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Question
Why did William Jones feel the need to study Indian history, philosophy and law?
Why did William Jones feel the need to study Indian history, philosophy and law?
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Solution
- A person named William Jones arrived in Calcutta in 1783.
- The company had established a Supreme Court in Calcutta; he was appointed as a Junior Judge.
- Jones was a Linguist apart from his expertise in Law.
- Jones had learnt Persian, Arabic, English, French. He had studied Latin and Greek at Oxford.
- Jones learnt the poetry, grammar and subtleties of Sanskrit language, by spending many hours a day with a Pandit.
- Soon William Jones started studying ancient Indian texts on sciences, medicine, arithmetic, morality, politics, religion, philosophy, law.
- Many British officials living in Calcutta had also shared the interests of William Jones.
- Englishmen like Nathaniel Halhed and Henry Thomas Colebrooke were busy translating Sanskrit and Persian works into English, mastering Indian languages, and discovering the ancient Indian heritage.
- William Jones joined hands with them and began a journal named Asiatick Researches.
- William Jones and Colebrooke shared a deep respect for the West as well as ancient Indian culture.
- They felt Indian civilization had declined but they had attained glory in the ancient past.
- They felt the legal and sacred texts of ancient India had to be discovered to understand India.
- William Jones felt only these texts could be the foundation for development of India and only these ancient texts could reveal the real laws and ideas of Hindus and Muslims.
- Hence William Jones and Colebrooke went about making their findings known to others, translating the ancient texts, understanding and discovering the ancient texts of India.
- William Jones believed this project would help Indians understand the lost glories of their past, rediscover their own heritage, and help British learn from Indian culture.
- Jones felt it would help the British master as well as become guardians of Indian culture.
- Influenced by these ideas, the company officials were of the opinion that British instead of promoting Western learning, Indian knowledge must be promoted.
- They wanted to establish institutions that would help in studying ancient Indian poetry, literature and texts.
- Hence, Hindu college was established in 1791 at Benares, and a Madrassa at Calcutta in 1781.
- A person named William Jones arrived in Calcutta in 1783.
- The company had established a Supreme Court in Calcutta; he was appointed as a Junior Judge.
- Jones was a Linguist apart from his expertise in Law.
- Jones had learnt Persian, Arabic, English, French. He had studied Latin and Greek at Oxford.
- Jones learnt the poetry, grammar and subtleties of Sanskrit language, by spending many hours a day with a Pandit.
- Soon William Jones started studying ancient Indian texts on sciences, medicine, arithmetic, morality, politics, religion, philosophy, law.
- Many British officials living in Calcutta had also shared the interests of William Jones.
- Englishmen like Nathaniel Halhed and Henry Thomas Colebrooke were busy translating Sanskrit and Persian works into English, mastering Indian languages, and discovering the ancient Indian heritage.
- William Jones joined hands with them and began a journal named Asiatick Researches.
- William Jones and Colebrooke shared a deep respect for the West as well as ancient Indian culture.
- They felt Indian civilization had declined but they had attained glory in the ancient past.
- They felt the legal and sacred texts of ancient India had to be discovered to understand India.
- William Jones felt only these texts could be the foundation for development of India and only these ancient texts could reveal the real laws and ideas of Hindus and Muslims.
- Hence William Jones and Colebrooke went about making their findings known to others, translating the ancient texts, understanding and discovering the ancient texts of India.
- William Jones believed this project would help Indians understand the lost glories of their past, rediscover their own heritage, and help British learn from Indian culture.
- Jones felt it would help the British master as well as become guardians of Indian culture.
- Influenced by these ideas, the company officials were of the opinion that British instead of promoting Western learning, Indian knowledge must be promoted.
- They wanted to establish institutions that would help in studying ancient Indian poetry, literature and texts.
- Hence, Hindu college was established in 1791 at Benares, and a Madrassa at Calcutta in 1781.
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