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Irishman Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841-1913) A hundred years ago, on 15 March 1913, one of the first western scholars of the Sikhs died at his home in Kensington, London, reciting verses by Guru Nanak. Irishman Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841-1913) was a civil servant in India before becoming a prolific scholar and author who gained renown […]

Irishman Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841-1913)

A hundred years ago, on 15 March 1913, one of the first western scholars of the Sikhs died at his home in Kensington, London, reciting verses by Guru Nanak.

Irishman Max Arthur Macauliffe (1841-1913) was a civil servant in India before becoming a prolific scholar and author who gained renown for his groundbreaking translations into English of Sikh scripture and history.

So intrigued was he by the message contained within the Guru Granth Sahib, he retired his well-paid post as a divisional judge in Amritsar to pursue the mammoth task ahead of him.

In a lecture delivered at the annual session of the Lahore Singh Sabha, Macauliffe proclaimed that the Guru Granth was ‘matchless’ as a book of holy teachings.

Incredibly, some commentators even believe that he adopted the Sikh way in the 1860s – indeed, his personal assistant remarked in his memoirs that on his death bed at his home at 10 Sinclair Gardens, Kensington, Macauliffe was heard reciting the Sikh morning prayer, ‘Japji Sahib’ ten minutes before he passed away.

~ Source: Sikh Discover Inspire