Douglas Craven Phillott

Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas Craven Phillott (28 June 1860 - 11 September 1930[1]) was a British army officer who served in India and later as Consul in Persia.

[8][9] Phillott was elected member of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in November 1889 and a fellow in 1910;[10] and he published in its journal and served as secretary to the Philological Committee.

[6] He also played a major role in the publication of a Persian translation of The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan written by James Justinian Morier.

[7] The translation, which was originally done by Mirza Habib Esfahani, was wrongly attributed to Sheykh Ahmad Ruhi Kermani whose image appeared as the frontispiece of the book.

Research has shown that Esfahani's translation, though highly praised for its fluency and innovations, included editorial additions and modifications to suggest that Persia was backward, ruled by despots unlike the advanced culture of Constantinople.