Max Arthur MacAuliffe | |
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| Born | Michael McAuliffe 11 September 1838[1] |
| Died | 15 March 1913 (aged 74) |
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Max Arthur MacAuliffe (11 September 1838 − 15 March 1913), originally known asMichael McAuliffe, was a senior British administrator, prolific scholar and author.[2] MacAuliffe is renowned for his partial translation ofSikh scriptureGuru Granth Sahib and history into English.[3]
MacAuliffe was born in Ireland atNewcastle West,County Limerick, on 10 September 1841. He was educated at Newcastle School, Limerick, and Springfield College. He attendedQueen's College Galway between 1857 and 1863, being awarded junior scholarships in the Literary Division of the Arts Faculty for 1857–58, 1858–59, and 1859–60. He was awarded aB.A. degree with first class honours in Modern Languages in 1860. He obtained a senior scholarship in Ancient Classics for 1860-1, and a senior scholarship in Modern Languages and History for 1861-62. He also served as Secretary of the college'sLiterary and Debating Society for the 1860–61 session.
MacAuliffe entered theIndian Civil Service in 1862, and arrived in thePunjab in February 1864. He was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Punjab in 1882, and a Divisional Judge in 1884. He retired from the Indian Civil Service in 1893.
MacAuliffe also wrote a rendition, English translation of the Sacred scriptures of the Sikh religion, theGuru Granth Sahib. He also wroteThe Sikh Religion: its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors (six volumes, Oxford University Press, 1909). He was assisted in his works byPratap Singh Giani, a Sikh scholar.
MacAuliffe converted toSikhism in the 1860s[4] and was even derided by his employers for having "turned a Sikh".[5] He worked very hard with some Sikh scholars to prove that Hinduism and Sikhism were distinct religions with distinct histories.
His personal assistant remarked in his memoirs that on his death bed, MacAuliffe could be heard reciting the Sikh morning prayer,Japji Sahib, ten minutes before he died.[6]
MacAuliffe is held in high esteem by the Sikh community, for his translation into English of the Sikh Scriptures, theGuru Granth Sahib. At a lecture at the annual session of the LahoreSingh Sabha Macauliffe proclaimed that the Guru Granth was matchless as a book of holy teachings.[6]
He was awarded the degree of M.A. (honoris causa) by his alma mater in 1882. MacAuliffe died in the United Kingdom at his home inLondon on 15 March 1913.
Works by or aboutMax Arthur Macauliffe atWikisource
Modern Sikh writers(1848 to date) | |
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