Richard Olaf Winstedt

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Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt

CMG FBA (2 August 1878 – 2 June 1966), or more commonly R. O. Winstedt, was an English Orientalist and colonial administrator with expertise in British Malaya
.

Life and career

Winstedt was born in Oxford and educated at

Latinist and gypsiologist
.

In 1902 he became a cadet in the Federated Malay States Civil Service, and was posted to

Colonial Medical Service
whom he had met in Kuala Pilah, in 1921.

He served as the first President of

Johore
, 1931–1935, Winstedt retired from the Malayan Civil Service.

He returned to England and was appointed Lecturer, then Reader, and ultimately Honorary Fellow, in Malay at the

School of Oriental Studies in London, where he also served as a member of the Governing Body, 1939–1959. During World War II
, he broadcast in Malay to Japanese-occupied Malaya. He retired from active teaching in 1946.

Winstedt served on numerous boards and advisory groups, most notably at the

Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde
.

Accomplishments

He was instrumental in preserving several works of Malay literature including

The Malay Annals as well as producing important works regarding the Malays and their language such as A History of Malaya and A Dictionary of Malay Language
. According to Australian Journal of Politics and History, "Winstedt was the first British scholar to make a systematic survey of Malay material for historical purposes, and laid the true foundation of a scientific approach to the writing of Malayan history."

He also played an important role in the Malayan and Singaporean education system. Specifically, he was interested in educating the Malays. Upon his suggestion,

Sultan Idris Training College
was established in 1922 with the purpose of producing Malay teachers. In 1997, the Malaysian government upgraded the institution into a university.

In the

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1935, and received an Honorary LLD from University of Malaya
in 1951.

Winstedt's papers are archived at the

School of Oriental and African Studies
.

Selected works

History and society

  • Arts and Crafts (Papers on Malay Subjects; Malay industries, pt. 1), Kuala Lumpur: F.M.S. Government Press, 1909.
  • The Circumstances of Malay Life: The kampong. The house. Furniture. Dress. Food (Papers on Malay Subjects; no. 2), Kuala Lumpur: F.M.S. Government Press, 1909.
  • Fishing, Hunting and Trapping (Papers on Malay Subjects; Malay industries, pt. 2), Kuala Lumpur: F.M.S. Government Press, 1911.
  • Malayan Memories, Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, 1916.
  • Malaya: the Straits Settlements and the Federated and Unfederated Malay States, London: Constable, 1923.
  • Shaman, Saiva and Sufi: a study of the evolution of Malay magic, London: Constable, 1925.
  • A History of Johore, Singapore, 1932.
  • A Malay History of Riau and Johore, etc. (Malay text of the Tuḣfat al-nafīs), Singapore, 1932.
  • Right Thinking and Right Living: a primer on moral & social topics, etc., Singapore : Malaya Publishing House, 1933.
  • A History of Perak, Singapore, 1934.
  • A History of Malaya, Singapore, 1935.
  • Britain and Malaya, 1786–1941, London, 1944.
  • The Malays: a cultural history, Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, 1947.

Language and texts

References

  1. ^ "Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society" (PDF). Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. 1932. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Untitled". The Straits Times. 26 December 1914. p. 8.
  • E. C. G. Barrett, "Obituary: Sir Richard Winstedt", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 30, No. 1, 1967, pp. 272–275.
  • AIM25 Archives
  • British Library
  • National University of Singapore, Presidents of Raffles College: A Biographical Sketch. Extracted 18 March 2006.
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