Who among the following was the founder president of the Asiatic Society of Bengal ?
- A.Charles Wilkins
- B.William Jones
- C.Warren Hastings
- D.Henry Colebrooke
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, William Jones. Sir William Jones, a judge of the Supreme Court at Calcutta, founded the Asiatic Society in January 1784 and served as its first president until his death in 1794.
The Society was set up in Calcutta to study the history, languages, law and antiquities of Asia, and it became the centre of the Orientalist movement. Jones knew Sanskrit and Persian, translated Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam into English, and in 1786 pointed out the kinship of Sanskrit with Greek and Latin, which laid the basis of the Indo-European language family. The Society's journal, Asiatick Researches, published much of this early scholarship.
A is wrong because Charles Wilkins translated the Bhagavad Gita into English in 1785 and helped found the Society, but did not head it. C is wrong because Governor-General Warren Hastings was its patron and declined the presidency. D is wrong because Henry Colebrooke, a Sanskrit scholar, became its president only later.
Exam tip: Asiatic Society: founded 1784 in Calcutta by William Jones; patron Warren Hastings; Wilkins translated the Gita (1785).
Practice Questions
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1. Dipavamsa
2. Harshacharita
3. Vikramankadevacharita
4. Prithvirajavijaya
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- A.1 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.2, 3 and 4 only
- D.1, 2, 3 and 4
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