Laurence Frederic Rushbrook Williams, (1890–1978) 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

Williams was an Examination Fellow of

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, between 1914 and 1921. He built up a school of Mughal studies at the

University of Allahabad The University of Allahabad is a Central university (India), Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). ...

,Williams, L.F. Rushbrook, editor (1974). ''Sufi Studies: East and West'', E.P.Dutton & Co., p. 259. . where he worked as professor of Modern Indian History between 1914 and 1920. He was briefly Eastern Services Director of the

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, and also worked on the editorial staff of ''

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'' (London) between 1944 and 1955. 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 The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

''. He became interested in

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

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 Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

author,

Idries Shah Idries Shah (; , , ; 16 June 1924 – 23 November 1996), also known as Idris Shah, Indries Shah, né Sayyid, Sayed Idries el-Hashemite, Hashimi (Arabic: ) and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an Afghans, Afghan author, thinker and teacher in ...

.Williams, L.F. Rushbrook, editor (1974). ''Sufi Studies: East and West'', E.P.Dutton & Co., p. 18-19; 259. .

Works

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 (1918)'' *''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'' *''Inside Both Indias, 1914-1938''

Notes

External links

* British expatriates in India British historians of religion 20th-century British historians 1890 births 1978 deaths Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts {{UK-historian-stub