Mirza Muhammed Ibrahim

Mirza Muhammed Ibrahim or Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim (Persian: میرزا محمد ابراهیم; c. 1800 – July, 1857) was an educator who traveled from his native Persia (now Iran) to Britain in 1826. There, he took up a permanent appointment to teach oriental languages at the prestigious East India Company College, where he remained until 1844.[1] While there, he also worked as an official translator, becoming friendly with Lord Palmerston. He was the author of an English and Persian grammar textbook.

There were rumours that he had left Persia because of religious differences with the establishment. However, while abroad, he remained a faithful Muslim, despite the prevailing British social climate in favour of Christianity.

After returning to Persia in 1844, he became tutor to the future Shah.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Fisher, Michael Herbert Persian Professor in Britain: Mirza Muhammad Ibrahim at the East India Company's College, 1826-44 in Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East - Volume 21, Number 1&2, 2001, pp. 24-32 partial abstract
  2. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine, 1857 obituary accessed 9 October 2007
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