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Herbert Allen Giles (, 8 December 184513 February 1935) was a British
diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
and
sinologist Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the ex ...
who was the professor of Chinese at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
for 35 years. Giles was educated at
Charterhouse School (God having given, I gave) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , president ...
before becoming a British diplomat in China. He modified a
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin (; ) is a group of Chinese (Sinitic) dialects that are natively spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. The group includes the Beijing dialect, the basis of the phonology of Standard Chinese, the official language of ...
romanization system established by Thomas Wade, resulting in the widely known
Wade–Giles Wade–Giles () is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Francis Wade, during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert A. Giles's '' Chinese–English Dictionary'' of ...
Chinese romanization system. Among his many works were translations of the ''
Analects of Confucius The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...
'', the '' Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)'', the '' Chuang Tzu'', and, in 1892, the widely published ''
A Chinese-English Dictionary A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...
''.


Biography

Herbert Allen Giles was the fourth son of
John Allen Giles John Allen Giles (1808–1884) was an English historian. He was primarily known as a scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and history. He revised Stevens' translation of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and Bede's ''Ecclesiastical History of the English ...
(1808–1884), an
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
clergyman. After studying at
Charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...
, Herbert became a British diplomat to
Qing China The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu people, Manchu-led Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin (1616–1636), La ...
, serving from 1867 to 1892. He also spent several years (1885–1888) at
Fort Santo Domingo Fort Santo Domingo is a historical fortress in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It was originally a wooden fort built in 1628 by the Spanish Empire, who named it "Fort Santo Domingo". However, the fort was then destroyed by the Spani ...
in
Tamsui Tamsui District (Hokkien POJ: ''Tām-chúi''; Hokkien Tâi-lô: ''Tām-tsuí''; Mandarin Pinyin: ''Dànshuǐ'') is a seaside district in New Taipei, Taiwan. It is named after the Tamsui River; the name means "fresh water". The town is popula ...
, northern
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Giles' great grandson, Giles Pickford, stated in an address at the opening of the Fort San Domingo Museum – 8 November 2005, that his great grandfather, Herbert A Giles, was Her Britannic Majesty's Consul in Tamsui, Fort San Domingo from 1885 until 1891. Prior to that time, in 1869, Giles was based at Kaoshiung. He married Catherine Maria (Kate) Fenn in 1870 and was the father of Bertram, Valentine, Lancelot, Edith, Mable, and
Lionel Giles Lionel Giles (29 December 1875 – 22 January 1958) was a British sinologist, writer, and philosopher. Lionel Giles served as assistant curator at the British Museum and Keeper of the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books. He is ...
. In 1897 Herbert Giles became only the second professor of Chinese language appointed at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, succeeding Thomas Wade. At the time of his appointment, there were no other sinologists at Cambridge. Giles was therefore free to spend most of his time among the ancient Chinese texts earlier donated by Wade, publishing what he chose to translate from his eclectic reading in Chinese literature. Giles published over sixty books, lectures, pamphlets, journal articles, book reviews, and newspaper articles. During his long life he completed a comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary which took over fifteen years to compile and became a standard reference for many years. Giles also published the first history of Chinese literature and art, which also became a reference work. Some of his translations have stood the test of time and are still among the best available. Giles was not afraid to be controversial and outspoken on numerous topics. To quote his great grandson, "Most of his enemies were people whose work he had criticized. Such people included E H Parker, a sinologist at Manchester University; Sir Walter Hillier a sinologist from London; and Sir Thomas Wade, Minister to China (1870-76 and 1880-82) and therefore Giles's superior in the Consular Service. Wade was later Professor of Chinese at the University of Cambridge (1888-95). Giles was to succeed him in this position in 1897." Giles was also outspoken on the work of Christian Missionaries and British traders because of the overcrowding of Chinese emigrants on British ships. Yet as Charles Aylmer wrote, in his Memoirs of H. A. Giles, "Notwithstanding his reputation for abrasiveness, he would speak to anyone in the street from the Vice-Chancellor to a crossing-sweeper and was remembered by acquaintances as a man of great personal charm. " Giles wrote some of his works in conjunction with his son, Dr. Lionel Giles, also an expert on China, who was employed as the Deputy Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts at the British Museum. His later works include a history of the Chinese Pictorial Art in 1905 and his 1914
Hibbert Lectures The Hibbert Lectures are an annual series of non-sectarian lectures on theological issues. They are sponsored by the Hibbert Trust, which was founded in 1847 by the Unitarian Robert Hibbert with a goal to uphold "the unfettered exercise of private ...
on
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
which was published in 1915 by
Williams and Norgate Williams and Norgate were publishers and book importers in London and Edinburgh. They specialized in both British and foreign scholarly and scientific literature. Williams & Norgate was founded in the winter of 1842 by Edmund Sydney Williams (181 ...
. He dedicated the third edition of ''
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio ''Liaozhai zhiyi'', sometimes shortened to ''Liaozhai'', known in English as ''Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'' or ''Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio'', is a collection of Classical Chinese stories by Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling, ...
'' (1916) to his seven grandchildren, but at the end of his life was on speaking terms with only one of his surviving children. An ardent agnostic, he was also an enthusiastic
freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
. He never became a
Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
at one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, despite being a university professor for 35 years. Dr. Giles was married twice. His first wife was Miss Catherine Maria Fenn and his second wife was Miss Elise Williamina Edersheim, who died in 1921. On her death, Giles wrote, "In all those 38 years not a syllable came from my pen which was not examined by her and approved before publication." Elise was herself an author, her best known work being China Coast Tales, which she wrote during her time in Tamsui (1885-1888) and which she published under the pseudonym Lise Boehm. On 4 July 1922, the Royal Asiatic Society awarded Giles their Triennial Gold Medal. His friend L. C. Hopkins, was reported to say the following. "If he were asked to formulate in a sentence the special mark and merit of Professor Giles's lifelong labours, he would say that beyond all other living scholars he had humanized Chinese studies. He had by his writings made more readers know more things about China, things that were material, things that were vital – he had diffused a better and a truer understanding of Chinese intellect, its capabilities and achievements, than any other scholar." Giles finally retired in 1932, and died at Cambridge on 13 February 1935, aged 89.


Legacy

Giles received the Prix Julien award from the
French Academy French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
in 1897 for his
Chinese Biographical Dictionary
'. Generally considered unreliable among modern academics,
Endymion Wilkinson Endymion Porter Wilkinson (born 15 May 1941) is an English diplomat and scholar who served as the European Union Ambassador to China and Mongolia from 1994 to 2001. He is particularly noted for '' Chinese History: A New Manual'', the first ver ...
described it as: He also ran afoul of the Chinese scholar Ku Hung-ming, who declared Nor did Ku appreciate Giles'
Chinese-English Dictionary
' describing it as . A recent book on Chinese lexicography says Giles' dictionary has "special significance and interest" and "enjoys pride of place in the history of Chinese bilingual dictionaries as the authoritative source for the Wade-Giles system of Romanization." (Yong and Peng 2008: 387). The English sinologist and historian Endymion Wilkinson (2013: 85) says Giles' dictionary is "still interesting as a repository of late Qing documentary Chinese, although there is little or no indication of the citations, mainly from the Kangxi zidian)." (Wilkinson 2013: 85) In 1917, Giles funded an award, the Prix Giles, in the amount of eight hundred francs. Administered by the
Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions ( epig ...
, it is given every two years to a French person who has written a work about China, Japan, or East Asia, in general.


Diplomatic postings

*British
Vice Consul A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
at Pagoda Island,
Mawei Mawei (; Foochow Romanized: Mā-muōi) is one of 6 urban districts of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province, China. The district spans an area of 319.66 square kilometers, of which, 275.66 square kilometers is la ...
(1880–1883) *British Vice Consul at Shanghai (1883–1885) *British Consul at
Tamsui Tamsui District (Hokkien POJ: ''Tām-chúi''; Hokkien Tâi-lô: ''Tām-tsuí''; Mandarin Pinyin: ''Dànshuǐ'') is a seaside district in New Taipei, Taiwan. It is named after the Tamsui River; the name means "fresh water". The town is popula ...
(1885–1891) *British Consul at
Ningpo Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sa ...
(1891–1893)


Awards

List of awards and honours: * Order of Chia-Ho *Gold medal of the
Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the en ...
*Prix St. Julien by the
French Academy French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
(twice) *Honorary degrees from the
University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...
(1897) and
University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...
(1924)


Bibliography


Books by Herbert Giles

* * *

* Gutenberg.org
Full text
* * * * *
Volume 1
*
Volumes 1-2
* * — (1898).
A Catalogue of the Wade Collection of Chinese and Manchu Books in the Library of the University of Cambridge
', Cambridge University Press. * — (1901).
History of Chinese Literature
', D. Appleton & Company, New York and London. Wikipedia page: '' History of Chinese Literature'' * — (1901).
Great Religions of the World
', Harper & Brothers Publishers, New York and London. * * * — (1905).
An Introduction to the History of Chinese Pictorial Art
', Bernard Quaritch, London * — (1906).
Religions of Ancient China
', Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd., London (Religions: Ancient and Modern series)
publishinghistory.com. Retrieved 8 December 2022. * * * (The Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature). Gutenberg.org

* — (1915).
Confucianism and Its Rivals: Lectures Delivered in the University Hall of Dr. William's Library, London, October-December 1914
', London: Williams and Norgate, 1915 (The Hibbert Lectures: Second Series) * — (1919).
How to Begin Chinese: The Hundred Best Characters
'. Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai; Bernard Quaritch, London. * — (1922). ''How to Begin Chinese: The Second Hundred Best Characters''. Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai. * ''Revision of Bullock's Progressive Exercises'' (1922) * ''The Chinese and Their Food'' (''Zhonghua Fanshi'') (1947, Shanghai) (posthumous) * "The Memoirs of H.A. Giles,

''East Asian History'' 13 (1997): 1–90. Dated 1925.


Translations by Herbert Giles

* Faxian,
Record of the Buddhistic Kingdoms
', Trübner & Co., London and Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai, 1877 *
Gems of Chinese Literature
', 1883; second edition: Shanghai, Kelly & Walsh, 1922 *
The Remains of Lao Tzu
', 1886 *
Chuang Tzǔ: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer
', Bernard Quaritich, 1889 * Wang Yinglin,
Elementary Chinese: San Tzu Ching
', Shanghai: Messrs. Kelly & Walsh, Ld., 1900 * Pu Songling,
Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio
', Shanghai, etc.: Kelly & Walsh, Ltd., 1916 *
Chinese Fairy Tales
', 1920 reprint of 1911 first edition. Wikisource
Full text


Books relating to Herbert Giles

*


References


Sources

*Cooley, James C., Jr. ''T.F. Wade in China: Pioneer in Global Diplomacy 1842–1882.'' Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1981. * Minford, John and Tong Man.
Whose Strange Stories? P'u Sung-ling (1640–1715), Herbert Giles (1845–1935), and the ''Liao-chai chih-i''

Archive
.''
East Asian History The History of East Asia generally encompasses the histories of China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Taiwan from prehistoric times to the present. East Asia is not a uniform term and each of its countries has a different national history, b ...
'' 17/18 (1999), pp. 1–48. Accessed 1 February 2014. * Giles, Herbert, Edited and with an Introduction by Charles Aylmer, "The Memoirs of H.A. Giles, The," East Asian History.13 (1997): 1–90


External links

* * *
Images of Herbert Giles and Family

Access to Giles' Chinese-English Dictionary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Giles, Herbert 1845 births 1935 deaths Professors of the University of Cambridge British expatriates in China British sinologists Chinese–English translators Creators of writing systems 20th-century English writers People educated at Charterhouse School 19th-century English writers English translators