Percival Griffiths

Who was Percival Griffiths?

Sir Percival Joseph Griffiths was a prominent businessman who also worked for the Indian Civil Service. A large part of his service career was spent in eastern India. He retired from the service in 1937 while deputy commissioner in Darjeeling. Apart from his working knowledge in European languages, he was fluent in Bengali and also knew Hindi, Urdu, Tibetan, Nepalese, and Sanskrit. After retirement he stayed in India and acted as representative for European businesses. He was knighted in 1947 and became adviser to the Indian Tea Association.

He was a prolific writer and pamphleteer. Some of his prominent publications include:

Modern India

The History of the Indian Tea Industry

To Guard my People

A Licence to Trade: the History of the English Chartered Companies

A History of the Inchcape Group

Vignettes of India