Wazir Beg

Wazir Beg (1827–1885) was a Semitic scholar, linguist, religious writer, Presbyterian minister and controversialist.

Early life and education
Wazir was born in Pune, Maharashtra, India into a Muslim family. His parents were devout Muslims and he received a typical Muslim middle-class education.

Life
in 1842 Wazir converted to Christianity, but refused to admit his faith for fear of how it would affect his family. He turned down the post of headmaster of Dhanwar Government School because he was secretly a Christian.

Beg completed his theological studies in 1853 and was licensed in 1854. The following year he moved to Scotland, where he enrolled in medical studies at the University of Edinburgh (although his name was not found in the university's records). He became a Fellow of the Medical College, London, in 1861, and is said to have obtained medical qualifications in Erlangen in Germany.

Beg arrived in Melbourne in 1864 as a ship's surgeon, was ordained by the local congregation of Presbyterians at Port Albert, and, as Victoria did not offer Semitic scholarships at the time, took up a call at the Chalmers’ Free Presbyterian Church (Cleveland Paddock Redfern) and moved to Sydney in 1865.

Arabic was the primary language of the Oriental Languages and Literature readership at the University of Sydney when it was created. Beg was appointed to the post in December 1866.