Previous Year Question

Sir William Jones was the founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Sir William Jones was a judge, linguist and scholar of Oriental studies. He came to India in 1783 as a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. The idea of establishing a learned institution for the systematic study of Asian history, languages, literature, law, science and culture originated with him.

On his initiative, a meeting of about thirty scholars and officials was held on 15 January 1784 at the Grand Jury Hall of the Supreme Court in Calcutta. The institution was founded at this meeting and was initially called “The Asiatick Society.”

William Jones became the first President of the Society and remained in that position until his death in 1794. The institution gave an organised form to the study of Asian history, languages, ancient texts, archaeology, inscriptions and natural sciences.

Warren Hastings was the Governor-General of India at that time and had a deep interest in Indian languages and Oriental learning. He supported the institution and became its first Patron, but he was not its founder.

The Society began publishing Asiatick Researches in 1788. It subsequently became an important centre for the study of Indian history, Sanskrit and other Asian languages, epigraphy, numismatics and archaeology.