ColonelGeorge Bruce MallesonCSI (8 May 1825 – 1 March 1898) was anEnglish officer inIndia and the author of several works on British Indian colonial history.
Malleson was born inWimbledon, son of John Malleson. Educated at Wimbledon andWinchester, he obtained a cadetship in the Bengal Native infantry in 1842, and served through thesecond Burmese War. His subsequent appointments were in the civil line, the last being that of guardian to the youngmaharaja ofMysore,Chamarajendra Wodeyar from 1869 to 1877. He retired with the rank of colonel in 1877, having been created C.S.I. in the1872 Birthday Honours.[1][2]
He was a prolific writer, his first work to attract attention being the famous "Red Pamphlet", published atCalcutta in 1857, when theSepoy Mutiny was at its height. He continued, and considerably rewrote theHistory of the Indian Mutiny 1857-8 (6 vols., 1878–1880), which was begun but leftunfinished bySir John Kaye. Among his other books the most valuable areHistory of the French in India (2nd ed., 1893) andThe Decisive Battles of India (3rd ed., 1888).[3][2]
He authored the biographies of the Mughal EmperorAkbar, the French governor-generalDupleix[4] and the British officerRobert Clive for theRulers of India series.[5]
He died at 27 West Cromwell Road,London, on 1 March 1898.[2]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Malleson, George Bruce".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 490–491.
