Rabbie Burns and Alexander "Skander" Burnes

[macwilkin]

Todd:

I've known about Alexander Burnes for quite a while now, at least since about 1996 when my interest in Central Asia really started to form. It's the interconnectedness that surprises me. Reading that Rabbie had been kin to him was a little shock---like when I read that Sir Francis Younghusband had corresponded with Roy Chapman Andrews about Mongolia and Korea.

I have, I suppose, an advantage when it comes to history, being from the American South. That whole Faulkner thing about the past not only not being dead, but not even being the past. (Or maybe that's just my excuse.)

In some ways, running into the same names over and over again, your Richard Burtons, your Alexander Burnes, your Fighting Bob Sales, it's almost enough to put one in mind of Foucault's Pendulum!

I've always had an interest in India & Nepal; mostly due to my grandfather's service there during WWII. The so-called "Martial Races" have always intrigued me, especially the Sikhs. I had the pleasure to hear a Sikh gentleman speak one time at our college; It turns out, he is a great admirer of Burns and we began to discuss Lord Singh's efforts to design a Sikh tartan and translate Burns into Punjabi.

We even invited him to speak to our St. Andrew's Society, which was very interesting.

btw, google "Rattray's Sikhs" and see what you get! <grin>

Sat Sri Akal!

Todd