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The Jew, the Gipsy and El-Islam: an examination of Richard Burton's consulship in Damascus and his premature recall, 1868–1871

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Andrew Vincent
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Extract

In choosing a title for this paper I have incorporated the name of a book which contains an anti-Semitic essay written by Richard Burton in 1872, shortly after his return from Damascus. The essay was destined to remain unpublished until long after its author's death, and although when it finally appeared in 1898 as part of The Jew, The Gipsy and El-Islam it omitted the most offensively anti-Jewish portions, it has nevertheless “always been an embarrassment to Burton biographers, who usually skirt the issue of his anti-Semitism”.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 117 , Issue 2 , April 1985 , pp. 155 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1985

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References

NOTES

1 Burton, R. F., The Jew, The Gipsy and El-Islam, (London, 1898)Google Scholar.

2 Brodie, F. M., The Devil Drives, (Harmondsworth, 1971), p. 464Google Scholar.

3 Burton, R. F., The Highlands of Brazil, (London, 1869), vol. 1, p. 430nGoogle Scholar.

4 Burton, R. F., “The Jew, The Gipsy . . .”, op. cit., pp. 28–29Google Scholar.

5 So far, there have been over twelve full-length biographies published since Burton's death, and numerous articles.

6 Hirst, D., The Gun and the Olive Branch, (London, 1978), p. 20Google Scholar.

7 Burton, I., The Inner Life of Syria, Palestine and the Holy Land, (London, 1884), p. 96Google Scholar.

8 Murray, J., A Handbook for Travellers in Syria and Palestine, (London, 1868), vol. 2, p. 443Google Scholar.

9 Burton, I., The Life of Sir Richard Burton, (London, 1893), vol. 1, p. 575Google Scholar.

10 For an interesting description of the commencement of the pilgrimage in Burton's time, see Burton, I., “Inner Life. . .”, op. cit., pp. 46–61Google Scholar.

11 See Tresse, R., “L'installation du Premier Consul d'Angleterre á Damas (1830–4)”, in Revue de l'histoire des colonies françaises, vol. 24 (1936), pp. 359–380Google Scholar.

12 For a discussion of the origins of this phrase see Hurewitz, J. C. (ed), Diplomacy in the Near and Middle East (Princeton 1956), vol. 1, p. 135Google Scholar.

13 Ma'oz, M., Ottoman Reform in Syria and Palestine 1840–1861, (Oxford 1968)Google Scholar.

14 Hourani, A., Syria and Lebanon, (Beirut, 1968), p. 146Google Scholar.

15 See Ma'oz, op. cit., pp. 214–216 and Salih, S., “The British–Druze Connection and the Druze Rising of 1896 in the Hawran”, in Middle Eastern Studies, vol. XIII, no. 2, pp. 251–257Google Scholar.

16 Hourani, A., “The Changing Face of the Fertile Crescent in the Eighteenth Century”, in Hourani, A., A Vision of History, (Beirut, 1961), p. 68Google Scholar.

17 Burton, R. F., “The Jew, the Gipsy. . .”, op. cit., pp. 49–50Google Scholar.

18 Muhammed al-Hasibi, as quoted in Salibi, K. S., “The 1860 Upheaval in Damascus as seen by al-Sayyid Muhammed Abu'l-Su'ud al-Hasibi, Notable and later Naqib al-Ashraf of the City”, in Polk, W. R. and Chambers, R. L. (eds), Beginnings of Modernisation in the Middle East, (Chicago, 1968), p. 190Google Scholar.

19 Ma'oz, M., ”The Jews in mid-Nineteenth Century Syria and Palestine: a Community in Transition, in Proc. 27th Int. Cong. Orient. 1967, (1971), p. 263Google Scholar.

20 See Burton, R. F., Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to el-Medinah and Meccah, 2 vols, (London, 1893)Google Scholar.

21 F. Brodie, op. cit., p. 314.

22 An account of Richard Burton by Salih (nom-de-plume of an English missionary at Damascus), cited in I. Burton, Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 578.

23 Quoted in Farwell, B., Burton, (London, 1963), p. 270Google Scholar.

24 Burton, I., Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 469–70, p. 578Google Scholar.

25 F.O. 78/2260, Burton to Clarendon, June 21st, 1869.

26 Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 24Google Scholar.

27 Blanch, L., The Wilder Shores of Love, (London, 1974), pp. 149–217Google Scholar.

28 Quoted in Burton, I., Life, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 534Google Scholar.

29 F.O. 78/2260 Burton to Elliot, written June 1870 but not sent until Nov. 21st.

30 Quoted in Burton, I., Life, op. cit.., vol. 1, pp. 579–80Google Scholar.

31 Quoted in Ibid, pp. 530–1.

32 F.O. 78/2260, Eldridge to Burton, personal letter dated Nov. 30th, 1870.

33 F.O. 78/2191, Eldridge to Elliot, January 7th, 1871.

34 Quoted in Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 266Google Scholar.

35 Ibid, pp. 241–245.

36 F.O. 78/2260, Printed Documents Collection, pp. 19–20.

37 Burton, J., Sir Richard Burton's Wife, (London, 1942), p. 123Google Scholar.

38 Burton, I., Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 553Google Scholar.

39 F.O. 78/2260, Petition of Damascus Jews to Dr Nathan Adler, Chief Rabbi of London, dated September 13th, 1870.

40 F.O. 78/2260, Montefiore to Granville, dated October 25th 1870.

41 F.O. 78/2260, Goldsmid to Hammond, dated October 24th, 1870.

42 Ibid.

43 F.O. 78/2260, Russell to Burton, dated November 3rd, 1870.

44 F.O. 78/2260, Burton to Granville, Consular No. 16 of November 28th, 1870.

45 The Times, October 31st 1870.

46 The Times, November 2nd, 1870.

47 Loewe, L., (ed), Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, (London, 1890), vol. 1, p. 232Google Scholar.

48 The Times, November 9th, 1870.

49 Quoted in Burton, I., Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 538–9Google Scholar.

50 Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 307Google Scholar.

51 Ibid.

52 B. Farwell, opp. cit., p. 278.

53 Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 308Google Scholar.

54 Ibid, p. 309.

55 F.O. 78/2260, Printed Documents Collection, pp. 42–3 for copies of written complaints.

56 F.O. 78/2260, Kennedy to Burton, January 14th, 1871.

57 F.O. 881/2148, Kennedy to Granville, no. 8, of January 30th, 1871.

58 F.O. 881/2148, Elliot to Granville, no. 41 Commercial, of April 22nd, 1871.

59 See above, p. 6.

60 Stisted, G. M., The True Life of Captain Richard F. Burton, (London, 1896), p. 358Google Scholar.

61 F. Brodie, op. cit., p. 315.

62 F.O. 881/2148. Reported in Elliot to Clarendon, no. 290, of July 5th, 1869.

63 Wright, T., The Life of Sir Richard Burton, (London, 1906), vol. 1, p. 212Google Scholar.

64 F.O. 881/2148. See Burton to Granville, despatch no. 28 of July 21st, 1871.

65 Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 448Google Scholar; See also F.O. 881/2148.

66 B. Farwell, op. cit., p. 285.

67 F. Brodie, op. cit., p. 327.

68 Burton, I., Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 548Google Scholar.

69 Ibid, pp. 547–8. It is not certain from Isabel's account whether Burton suggested to the Foreign Secretary that he himself buy the land or not, however this appears to have been the intention. Unfortunately the official records have not been examined on this point.

70 F. Brodie, op. cit., p. 328.

71 “ F.O. 881/2148, Granville to Burton, no. 3, of July 22nd, 1871.

72 Quoted in I. Burton, Life. . ., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 569.

73 Ibid, p. 568.

74 F.O. 881/2148, Granville to Burton, letter no. 83 dated October 25, 1851.

75 The Times, December 18th, 1871.

76 F.O. 881/2148, Elliot to Granville, no. 109, of August 24, 1871.

77 F. Brodie, op. cit., p. 336.

78 See The Times, of March 28th, 1911.

79 Such as Downey, F., Burton, Arabian Nights Adventure, (New York, 1931), pp. 252–6Google Scholar.

80 Quoted in Ma'oz, M., “Ottoman Reform. . .”, op. cit., p. 214Google Scholar.

81 81 Quoted in Ibid, p. 212.

82 Burton, I., Inner Life. . ., op. cit., p. 28Google Scholar.

83 F.O. 78/2260, Isabel Burton to Elliot, private letter dated June 9th, 1871.

84 Ma'oz, M., “Ottoman Reform. . ..”, op. cit., p. 213Google Scholar.

85 Quoted in Tibawi, A. L., British Interests in Palestine, 1800–1901, (Oxford, 1961), p. 140Google Scholar.

86 F.O. 78/2260, Burton to Granville, Consular no. 16, of November, 28th, 1870.

87 See Mayhew, C. and Adams, M., Publish it Not, (London, 1975)Google Scholar.