Henry George Keene (30 September 1781–29 January 1864) was an English employee of the East India Company, as soldier, civil servant, and orientalist.
[1] Keene went to India as a cadet in the Madras Presidency army about 1798, and shortly after became adjutant of a sepoy regiment, which formed part of the brigade commanded by Colonel Arthur Wellesley.
In poor health, he obtained an appointment in the Madras civil service through his uncle, Lord Harris, the commander-in-chief, in February 1801.
After a short visit to England he entered Fort William College in Calcutta, then newly established, for the training of young civil officers.
[1] In 1824 Keene became professor of Arabic and Persian at the East India College, Haileybury, where he was later appointed registrar.
[1] Around 1804, in India, Keene wrote a book on law in Arabic, for which the British government awarded him 10,000 rupees.
[5] In 1824 Keene married Anne, daughter of Charles Apthorp Wheelwright, formerly of Boston, Massachusetts, a loyalist refugee.