When and where was William Irvine born?
William Irvine was born on the 4th of July 1840 in Aberdeen, Scotland. His father worked as an advocate there before dying when William was still a child.
Questions about William Irvine (historian)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What administrative roles did William Irvine hold in India between 1863 and 1889?
William Irvine served as both a magistrate and a collector in the North-Western Provinces from his arrival in Calcutta late in 1863 until he retired and left India in 1889. He spent eight years working specifically on revising rent and revenue settlement records within the Ghazipur district.
How did William Irvine translate Niccolao Manucci's chronicle for publication in 1907?
William Irvine dedicated eight years to locating original manuscripts after finding that only a garbled French version existed by the end of the 19th century. He discovered a Berlin codex that provided part of the text while a Venice manuscript supplied the remainder of the entire work.
Which historical periods did William Irvine cover in his writings about the Mogul empire?
William Irvine planned a history of the decline of the Mogul empire starting from the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 but intended to follow events until the capture of Delhi by Lord Lake in 1803. The final history did not extend further than the accession of Mahomed Shah in 1719.
When and where did William Irvine die and who was buried with him?
William Irvine died at his house in Castelnau, Barnes after a long illness on the 3rd of November 1911. He was buried in the Old Barnes cemetery alongside his wife Teresa Anne, who had died in 1901.