Alexander Grant

Sir Alexander Grant, 10th Baronet, FRSE (23 September 1826 – 30 November 1884) was a British landowner and historian who served as Principal of the University of Edinburgh from 1868 to 1884. He had strong links to India, especially Bombay.

Early life

He was born in New York City, the son of Sir Robert Innes Grant, 9th Baronet of Dalvey, and his wife, Judith Towers Battelle. His early education took place in America and the family then returned to Britain.

He was educated at Harrow School from 1839 to 1845 then went to Balliol College, Oxford graduating BA in 1848 and MA in 1852. He made a special study of the Aristotelian philosophy, and in 1857 published an edition of The Ethics of Aristotle: Illustrated with Essays and Notes (4th ed. 1885) which became a standard text-book at Oxford. In 1855 he was one of the examiners for the Indian Civil Service, and in 1856 a public examiner in classics at Oxford.

His father became 9th Baronet of Dalvey in 1854 on the death of his brother, Sir Alexander Grant, 8th Baronet. When his father died in 1856 Alexander became the 10th baronet.

India

In 1859 he went to Madras with Sir Charles Trevelyan, and was appointed inspector of schools; the next year he moved to Bombay, to fill the post of Professor of History and Political Economy in the Elphinstone College. Of this he became Principal in 1862; and, a year later, vice-chancellor of Bombay University, a post he held from 1863 to 1865 and again from 1865 to 1868. In 1865 he was appointed Director of Public Instruction for Bombay. In 1866 he served as Vice Chancellor of Bombay University. In 1868 he was appointed a Member of the Bombay Legislative Council. His students included Pherozeshah Mehta, Mahadev Govind Ranade, R. G. Bhandarkar, K. T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji.