astronomy

Richard Pankhurst (historian)

Richard Pankhurst (historian) is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Pankhurst (historian) rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE (3 December 1927 – 16 February 2017) was a British scholar who was a founding member of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and professor at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. His books have been reviewed in scholarly journals, with Edward Ullendorff calling his The Ethiopians testimony to his "remarkable diligence and industry in the service of Ethiopian studies".

Key takeaways

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Reproduce the core statement of Richard Pankhurst (historian) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE (3 December 1927 – 16 February 2017) was a British scholar who was a founding member of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and professor at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. His books have been reviewed in scholarly journals, with Edward Ullendorff calling his The Ethiopians testimony to his "remarkable diligence and industry in the service of Ethiopian studies". He is known for his research on economic history and socio-cultural studies on Ethiopia.

Early life and education Pankhurst was born in 1927 in Woodford Green to left communist and former suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst and Italian anarchist Silvio Corio. His maternal grandparents were Emmeline and Richard Pankhurst. Pankhurst studied at Chigwell School, Bancroft's School in Woodford, and then at the London School of Economics, from which he received a doctorate in economic history, on which Harold Laski acted as an advisor.

Career

His mother, Sylvia Pankhurst, had been an active supporter of Ethiopian culture and independence since the Italian invasion in 1935, and Richard grew up knowing many Ethiopian refugees. Sylvia was a friend of Haile Selassie and published Ethiopia, a Cultural History in 1955. In 1956, she and Richard moved to Ethiopia where they were joined by Rita Eldon. He began working at the University College of Addis Ababa, and in 1962 was the founding director of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. He also edited the Journal of Ethiopian Studies and the Ethiopia Observer. Pankhurst left the Institute and his professorship at what had become the University of Addis Ababa in 1976 after the death of Haile Selassie and the start of the Ethiopian Civil War. He returned to England, where he became a research fellow with the School of Oriental and African Studies and the London School of Economics, before working as librarian at the Royal Asiatic Society. He returned to Ethiopia in 1986, where he resumed research with the Institute. He published numerous books and articles on a wide variety of topics related to Ethiopian history. Pankhurst led the campaign for the return of the Obelisk of Axum to Ethiopia. It was re-erected in Axum in 2008. For his efforts in this, he was given the honorary title "Dejazmach Benkirew" by the Union of Tigraians of North America. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Diplomatic Service and Overseas section of the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to Ethiopian studies".

Personal life In addition to his numerous books on Ethiopia, Pankhurst wrote works about his mother, including Sylvia Pankhurst: Artist and Crusader and Sylvia Pankhurst: Counsel for Ethiopia. Pankhurst married Rita Eldon in 1957 and they had a daughter, Helen Pankhurst, and a son, Alula Pankhurst, with whom he collaborated on at least one book.

Death and legacy Pankhurst died on 16 February 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the age of 89. Workneh Gebeyehu, the Ethiopian Foreign Minister described him as "one of Ethiopia's greatest friends". He was buried on 21 February at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.

References

Relevant literature Abbink, Jon (2017). "Richard Pankhurst, 1927-2017". Rassegna di Studi Etiopici. 1 (48): 226–229. JSTOR 45137019. Bekele, Shiferaw (28 March 2018). "In memoriam Richard Pankhurst (1927–2017)". Aethiopica. 20. doi:10.15460/aethiopica.20.1.1137. Zewde, Bahru (2016). "Richard Pankhurst (1927-2017)". Journal of Ethiopian Studies. 49: 115–118. JSTOR 44786172.

External links "A Bibliography of the Published Writings of Richard Pankhurst", compiled by Rita Pankhurst

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Pankhurst (historian)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Pankhurst (historian) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Pankhurst (historian) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Pankhurst (historian) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Pankhurst (historian)

In research: Richard Pankhurst (historian) appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Pankhurst (historian) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Pankhurst (historian) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1927 births, 2017 deaths, Academic staff of Addis Ababa University, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Pankhurst (historian) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Richard Pankhurst (historian) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Richard Pankhurst (historian) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Richard Pankhurst (historian) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Pankhurst (historian) in simple terms?

Why does Richard Pankhurst (historian) matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Pankhurst (historian)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Pankhurst (historian).