Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation
Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation > Ask Alfie
Hi
Who set-up the Asiatic Society of Bengal?
In 1783, William Jones arrived in Calcutta as a junior judge at the Supreme Court that the Company had set up.
1. Jones was also a linguist. He knew Greek, Latin, French, English, Arabic and, Persian.
At Calcutta, pandits taught him the Sanskrit language, grammar and poetry. Soon he studied ancient Indian texts on law, philosophy, religion, politics, morality, arithmetic, medicine and the other sciences. 2. His interests were shared by many British officials like Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed who translated Sanskrit and Persian works in English. Together, these orientalists (those with a scholarly knowledge of the language and culture of Asia) Jones set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and started a journal called Asiatick Researches. 3. Jones and Colebrooke realised that in order to understand India it was necessary to discover the sacred and legal texts that were produced in the ancient period. Only from these ancient texts could a new study form the basis of future development in India. So they discovered ancient texts, understood their meaning, translated them, and making their findings known to others.
1. Jones was also a linguist. He knew Greek, Latin, French, English, Arabic and, Persian.
At Calcutta, pandits taught him the Sanskrit language, grammar and poetry. Soon he studied ancient Indian texts on law, philosophy, religion, politics, morality, arithmetic, medicine and the other sciences. 2. His interests were shared by many British officials like Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed who translated Sanskrit and Persian works in English. Together, these orientalists (those with a scholarly knowledge of the language and culture of Asia) Jones set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and started a journal called Asiatick Researches. 3. Jones and Colebrooke realised that in order to understand India it was necessary to discover the sacred and legal texts that were produced in the ancient period. Only from these ancient texts could a new study form the basis of future development in India. So they discovered ancient texts, understood their meaning, translated them, and making their findings known to others.
_(cropped).jpg )
Image Courtesy: Wikipedia">
Some of the learners also asked:
What did Jones ad Colebrook collectively produce?
What did Jones ad Colebrook collectively produce?
