# Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Badger, George Percy

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​BADGER, The Rev. George Percy, D.C.L., was born at Chelmsford, Essex, in April, 1815. His youth was passed at Malta, and his perfect knowledge of the Maltese dialect, which he subsequently endeavoured to reduce to writing, as a medium of popular education, laid the foundation of his love of Arabic. The greater part of the years 1835–36 he spent at Bairût, where he applied himself diligently to his favourite study, and to making himself familiar with all classes of the people, as well in Palestine as in Syria; and on this occasion he visited the Euphrates Expedition at Birejik, on the Euphrates, under the command of the late General Chesney. On his return to Malta he was associated with Ahmad Faris, Effendi, in the editorial department of the Church Missionary Society. At this period, too, he published a "Guide to Malta and Gozo," and several works on University and Normal School education. In his leisure hours he studied theology and Hebrew. He returned to England in 1841 and took holy orders in the following year. His intimate knowledge of the East led to his being selected by the then Primate and the Bishop of London as delegate to the Eastern Churches, and more especially to the Nestorians of Kurdistân. His zeal and devotion in this capacity won for him the esteem of the Patriarch Mar Shimûn and his people, as also of the Syrians and Chaldeans of Mesopotamia. During this visit he discovered the first cuneiform slab at Nimrûd, which paved the way for Mr. Layard's subsequent successful excavation of that mound. He revisited these scenes in 1849, and in his work on "The Nestorians and their Rituals" gave a history of that community, including a translation from the Syriac of their principal Rituals. On his return to England, Mr. Badger was appointed Government chaplain on the Bombay Establishment, and he resided for a year or more, in this capacity, in the southern Mahratta country. Next he was appointed chaplain at Aden, where he spent the remainder of his service, except when specially employed by the Government, or absent on sick leave. When Sir James Outram was sent to Aden to reduce into order the complicated affairs of the Arabs of the surrounding districts, he availed himself largely of Mr. Badger's knowledge of, and influence with, the native chiefs, and he reported again and again to the Government of India how deeply he was indebted to that gentleman's efficient co-operation. It was Sir James Outram's experience of Mr. Badger's usefulness, that on his appointment as Commander-in-Chief to the Persian Expedition, in 1857, led to his request that Mr. Badger might be appointed Staff Chaplain and Arabic Interpreter to the force, which "latter designation," as Sir James reported to the Government of India, "very inadequately describes the important assistance which I have received from that gentleman, who, in conjunction with Captain (now Lieut.-General Sir Arnold) Kemball, carried on successfully all our written and most difficult communications with the Arab tribes." Having shared with the force all the dangers of the campaign, Mr. Badger received the Persian War Medal. In 1860 he was appointed coadjutor to Sir W. Coghlan to settle the serious difficulties which had arisen between the Sayyid Thuwainy, who then ruled over Omân, and the Sayyid Mâjid, the then ruler of the East African possessions of their deceased father, the renowned Sayyid Sa'îd. Mr. Badger returned to England in 1861, and again accompanied Sir James Outram on an important visit to Egypt. In the following year ​he retired from the service, and devoted himself mainly to literary pursuits. In 1872 he was appointed confidential adviser to Sir Bartle Frere on his special mission to Zanzibar. In recognition of his services, as well to the Church of England as to science, Mr. Badger was, in 1873, created a D.C.L. by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Royal Letters Patent; and two years later he was appointed to attend upon the Sultan of Zanzibar and suite during their visit to England. Among his numerous works are a "History of the Imams and Sayyids of 'Omân" (for the Hakluyt Society), 1871; the "Travels of Ludovico di Varthema in India and the East, A.D. 1503–8" (edited for the same Society), 1873, a work which obtained for him the dignity of Knight Commander of the Crown of Italy; and an "English-Arabic Lexicon," published in 1881, which has been highly eulogised by the press in the East and West. Dr. Badger, who is described in the Times as "one of the highest living authorities on the Arabic-speaking peoples," has also published several reviews of important works on Islâm, and has recently taken a prominent part in the literature connected with the Egyptian crisis. In 1880 he was created a Companion of the Gleaming Star by H. H. the Sultan of Zanzibar.