Augustus Hoernle
Encyclopedia
Dr. Augustus Rudolf Hoernle (1841–1918) was an English
Orientalist
. He was born in India
, the son of an Anglican priest. He attended school in Switzerland
, later moving to London and studying Sanskrit
under Goldstucker
. He returned to India in 1865, teaching first at the Benares Hindu University and later at the University of Calcutta
.
Dr. Hoernle spent nearly his entire working life engaged in the study of Indo-Aryan languages
and is perhaps best known for his decipherment of the Bower Manuscript
collected by Hamilton Bower
in Chinese Turkestan.
Eventually, Hoernle was to lead the Asiatic Society of Bengal and retire to Oxford
. It was during his time there that he obtained, was fooled by, and published a book on, forgeries obtained by George Macartney and created by Islam Akhun
. The truth about these manuscripts was revealed to him by the explorer Sir Aurel Stein
. Hoernle's reputation survived this revelation, however, and his obituaries tactfully omitted the incident.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
. He was born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, the son of an Anglican priest. He attended school in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, later moving to London and studying Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
under Goldstucker
Theodor Goldstücker
Theodor Goldstücker was a German Sanskrit scholar. He was born of Jewish parents in Königsberg. After attending the gymnasium of that town, he entered its university in 1836 as a student of Sanskrit....
. He returned to India in 1865, teaching first at the Benares Hindu University and later at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
.
Dr. Hoernle spent nearly his entire working life engaged in the study of Indo-Aryan languages
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
and is perhaps best known for his decipherment of the Bower Manuscript
Bower Manuscript
The Bower Manuscript is a medical manuscript written predominantly in the Sanskrit language,made up of 51 birch-bark leaves, written in an early Indian script.It is today preserved as part of the collections of the Bodleian Library in Oxford...
collected by Hamilton Bower
Hamilton Bower
Hamilton Bower was a British military officer who traveled through Chinese Turkestan and Tibet.-Life:In 1889-90 Bower traveled through Chinese Turkestan, where in the city Kucha he purchased a Sanskrit-language manuscript written in the Brahmi alphabet...
in Chinese Turkestan.
Eventually, Hoernle was to lead the Asiatic Society of Bengal and retire to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. It was during his time there that he obtained, was fooled by, and published a book on, forgeries obtained by George Macartney and created by Islam Akhun
Islam Akhun
Islam Akhun was an Uyghur con-man who forged numerous Sino-Indian manuscripts on birch bark and passed them off as ancient Khotanese manuscripts. Through George McCartney and Nikolai Petrovsky, the British and Russian consuls in Kashgar, his works found their way into museums in London and St....
. The truth about these manuscripts was revealed to him by the explorer Sir Aurel Stein
Marc Aurel Stein
Sir Marc Aurel Stein KCIE, FBA was a Hungarian archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at various Indian universities.-Early life:Stein was born in Budapest into a Jewish family...
. Hoernle's reputation survived this revelation, however, and his obituaries tactfully omitted the incident.