Alexander Kinloch Forbes (7 July 1821 – 31 August 1865) was a colonial administrator in British India.

Forbes was born in London on 7 July 1821 to John Forbes-Mitchell (1786-1822) of Thainston and Ann Powell (m. 1809 d. 1861).

He articled to George Basevi, an architect, for eight months but later joined a college Haileybury as he was appointed to Bombay Civil Service by Sir Charles Forbes in 1840.

[3][4] Forbes was appointed in 1842 to the Civil Service of the East India Company, later moved to Bombay in 1843.

Later he was appointed as Assistant Judge in Ahmedabad in November 1846 where he noted the absence of literary society.

[3] He served in different departments in Gujarat such as First Assistant Collector of Ahmedabad and Political Agent to Mahi Kantha until he went home in March 1854.

He inspired Dalpatram to write Laxmi Natak published in 1849, the first play in Gujarati, based on Greek drama Plutus.

[8][9] On 26 December 1848 he started the Gujarat Vernacular Society in Ahmedabad, which contributed to a literary renaissance in Gujarati.

The society started the first public library, first school for girls, first periodical, first newspaper and first literary magazine of Gujarat.