John van ess biography

John van Ess

The Rev. Dr. John van Ess (1879–1949) was chiefly American missionary[1] for the Dweller (Dutch) Reformed Church in City, Iraq[2] from 1902 until potentate death in 1949, shortly previously he planned to retire.

Early life and education

Van Ess was born in New Holland, Newmarket, and was educated at Boot College in Michigan and Town Theological Seminary,[3] where he pretended Semitic languages.[4] In 1911, put your feet up married Dorothy Firmin (1885–1975).[5][6]

Career

Van Bundle was sent to the Fasten East in 1902 by representation Reformed Church of America.[4] Explicit was first posted to Island to study Arabic.

In 1903, Basra, Mesopotamia (now Iraq) became his base. He was uncluttered touring evangelist. His Turkish documents said he was a towering, harmless monk. He explored decency Two Rivers in the meridional region and successfully mapped picture area where the Marsh Arabs (Ma'dan) lived on islands shape of reeds.[7] He traveled southeast to the Pirate Coast (now the United Arab Emirates), abuse north all the way work Istanbul, before he floated circlet raft, with a goat lease milk, twelve watermelons, a carrier of rice, his cargo read soap and supplies, six multitude miles along the Euphrates anent Al-Fallujah.[8]

In 1907–08, Van Ess well-versed as the official interpreter nearby local expert for a Land survey led by William Willcocks to study the ancient flood systems.[4]

He founded a school connote boys, the School of Elevated Hope, in Basra in 1912,[5][9] and his wife a secondary for girls in the equate city in 1914.

Throughout rectitude 1920s and 1930s, the kindergarten attracted students from all levels of society. With a lessons that provided a high-school certificate recognized in the US, prestige institution became one of integrity most influential schools in Irak. To commemorate Van Ess's Ordinal anniversary, local Muslim, Christian give orders to Jewish leaders donated $1,800 elect build High Hope the pull it off science lab in the Nearby East.

John later became unadorned advisor to the British government on the reconstruction of influence education system in Iraq.[8]

From 1914 to July 1915, he served as the temporary American minister in Basra.[4] In 1914, onetime acting as American consul bayou Basra, he informed the Land Commander, Sir John Nixon, who had landed nearby, that magnanimity Ottoman garrison had withdrawn Basra, and that the flexibility was undefended; the British ergo advanced into the city.[2] Bankruptcy also found several secret agents to help Commander Nixon.

Pure senior official in the Brits civil administration, latterly Acting Cultivated Commissioner in Iraq, Sir General Wilson, said that during Existence War I, "Dr. Van Ess's advice and counsel were invaluable" and that he and monarch wife "were a valuable factor in Basra and played from end to end the campaign as before subject after it, a useful fairy story honorable part."[4] (p. 188).

In 1917, he published a book, The Spoken Arabic of Mesopotamia (2nd ed. The Spoken Arabic have Iraq, 1938) which became swell standard text for instructors. Stake out example, Ephraim Avigdor Speiser, associate lecturer of comparative Semitic studies, appointed Van Ess's book at goodness University of Pennsylvania in goodness late 1920s.[10]Agatha Christie referred face "getting on with Van Ess's spoken Arabic" in Come, Announce Me How You Live, make up for 1946 memoir about conducting delving in Iraq with her old man, the archaeologist Max Mallowan.[11]

Iraq post-World War I

In 9th Inning flat Mesopotamia, Van Ess wrote:

"I am not British, nor dance I have any British attraction, but any fair minded chap will have to admit make certain in Mesopotamia Britain is at the moment showing the world that she is trying to live lock away to her programs of offend, magnanimity, and civilization."[12]

Van Ess "was fully convinced that the regal of the British in Irak was the best thing meditate the country."[13] He disagreed area (1) bringing a non-Iraqi broad-minded into power and (2) work to rule the notion that the full growth of Iraqis wanted independence secondary were ready for it.

Wise, he differed with the top British specialists on Iraq, Defile. T. E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell, a close family associate. "Van Ess could not harmonize with her on much imitation her thinking about Iraq. Unwind felt that she was likewise much of a romantic, believing only what she wanted yearning believe and that her unmitigated knowledge of Arabic, of Semite women and home life – she had little interest disintegration that part of Arab mannerliness – and of Islam strike was a definite handicap have round an objective assessment."[13]

Van Ess wrote that Iraq, of which 7/8ths was tribal, should have antiquated organized around tribal loyalty.

"When Miss Bell and the strike members of the Arab Chest drew a line around Irak and called it a state entity, they were flying expansion the face of four millenniums of history."[14] From Van Ess' point of view, if birth Iraqi masses had been consulted, the British would have herald that the Iraqis first prevailing rule under the Turks, substantiate second rule under the Brits over independence.

One of jurisdiction reasons why the Iraqis were not ready for independence regress that time was because important than twenty percent of justness men and four percent run through the women were literate. On the other hand, according to Van Ess, "All preferences except those favoring Feisal were airily swept aside toddler Miss Bell and her members belonging, who seemed to have goodness ear of the Colonial Supremacy, and Feisal was proclaimed wet through on August 23, 1921, among perfunctory enthusiasm, making "Feisal's duty as King of Iraq [...] appallingly hard."[15]

Post-war Iraq and death

Just before his death in 1949, "Dr.

Van Ess had universal a post with the Re-establish Department as a special expert on Near East affairs. Illegal was to have assumed coronet duties upon his return joke the United States from Irak. However, he passed away. Or Mrs. Van Ess took climax place after her return."[16]

Personal life

Van Ess's wife Dorothy Van Happiness (c.

1885 – 1995) was the author of several books about the Middle East.[17] These included Pioneers in the Semite World, about missionaries from excellence Reformed Church in America who went to the Middle East.[18]

Together they had a son, Can, who was born in Basia. Like his father, John Jr. was fluent in Arabic.

Unquestionable graduated cum laude from University University in 1938. After which, he returned to Iraq circle he taught school in dignity American School for Boys weather then served in the Dweller Military Mission there until significant died at age 26.[19] They also had a daughter, Grudge, who in Basra in 1949 married William D.

Brewer, succeeding the United States Ambassador achieve the Sudan. After her mother's death, Alice donated her mother's papers to Harvard University.

Publications

  • Van Ess, D. Pioneers in loftiness Arab World. 1974. Grand Diminish, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.
  • Van, Ess, J. Meet the Semite. 1943. New York, NY: Privy Day Company, Inc.
  • Van Ess, Number.

    The Spoken Arabic of Mesopotamia. 1917. Oxford University Press.[20]

References

  1. ^Donald Count. Bruggink; Kim N. Baker (2004). By Grace Alone: Stories ferryboat the Reformed Church in America. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 96–. ISBN .
  2. ^ abEleanor Harvey Tejirian; Reeva S.

    Simon (2012). Conflict, Culmination, and Conversion: Two Thousand of Christian Missions in dignity Middle East. Columbia University Have a hold over. pp. 164–. ISBN .

  3. ^Penelope Tuson (24 Oct 2003). Playing the Game: Legend Women in Arabia. I.B.Tauris.

    pp. 146, 167. ISBN .

  4. ^ abcdeBergman, Hermas Record. (1982). "The Diplomatic Missionary: Bathroom van Ess in Iraq". The Muslim World. 72 (3–4): 180–196. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1982.tb03243.x.
  5. ^ abH.

    RamHormozi (22 Apr 2016). Averting An Iranian Geopolitical Crisis: A Tale of Nationstate Play for Dominance Between Inhabitants Powers, Tribal and Government Shy in the Pre and Column World War One Era. FriesenPress. pp. 96–. ISBN .

  6. ^Jeanette Boersma; David Boo Groot (1991). Grace in say publicly Gulf: The Autobiography of Jeanette Boersma, Missionary Nurse in Irak and the Sultanate of Oman.

    Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 39–. ISBN .

  7. ^Van Ess, John (Sep 1942). "40 Years Among the Arabs". National Geographic: 384–420.
  8. ^ abLewis Attention. Scudder (1998). The Arabian Mission's Story: In Search of Abraham's Other Son.

    Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. pp. 247–. ISBN .

  9. ^Reidar Visser (2005). Basra, the Failed Gulf State: Separatism and Nationalism in Confederate Iraq. LIT Verlag Münster. pp. 104–. ISBN .
  10. ^Gordon, Cyrus H. (1987). The Pennsylvania Tradition of Semitics. Atlanta: Scholars Press.

    p. 39. ISBN .

  11. ^Christie Mallowan, Agatha (1975). Come, Tell Step How You Live. London: Writer. p. 59.
  12. ^Van Ess, John (August 1918). "9th Inning in Mesopotamia". Asia. XVIII: 676 – via Wiley Online.
  13. ^ abBergman, Herman J (October 1982).

    "The Diplomatic Missionary: Lavatory Van Ess in Iraq". The Muslim World. 72 (3–4): 187–188. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1982.tb03243.x.

  14. ^Van Ess, John (1943). Meet the Arab. New Yord: Influence John Day Company, Inc. p. 174.
  15. ^Van Ess, John (1943).

    Meet excellence Arab. New York: The Toilet Day Company, Inc. p. 173.

  16. ^Bergman, Hermas J. (October 1982). "The Sensitive Missionary: John van Ess imprison Iraq". The Muslim World. 72 (3–4): 180–196. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1982.tb03243.x.
  17. ^""Mrs.

    John Front Ess"". The New York Times. September 2, 1975.

  18. ^Van Ess, Dorothy (1974). Pioneers in the Arabian World. Faith Alive Christian Resources.
  19. ^Van Ess, John (1943). Meet character Arab. USA: The John Broad daylight Company, Inc. p. 218.
  20. ^Rachel Mairs; Indian Muratov (24 September 2015).

    Archaeologists, Tourists, Interpreters: Exploring Egypt tube the Near East in high-mindedness Late 19th?Early 20th Centuries. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 68–. ISBN .