HARLAN, John, American physician, Ori ental adventurer and ruler: b. Philadelphia. Dr. Harlan sailed from Boston in 1825 as sur geon-apothecary of an East India merchant ship. On arriving in India he found an urgent demand for surgeons to proceed to the first British Burmese campaign. He served through that war, and returned to India. His useful ness being no longer required by the British. much to his chagrin, he went up-country and attached himself to the court of Ranjit Singh, the independent Sikh king of the Punjab. Dr. Harlan soon rose high in kanjit Singh's favor, and in 1827, was appointed governor of the province of Gujarat, which, with his capital city at Ahmedabad, he ruled until 1836. Over some dispute with Ranjit Singh he resigned that office, and went to Cabul where, as one of the ministers of Dost Mohammed, Amir of Afghanistan, on the outbreak of the war be tween Afghanistan and Great Britain, Dr. Har lan applied for the position of commander-in chief of the Afghan army, but it was bestowed upon Ackbar Khan, the Amir's son, Dost Mo hammed supposing Harlan to be an Englishman and being distrustful. Though disappointed,
Dr. Harlan remained to give the Afghans mili tary advice which, had it been accepted, would have seriously threatened the British force ad vancing by way of the Bolan Pass. Dr. Har lan again returned to India, where he became the friend and confidant of Sir Henry Law rence, high commissioner of the Punjab. Much of momentous importance to the future of British interests in India was then trans piring, and Dr. Harlan, tired of the duplicity of native rulers, rendered valuable advice. He is described as having been as handsome man of fine presence."' Dr. Harlan finally returned to the United States and took up his residence in New York, where he was a conspicuous figure in the late forties. He died about 1850. He was the only American to become a ruler in India and the first to visit Afghanistan. Con sult Ireland, J. B., 'From Wall Street to Kash mir' (pp. 46-47, New York 1859).