Monier Monier-Williams
Encyclopedia
Sir Monier Monier-Williams, KCIE
(12 November 1819, Bombay – 11 April 1899, Cannes
) was the second Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, England
. He studied, documented and taught Asia
n languages, and compiled one of the most widely used Sanskrit
-English
dictionaries.
He was educated at King's College School
, Balliol College, Oxford
(1838-40), the East India Company College
(1840-41) and University College, Oxford
(1841-44). He married in 1848.
College from 1844 until 1858, when company rule in India
ended after the 1857 rebellion
.
He came to national prominence when he competed with Max Müller
for the Boden Chair of Sanskrit
at Oxford University, following the death of Horace Hayman Wilson
in 1860. Hayman had started the University's collection of Sanskrit manuscripts upon taking the Chair in 1831, and had indicated his preference that Williams should be his successor. The campaign was notoriously acrimonious. Müller was known for his liberal religious views and his philosophical speculations based on his reading of Vedic literature. Monier Williams was seen as a less brilliant scholar, but had a detailed practical knowledge of India itself, and of actual religious practices in modern Hinduism. Müller, in contrast, had never visited India.
Both candidates had to emphasise their support for Christian evangelisation in India, since that was the basis on which the Professorship had been funded by its founder. Monier Williams' dedication to Christianisation was not doubted, unlike Müller's. Monier Williams also stated that his aims were practical rather than speculative. "Engishmen are too practical to study a language very philosophically", he wrote.
After his appointment to the professorship Williams declared from the outset that the conversion of India to the Christian religion should be one of the aims of orientalist
scholarship. In his book Hinduism, published by SPCK
, he predicted the demise of the Hindu religion and called for Christian evangelism to ward off the spread of Islam.
in 1883, it provided both an academic focus and also a training ground for the Indian Civil Service. The Institute closed on India
n independence in 1947.
In his writings on Hinduism Monier Williams argued that the Advaita Vedanta
system best represented the Vedic ideal and was the "highest way to salvation" in Hinduism. He considered the more popular traditions of karma
and bhakti
to be of lesser spiritual value. However he argued that Hinduism is a complex "huge polygon or irregular multilateral figure" that was unified by Sanskrit literature. He stated that "no description of Hinduism can be exhaustive which does not touch on almost every religious and philosophical idea that the world has ever known."
Monier Williams created a Sanskrit-English dictionary that is still in print. It is also now available on CD-ROM
and as the basis of the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.
in 1876, and was made KCIE in 1887, when he adopted his given name of Monier as an additional surname.
He also received the following academic honours: Honorary DCL, Oxford, 1875; LlD Calcutta, 1876; Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, 1880; Honorary PhD, Göttingen, 188; Vice-President, Royal Asiatic Society, 1890; Honorary Fellow of University College, Oxford, 1892.
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(12 November 1819, Bombay – 11 April 1899, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
) was the second Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University, England
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...
. He studied, documented and taught Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n languages, and compiled one of the most widely used 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...
-English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
dictionaries.
Early life
Monier Williams was the son of Colonel Monier Williams, surveyor-general in the Bombay presidency. His surname was "Williams" until 1887 when he added his Christian name to his surname to create the hyphenated "Monier-Williams".He was educated at King's College School
King's College School
King's College School, commonly referred to as KCS, King's, or KCS Wimbledon, is an independent school for day pupils in Wimbledon in south-west London. The school was founded as the junior department of King's College London and occupied part of its premises in Strand, before relocating to...
, Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
(1838-40), the East India Company College
East India Company College
The East India College was a college in Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, England. It was founded in February 1806 as the training establishment for the British East India Company . At that time, the BEIC provided general and vocational education for young gentlemen of sixteen to eighteen years old,...
(1840-41) and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
(1841-44). He married in 1848.
Career
Monier Williams taught Asian languages at the East India CompanyEast India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
College from 1844 until 1858, when company rule in India
Company rule in India
Company rule in India refers to the rule or dominion of the British East India Company on the Indian subcontinent...
ended after the 1857 rebellion
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
.
He came to national prominence when he competed with Max Müller
Max Müller
Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
for the Boden Chair of 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...
at Oxford University, following the death of Horace Hayman Wilson
Horace Hayman Wilson
Horace Hayman Wilson was an English orientalist.He studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital, and went out to India in 1808 as assistant-surgeon on the Bengal establishment of the British East India Company....
in 1860. Hayman had started the University's collection of Sanskrit manuscripts upon taking the Chair in 1831, and had indicated his preference that Williams should be his successor. The campaign was notoriously acrimonious. Müller was known for his liberal religious views and his philosophical speculations based on his reading of Vedic literature. Monier Williams was seen as a less brilliant scholar, but had a detailed practical knowledge of India itself, and of actual religious practices in modern Hinduism. Müller, in contrast, had never visited India.
Both candidates had to emphasise their support for Christian evangelisation in India, since that was the basis on which the Professorship had been funded by its founder. Monier Williams' dedication to Christianisation was not doubted, unlike Müller's. Monier Williams also stated that his aims were practical rather than speculative. "Engishmen are too practical to study a language very philosophically", he wrote.
After his appointment to the professorship Williams declared from the outset that the conversion of India to the Christian religion should be one of the aims of orientalist
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
scholarship. In his book Hinduism, published by SPCK
SPCK
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge is the oldest Anglican mission organisation. It was founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray , and a small group of friends. The most important early leaders were Anton Wilhelm Boehm and court preacher Friedrich Michael Ziegenhagen...
, he predicted the demise of the Hindu religion and called for Christian evangelism to ward off the spread of Islam.
Writings and foundations
When Monier Williams founded the University's Indian InstituteIndian Institute
The Indian Institute in central Oxford, England is located at the north end of Catte Street on the corner with Holywell Street and facing down Broad Street from the east...
in 1883, it provided both an academic focus and also a training ground for the Indian Civil Service. The Institute closed on 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...
n independence in 1947.
In his writings on Hinduism Monier Williams argued that the Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta
Advaita Vedanta is considered to be the most influential and most dominant sub-school of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. Other major sub-schools of Vedānta are Dvaita and ; while the minor ones include Suddhadvaita, Dvaitadvaita and Achintya Bhedabheda...
system best represented the Vedic ideal and was the "highest way to salvation" in Hinduism. He considered the more popular traditions of karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
and bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
to be of lesser spiritual value. However he argued that Hinduism is a complex "huge polygon or irregular multilateral figure" that was unified by Sanskrit literature. He stated that "no description of Hinduism can be exhaustive which does not touch on almost every religious and philosophical idea that the world has ever known."
Monier Williams created a Sanskrit-English dictionary that is still in print. It is also now available on CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
and as the basis of the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.
Honours
He was knightedKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1876, and was made KCIE in 1887, when he adopted his given name of Monier as an additional surname.
He also received the following academic honours: Honorary DCL, Oxford, 1875; LlD Calcutta, 1876; Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, 1880; Honorary PhD, Göttingen, 188; Vice-President, Royal Asiatic Society, 1890; Honorary Fellow of University College, Oxford, 1892.
Published works
- Translation of ShakuntalaShakuntalaIn Hindu mythology Shakuntala is the wife of Dushyanta and the mother of Emperor Bharata. Her story is told in the Mahabharata and dramatized by Kalidasa in his play Abhijñānaśākuntalam .-Etymology:Rishi Kanva found her in forest as a baby surrounded by Shakunta birds...
(1853) - Indian Wisdom, an anthology from Sanskrit literature (1875)
- Modern India and Indians
- Brahmanism and Hinduism (1883)
- Buddhism, in its connexion with Brahmanism and Hinduism, and in its contrast with Christianity (1889)
- Sanskrit-English Dictionary, ISBN 0-19-864308-X.
- A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European languages, Monier Monier-Williams, revised by E. Leumann, C. Cappeller, et al. not dated, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi; apparently a reprint of edition published 1899, Clarendon Press, Oxford
- An Elementary Grammar of the Sanscrit Language (1846).
- A Practical Grammar of the Sanskrit Language, Arranged with Reference to the Classical Languages of Europe, for the Use of English Students, Oxford: Clarendon, 1857, enlarged and improved Fourth Edition 1887
- Hindu Literature: comprising the Book of Good Counsels, Nala and Damayanti, the Rámáyana and Śakoontalá
External links
- Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries (Searchable), Monier-Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary
- Biography of Sir Monier Monier-Williams, Dr. Gillian Evison, Digital Shikshapatri
- Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Searchable
- Monier-Williams Shikshapatri manuscript, Digital Shikshapatri
- Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Searchable Digital Facsimile Edition on CD-ROM (Freeware CD)
- The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
- Boden Chair of Sanskrit
- Why Is The West Crazy About A ‘Dead’ Language?, 'Indian Express' article