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Allan Octavian Hume

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"ALLAN OCTAVIAN HUME (1829-1912), English ornithologist and Indian administrator, son of Joseph Hume ( see 13.884), was born June 6 1829 and educated at Haileybury and London University. Entering the Indian civil service in 1849, he became collector of Etwah, and rendered distinguished service during the Mutiny and later against Firoz Shah. Between 1867 and 1871 he carried out the negotiations with the Rajput chiefs for opening road and railway communications through the great belt of mountain and jungle which formerly cut India in two. He was made secretary to the Indian Government in the Home Department and afterwards in the Revenue and Agricultural departments, but returned to the North-West Provinces as member of the Revenue Board in 1879. In 1882 he retired from the service, and devoted himself to furthering the aspirations of native Indians. The Indian National Congress ( see 14.417), which held its first session at Bombay in 1885, owes its existence to his exertions. He was the author of several works on ornithology, and presented his collections of bird skins and eggs to the British Museum. He died at Norwood July 31 1912.

See Sir W. Wedderburn, Bart., Allan Octavian Hume, C.B.: Father of the Indian National Congress (1913); and Allan O. Hume: a Sketch of his Life and Services to India (1912).