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Herbert Allen Giles (1845-1935) was a distinguished British sinologist and linguist whose contributions to the field of Chinese studies remained substantial in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born at Oxford, Giles was educated at Charterhouse and graduated from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. In 1867, he entered the consular service in China, which marked the beginning of his extensive career in the Chinese Empire. One of Giles' most notable works, 'Historic China, and Other Sketches' (1882), provides insightful narratives capturing the essence of Chinese civilization and its history. In addition to being a prolific writer, including scholarly articles, Giles was renowned for his Chinese-English dictionary and is credited with developing the Wade-Giles Romanization system for Mandarin, extensively used in Anglophone countries until the adoption of Pinyin. His literary style often blended meticulous scholarship with an approachable narrative, which earned him the position of professor of Chinese at Cambridge University from 1897 to 1932. Giles' academic prowess was recognized by his election as a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, and he was also bestowed an honorary degree by Aberdeen University. His work has left a lasting imprint on sinology, providing a foundation for subsequent scholars in the field (Durant, 1954).
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