Philip Meadows Taylor

Philip Meadows Taylor (1808–1876) was a British novelist and colonial official. Born in Liverpool, he went to India as a young man and served in both military and civil capacities under the Nizam of Hyderabad. In 1839 his representative work Confessions of a Thug was published and became a bestseller; he later wrote several romance novels set against Indian history, including Tippoo Sultaun, A Noble Queen, and Tara. Four of his works are held in this collection. His novels are mostly drawn from Indian history and local society, with strong plots and an atmosphere that is both romantic and historical. Public information about his early education and private life is limited, and existing accounts focus mainly on his colonial service and the representative works mentioned above.