John Dowson M.R.A.S.(1820–1881) was a British

indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...

. A noted scholar of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, he taught in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

for much of his life. His book ''Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology'' remains one of the most comprehensive and authoritative works on the topic.

Life

He was born at

Uxbridge Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxbrid ...

, and studied Eastern languages under his uncle

Edwin Norris Edwin Norris (24 October 1795 – 10 December 1872) was a British philologist, linguist and intrepid orientalist who wrote or compiled numerous works on the languages of Asia and Africa. His best-known works are his uncompleted ''Assyrian Dic ...

, whom he assisted for some years at the

Royal Asiatic Society The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS), was established, according to its royal charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the en ...

. He subsequently became a tutor at the

East India Company College The East India Company College, or East India College, was an educational establishment situated at Hailey, Hertfordshire, nineteen miles north of London, founded in 1806 to train "writers" (administrators) for the Honourable East India Company ( ...

. In 1855, he was made professor of Hindustani both at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, and at the Staff College, Sandhurst, a post he held till 1877. He died 23 August 1881.

Works

Dowson's duties as professor suggested his ''Grammar of the Urdu or Hindustani Language'' (1862), and he also translated one of the tracts of the ''Ikhwānu-s-Safa'', or Brotherhood of Purity. His major work was ''

The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians. The Muhammadan Period ''The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians'' is a book comprising translations of medieval Persian chronicles based on the work of Henry Miers Elliot. It was originally published as a set of eight volumes between 1867-1877 in London. ...

'', which he edited from the papers of

Henry Miers Elliot Sir Henry Miers Elliot (1 March 1808 – 20 December 1853) was an English civil servant and historian who worked with the East India Company in India for 26 years. He is most known for ''The History of India, as Told by Its Own Historians'' based ...

, in eight volumes (1867–77). He compiled the
Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, History and Literature
' (1879), and contributed to the ''

Encyclopædia Britannica The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...

'' and the ''

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society The ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'' is an academic journal which publishes articles on the history, archaeology, literature, language, religion and art of South Asia, the Middle East (together with North Africa and Ethiopia), Central Asia ...

''. His theory of the ''Invention of the Indian Alphabet'', claiming a Hindu origin, met with little support.

Notes

References

*Katherine Prior. "Dowson, John (1820–1881)",''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', Sept 2004 ;Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dowson, John 1820 births 1881 deaths British orientalists