British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat
1821 CE
to 1890 CE
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton KCMG FRGS (19 March 1821 – 20 October 1890) is a British geographer, explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, cartographer, ethnologist, spy, linguist, poet, fencer and diplomat.
He is known for his travels and explorations within Asia, Africa and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures.
According to one count, he spoke 29 European, Asian and African languages.
Burton's best-known achievements include traveling in disguise to Mecca, an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights (also commonly called The Arabian Nights in English after Andrew Lang's abridgment), bringing the Kama Sutra to publication in English, and journeying with John Hanning Speke as the first Europeans to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile.
Burton extensively criticizes colonial policies (to the detriment of his career) in his works and letters.
He is a prolific and erudite author and writes numerous books and scholarly articles about subjects including human behavior, travel, falconry, fencing, sexual practices and ethnography.
A unique feature of his books is the copious footnotes and appendices containing remarkable observations and information.
He is a captain in the army of the East India Company, serving in India (and later, briefly, in the Crimean War).
Following this, he is engaged by the Royal Geographical Society to explore the east coast of Africa and lead an expedition guided by the locals and is the first European to see Lake Tanganyika.
In later life, he serves as British consul in Fernando Po, Santos, Damascus and, finally, Trieste.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is awarded a knighthood (KCMG) in 1886.
