedia
John Alexander Stewart CIE
MC
MA
LLD
ICS
(retd) (1882–1948) was a classical scholar, colonial
public servant and professor of Burmese
.
Stewart was born in Strichen
, Aberdeenshire
Scotland
and educated at the University of Aberdeen
where he graduated with first-class honours in classics in 1903. He passed the Indian civil service examination in 1904 and went to Myanmar
in 1905. He worked for five years in the Settlement (Land Revenue) Department where he met J S Furnivall. During the First World War, and the Anglo-Afghan War
, Stewart served for 4 and a half years with the Burma Sappers and Miners in Mesopotamia
(where he was awarded the Military Cross
) and Persia. He returned to Myanmar and was Commissioner of the Magwe
Division in the 1930s. With C W. Dunn he compiled the first Burmese-English dictionary, published under the auspices of the University of Rangoon, in five volumes, the first volume published in 1940, but the project remained incomplete at the time of his death.
He became Professor of Burmese in the University of London
, and helped found the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
which publishes the SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research
.
Academic Career at the University of London:
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
MA
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
ICS
Indian Civil Services
The Indian Civil Service , which after 1886 was officially called the Imperial Civil Service and was also known as the British India Civil Service, was the civil service of the Government of India in the period of the British Raj...
(retd) (1882–1948) was a classical scholar, colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
public servant and professor of Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
.
Stewart was born in Strichen
Strichen
Strichen is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It sits on the A981, connecting it to New Deer to the southwest and Fraserburgh to the north-northeast, and the B9093, connecting it to New Pitsligo about four miles due west. The village got its name from Lord Strichen. It is situated on the River...
, Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and educated at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
where he graduated with first-class honours in classics in 1903. He passed the Indian civil service examination in 1904 and went to Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
in 1905. He worked for five years in the Settlement (Land Revenue) Department where he met J S Furnivall. During the First World War, and the Anglo-Afghan War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
The Third Anglo-Afghan War began on 6 May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 8 August 1919. It was a minor tactical victory for the British. For the British, the Durand Line was reaffirmed as the political boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and British India and the Afghans agreed not to...
, Stewart served for 4 and a half years with the Burma Sappers and Miners in Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
(where he was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
) and Persia. He returned to Myanmar and was Commissioner of the Magwe
Magwe
-Burma:*Magway, Burma, the capital city of Magway Division of Burma *Magway Division *Magway District in Magway Division*Magway Township in Magway District*Magway University in Magwe, Burma...
Division in the 1930s. With C W. Dunn he compiled the first Burmese-English dictionary, published under the auspices of the University of Rangoon, in five volumes, the first volume published in 1940, but the project remained incomplete at the time of his death.
He became Professor of Burmese in the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and helped found the Department of Southeast Asian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
which publishes the SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research
SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research
The SOAS Bulletin of Burma Research is an academic journal specializing in Burma studies and history that is published twice a year at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London....
.
Academic Career at the University of London:
- Lecturer in Burmese 1933–35;
- Part-time Lecturer in Burmese 1935–36;
- Senior Lecturer in Burmese 1936–37;
- Reader in Burmese, Acting Head (1937–38) then Head of the Department of India, Burma and Ceylon 1937–46;
- Professor of Burmese and Head of the Department of South East Asia and the Islands 1946–48.
See also
- Adoniram JudsonAdoniram JudsonAdoniram Judson, Jr. was an American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma...
, another first compiler (with E.A. Steven) of a Burmese-English dictionary.