Henry Thomas Colebrooke
Encyclopedia
Henry Thomas Colebrooke was an English
orientalist
.
, was born in London
. He was educated at home; and when only fifteen he had made considerable attainments in classics
and mathematics
. From the age of twelve to sixteen he resided in France.
In 1782 was appointed to a writership in India
. About a year after his arrival there he was placed in the board of accounts in Calcutta; and three years later he was removed to a situation in the revenue department at Tirhut
. In 1789 he was removed to Purneah
, where he investigated the resources of that part of the country, and published his Remarks on the Husbandry and Commerce of Bengal, privately printed in 1795, in which he advocated free trade between Great Britain
and India.
After eleven years' residence in India, Colebrooke began the study of the Sanskrit
language
; and to him was entrusted the translation
of the great Digest of Hindu Laws, a monumental study of Hindu law
which had been left unfinished by Sir William Jones
. He translated the two treatises, the Mitacshara of Vijnaneshwara
and the Dayabhaga
of Jimutavahana
, under the title Law of Inheritance. He was sent to Nagpur
in 1799 on a special mission, and on his return was made a judge of the new court of appeal, over which he afterwards presided.
In 1805, Lord Wellesley appointed him professor of Hindu law
and Sanskrit at the college of Fort William
. During his residence at Calcutta he wrote his Sanskrit Grammar (1805), some papers on the religious ceremonies of the Hindus, and his Essay on the Vedas
(1805), for a long time the standard work in English on the subject. He became member of council in 1807 and returned to England seven years later.
He was a director of the Royal Asiatic Society
, and many of the most valuable papers in the society's Transactions were communicated by him. In 1822 he was elected the second president of the Royal Astronomical Society
.
A posthumous essay on his father's life was published by Sir T.E. Colebrooke in 1873 as part of a reprinting of Miscellaneous Essays.
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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...
.
Biography
Henry Thomas Colebrooke, third son of Sir George Colebrooke, 2nd BaronetSir George Colebrooke, 2nd Baronet
Sir George Colebrooke, 2nd Baronet , of Gatton in Surrey, was an English merchant banker, chairman of the East India Company and Member of Parliament, who bankrupted himself through unwise speculations....
, was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was educated at home; and when only fifteen he had made considerable attainments in classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
. From the age of twelve to sixteen he resided in France.
In 1782 was appointed to a writership 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...
. About a year after his arrival there he was placed in the board of accounts in Calcutta; and three years later he was removed to a situation in the revenue department at Tirhut
Tirhut
Historically Tirhut refers to the Indo-Gangetic plains lying north of the Ganges River, in the Indian state of Bihar. The geographical area known as Tirhut corresponds to the ancient region of Mithila. Tirhut, a densely populated area of India, has alluvial plains and several rivers pass through...
. In 1789 he was removed to Purneah
Purnia
Purnia is a city and a Municipal Corporation in Purnia district of the Indian state of Bihar. It is located 400 km from Patna.The Indian army, Border Security Force ,and the SSB and the have bases around the city...
, where he investigated the resources of that part of the country, and published his Remarks on the Husbandry and Commerce of Bengal, privately printed in 1795, in which he advocated free trade between Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and India.
After eleven years' residence in India, Colebrooke began the study of the 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...
language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
; and to him was entrusted the translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
of the great Digest of Hindu Laws, a monumental study of Hindu law
Hindu law
Hindu law in its current usage refers to the system of personal laws applied to Hindus, especially in India...
which had been left unfinished by Sir William Jones
William Jones (philologist)
Sir William Jones was an English philologist and scholar of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of the existence of a relationship among Indo-European languages...
. He translated the two treatises, the Mitacshara of Vijnaneshwara
Vijnaneshwara
Vijnaneshwara was a prominent jurist of twelfth century India. His treatise, the Mitakshara, dealt with inheritance, and is one of the most influential legal treatises in Hindu law....
and the Dayabhaga
Dayabhaga
The Dāyabhāga is a Hindu law treatise written by Jīmūtavāhana which primarily focuses on inheritance procedure. The digest is most notable for being based on Śāstric doctrines differing from those more commonly used in the , resulting in several basic contradictions between the texts...
of Jimutavahana
Jimutavahana
Jīmūtavāhana was an Indian Sanskrit scholar and writer of legal and religious treatises of early medieval period. He was the earliest writer on smriti from Bengal whose texts are extant. He was a Brahmin of from ....
, under the title Law of Inheritance. He was sent to Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
in 1799 on a special mission, and on his return was made a judge of the new court of appeal, over which he afterwards presided.
In 1805, Lord Wellesley appointed him professor of Hindu law
Hindu law
Hindu law in its current usage refers to the system of personal laws applied to Hindus, especially in India...
and Sanskrit at the college of Fort William
Fort William, India
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England...
. During his residence at Calcutta he wrote his Sanskrit Grammar (1805), some papers on the religious ceremonies of the Hindus, and his Essay on the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
(1805), for a long time the standard work in English on the subject. He became member of council in 1807 and returned to England seven years later.
He was a director of the Royal Asiatic Society
Royal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...
, and many of the most valuable papers in the society's Transactions were communicated by him. In 1822 he was elected the second president of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
.
A posthumous essay on his father's life was published by Sir T.E. Colebrooke in 1873 as part of a reprinting of Miscellaneous Essays.
Works
- Bible translations into PersianBible translations into PersianParts of the Gospels were first translated into Persian in the Persian Diatessaron in the 13th century. Then more sections of the Gospels by the 16th Century muslim scholar of, and critic of, Christianity Khatun Abadi.-Persian :...
Calcutta 1804 - Henry Thomas Colebrooke, ed. (1807). Kosha, Or Dictionary of the Sanscrit Language by Umura Singha with an English Interpretation and Annotations by H.T. Colebrooke. (3rd edition, 1891). Calcutta: Haragobinda Rakshit.-- A scanned copy of the 3rd edition of this rare book has been made available online from the library of the University of Michigan, digitized September 7, 2006 -- click here to read the original text
- Henry Thomas Colebrooke. (1837). Miscellaneous Essays. London: W.H. Allen & Company. -- A scanned copy of this rare book has been made available online from the library of Harvard University, digitized August 12, 2005 -- click here to read the original text
- Henry Thomas Colebrooke. (1858). On the Religion and Philosophy of the Hindus. London: Williams & Norgate. -- A scanned copy of this rare book has been made available online from the library of Harvard University, digitized November 13, 2006 -- click here to read the original text
- Henry Thoma Colebrooke. (1817). Algebra, with Arithmetic and mensuration: from the Sanscrit of Brahmegupta. By Brahmagupta, Bhāsakārācārya.Scanned copy of the book at available online at Google Book.
Further reading
- Buckland, C. E., ed. (1906). "Colebrooke, Henry Thomas" in Dictionary of Indian Biography. London: Swan Sonnenschein & Company.-- A scanned copy of this rare book has been made available online from the library of Harvard University, digitized July 8, 2005 -- click here to read the original text
- Higgenbothom, J.J. (1874). "Colebrooke, Henry Thomas" in Men Whom India Has Known: Biographies of Eminent Indian Characters. Madras: Higgenbothom & Company.-- A scanned copy of this rare book has been made available online from the New York Public Library, digitized September 12, 2005 -- click here to read the original text
- Colebrooke, Thomas E. (1873). "Life of Colebrooke" in Frederick Max Müller's Chips from a German Woodshop, (1875). Vol. IV, pp. 377-317. London: Longmans, Green & Company.-- A scanned copy of this rare book has been made available online from the library of Harvard University, digitized July 21, 2005 -- click here to read the original text
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