A distinguished officer, Francklin also enjoyed considerable reputation as an oriental scholar.
In 1786 he made a tour in Persia, in the course of which he resided for eight months at Shiraz as an inmate of a Persian family, and was thus enabled to communicate a fuller account of the manners of the people than had before appeared.
His journal was published as Observations made on a Tour from Bengal to Persia in … 1786–7; with a short account of the remains of the … Palace of Persepolis, 4to, Calcutta, 1788 (reprinted in vol.
A French version, Voyage du Bengal à Chyraz, was published in vols.
… With an Appendix, 4to, London, 1798, serves as an important continuation of the Siyar Ul-Mutakherin (View of Modern Times) by Ghulam Husain Tabatabai.