Previous Year Question
Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The Asiatic Society of Bengal was established in the period of Warren Hastings and he modestly declined the offer of Presidentship of that learned body in favour of Sir William Jones.
Reason (R): Warren Hastings was himself a great scholar and an ardent orientalist who used to encourage the study of Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is true, but (R) is false
(A) is false, but (R) is true
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Assertion (A) is correct. The Asiatic Society was founded on 15 January 1784 at the Grand Jury Hall of the Supreme Court in Calcutta on the initiative of Sir William Jones. At that time, Warren Hastings was the Governor-General. At its foundation, the institution was called The Asiatick Society; the name Asiatic Society of Bengal came into use later.
Warren Hastings was offered the Presidentship of the institution, but he modestly declined it and persuaded William Jones to accept the position. Consequently, William Jones became its first President, while Hastings served as its first Patron.
Reason (R) is also correct. Warren Hastings had a deep interest in Oriental studies. The official history of the Asiatic Society describes him as being deeply interested in Indian classical languages and literature. He regarded the study of Indian laws, languages and intellectual traditions as important for administration as well.
During his administration, the Calcutta Madrasa was established in 1781 to promote the study of Arabic, Persian and Islamic law. The same period also witnessed official encouragement for the study and translation of Sanskrit texts and Indian legal traditions. Hastings thus linked Oriental learning with the judicial and intellectual requirements of colonial administration.
However, Reason (R) does not explain why Hastings declined the Presidentship. The fact that he was himself a scholar and an Orientalist establishes his intellectual interests, but it is not the direct reason for his decision to yield the Presidentship to William Jones. Historical accounts associate that decision with his modesty and with Jones's scholarship and central role in founding the Society.