L. F. Rushbrook Williams
Encyclopedia
Laurence Frederic Rushbrook Williams (1890–1978) CBE
, FRSA, was a British historian and civil servant who spent part of his working life in India, and had an abiding interest in Eastern culture.
. He built up a school of Mughal
studies at the University of Allahabad, where he was professor of Modern Indian History. He was Eastern Services Director of the B.B.C., and also worked on the editorial staff of The Times
(London). He acted as a government advisor on Middle East and Asian affairs, and contributed to publications like the Royal Central Asian Society Journal and the Encyclopædia Britannica.
He became interested in Sufism
through his contact with Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah
and later edited an anthology of contributions to a symposium in honor of the work of the noted Sufi author, Idries Shah
.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, FRSA, was a British historian and civil servant who spent part of his working life in India, and had an abiding interest in Eastern culture.
Life and work
Rushbrook Wiliams was a Fellow of All Souls' College, OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. He built up a school of Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
studies at the University of Allahabad, where he was professor of Modern Indian History. He was Eastern Services Director of the B.B.C., and also worked on the editorial staff of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
(London). He acted as a government advisor on Middle East and Asian affairs, and contributed to publications like the Royal Central Asian Society Journal and the Encyclopædia Britannica.
He became interested in Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
through his contact with Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah
Sirdar ikbal ali shah
Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah was an Indian-Afghan author and diplomat descended from the Sadaat of Paghman. Educated in India, he came to Britain as a young man to continue his education in Edinburgh, where he married a young Scotswoman....
and later edited an anthology of contributions to a symposium in honor of the work of the noted Sufi author, Idries Shah
Idries Shah
Idries Shah , also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi , was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen critically acclaimed books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.Born in India, the descendant of a...
.
Works
Rushbrook Williams wrote several works on India, Asia and the Middle East, among them the following:- Pakistan Under Challenge
- What About India?
- The State of Israel
- India in 1921-22: A report prepared for presentation to Parliament in accordance with the requirements of the 26th Section of the Government of India Act
- An Empire Builder of the Sixteenth Century: A Summary Account of the Political Career of Zahir-Ud-Din Muhammad, Surnamed Babur
- Ethnic diversity in India
- The black hills: Kutch in history and legend: a study in Indian local loyalties
- Handbook for Travellers in India, Pakistan and Nepal
- The East Pakistan tragedy
- The State of Pakistan
- Great Men of India