Richard Carnac Temple
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Carnac Temple CIE
(15 October 1850, Allahabad
, India
–1931) was the British Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and an anthropological
writer.
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
, where he graduated in 1871. He then joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers
, serving first in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, and then in the Third Burmese War. Immediately after the war, he was appointed as an Assistant-Commissioner in Burma and a Cantonment Magistrate in the newly conquered city of Mandalay
and was promoted to Deputy-Commissioner in 1888. In 1894 he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1897, he retired in 1904. He inherited the Temple Baronetcy of the Nash
in 1902.
. He assembled collections for the British Museum
and the Pitt Rivers Museum
(Oxford) and established a small museum in his home in Kempsey
, Worcestershire
, but sold much of this on in 1921. He was an early member of the Folklore Society
, amongst the papers he published in its journal was the seminal 1886 paper "The science of folk-lore"..
.
His writings include:
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...
(15 October 1850, Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
–1931) was the British Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and an anthropological
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
writer.
Army and political career
Temple was educated at Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...
, where he graduated in 1871. He then joined the Royal Scots Fusiliers
Royal Scots Fusiliers
-The Earl of Mar's Regiment of Foot :The regiment was raised in Scotland in 1678 by Stuart loyalist Charles Erskine, de jure 5th Earl of Mar for service against the rebel covenanting forces during the Second Whig Revolt . They were used to keep the peace and put down brigands, mercenaries, and...
, serving first in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, and then in the Third Burmese War. Immediately after the war, he was appointed as an Assistant-Commissioner in Burma and a Cantonment Magistrate in the newly conquered city of Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
and was promoted to Deputy-Commissioner in 1888. In 1894 he was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1897, he retired in 1904. He inherited the Temple Baronetcy of the Nash
Temple Baronets
There have been four Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Temple, two in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom....
in 1902.
Anthropology
Temple was an amateur anthropologistAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
. He assembled collections for the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and the Pitt Rivers Museum
Pitt Rivers Museum
The Pitt Rivers Museum is a museum displaying the archaeological and anthropological collections of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. The museum is located to the east of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and can only be accessed through that building.The museum was...
(Oxford) and established a small museum in his home in Kempsey
Kempsey, Worcestershire
Kempsey is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is bounded by the River Severn on the west, and the A38 main road runs through it and is about 3 miles south of Worcester....
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, but sold much of this on in 1921. He was an early member of the Folklore Society
Folklore Society
The Folklore Society was founded in England in 1878 to study traditional vernacular culture, including traditional music, song, dance and drama, narrative, arts and crafts, customs and belief...
, amongst the papers he published in its journal was the seminal 1886 paper "The science of folk-lore"..
Selected works
Temple wrote various works often dealing with the religions and geography of IndiaGeography of India
The geography of India describes the physical features of India, a country in South Asia, that lies entirely on the Indian Plate in the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. The country lies to the north of the equator between 8°4' and 37°6' north latitude and 68°7' and 97°25' east...
.
His writings include:
- Wide-awake Stories (PunjabPunjab regionThe Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
Folk Tales) (1884), with Mrs. F.A. SteelFlora Annie SteelFlora Annie Steel was an English writer. She was the daughter of George Webster. In 1867 she married a member of the Indian civil service, and for the next twenty-two years lived in India, chiefly in the Punjab, with which most of her books are connected.When her husband's health was weak, Flora... - Legends of the Punjab (1883-90), ed.
- The Thirty Seven Nats, a Phase of Spirit Worship Prevailing in Burma, London, W. Griggs (1906)