Family Name:

Dow

First Name:

Alexander

Birth Date:

1734

Birth Place:

Perthshire

Death Date:

Fri, Jul 30, 1779

Death Place:

Bhagalpur (Bengal)

Main places of activity:

Personal info:

Education He was apparently apprenticed at Eyemouth to be educated for a career as a merchant but in 1757 became a midshipman on a privateer. He joined the East India Company's army as a cadet in 1760 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1763 and captain in 1764.
Career He took part in battles in India and was wounded in December 1764. After taking part in a protest at Clive's management, he returned to Britain where he was briefly from 1768, when he published his first translations and a tragedy, which was staged in Drury Lane. He returned to India in 1769 but was again in London in 1772-4, when another play of his was staged. On his return to India he was appointed commissary-general of the East India Company's establishment in Bengal, which was badly paid. He then became governor of the Fort of Chunar but was replaced after a year. Despite joining the enemies of Warren Hastings, he was given the task of attacking and occupying the French sttlement at Chandernagore in 1778. He fell ill soon after this and died the following year.
Financial Situation He had a "small independent fortune", and when Commissary-General in 1775 complained that the salary of 240 rupees per month was too small and forced him to draw on his own money. After his death, his possessions in Bengal were valued at about £18000.

Translations

Original Title	Translation title	Author
Tarikh-e- Farishta	The history of Hindostan : from the earliest account of time, to the death of Akbar / tr. from the Persian of Mahummud Casim Ferishta of Delhi	Muhammad Kasim Ferishta
Bahār-i Dānis̲h̲	Tales Translated from the Persian of Inatulla of Delhi	Inayat Allah Kanbu.

Other Works

Title	Publication Year	Publisher	Author
Sethona, a Tragedy, as it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Drury Lane	1775	T. Beckett
Zingis. A tragedy: As it is performed at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane.	1769	T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt

Dow translated two works from Persian.

Tarikh-e- Farishta
Translation Title: The history of Hindostan : from the earliest account of time, to the death of Akbar / tr. from the Persian of Mahummud Casim Ferishta of Delhi
Original Author: Muhammad Kasim Ferishta

Translation: The history of Hindostan : from the earliest account of time, to the death of Akbar / tr. from the Persian of Mahummud Casim Ferishta of Delhi
Publisher: T. Becket, and P.A. De Hondt
N° Editions: 3
Pub. Place: London
Pub. Date: 1767
Lang: English
Note:
The first two volumes, published in 1768, also contained a "Dissertation containing the religion and philosophy of the Brahmins" and an appendix "containing the history of the Mogul empire, from its decline in the reign of Mahummud Shaw, to the present times". Volume 3, published in 1772, also contained "A Dissertation on the Origin and Nature of Despotism in Hindostan", and "An Enquiry into the State of Bengal, with a plan for restoring that kingdom to its former prospecrity and splendour".

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