Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Platts, John Thompson

by George Speirs Alexander Ranking

PLATTS, JOHN THOMPSON (1830–1904), Persian scholar, born at Calcutta on 1 August 1830, was second son of Robert Platts of Calcutta, India, who left at his death a large family and a widow in straitened circumstances. John, after being educated at Bedford (apparently privately), returned to India in early manhood, and during 1858-9 was mathematical master at Benares College. He was in charge of Saugor School in the Central Provinces from 1859 to 1861, when he became mathematical professor and headmaster of Benares College. In 1864 Platts was transferred to the post of assistant inspector of schools, second circle. Northwest Provinces, and in 1868 he became officiating inspector of schools, northern circle. Central Provinces. He retired on 17 March 1872, owing to ill-health. Platts then returned to England, and settling at Ealing occupied himself with teaching Hindustani and Persian. He had closely studied both languages and had thoroughly mastered their grammars and vocabulary. On 2 June 1880 he was elected teacher of Persian in the University of Oxford. He matriculated from Balliol College on 1 Feb. 1881, and on 21 June of that year was made M.A. honoris causa. On 19 March 1901 the degree of M.A. was conferred upon him by decree. He died suddenly in London on 21 Sept. 1904, and was buried at Wolvercote cemetery near Oxford.

Platts was twice married: (1) in 1856, at Lahore, India, to Alice Jane Kenyon (d. 1874), by whom he had three sons and four daughters; and (2) on 4 Oct. 1876 to Mary Elizabeth, only daughter of Thomas Dunn, architect and surveyor, of Melbourne, Australia, and widow of John Hayes, architect and surveyor, of Croydon; by her Platts had one son. His widow was awarded a civil list pension of 75l. in 1905.

Platts compiled:

1. 'A Grammar of the Hindustani Language,' 1874.
2. 'A Hindustani-English Dictionary,' 1881.
3. 'A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English,' 1884.
4. 'A Grammar of the Persian Language, Part I, Accidence,' 1894. He also edited the text of 'Gulistan of Sa'di' (1872), and published 'Sa'di (Shaikh Muslihuddin Shirazi)' photographed from MS. under his superintendence (1891).

He translated the 'Ikhwanu-s-Safa' from the Hindustani of Maulavi Ikram Ali (1875), and the 'Gulistan of Sa'di' (1876).

Platts' grammars of Persian and Hindustani were a marked advance upon the work of any English predecessor, and still hold the field. His 'Hindustani-English Dictionary' is a monument of erudition and research.

[Record Department, India Office; Oxford Times, 1 Oct. 1904.]

G. S. A. R.