Page:Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India Vol 1.pdf/22

INTRODUCTION.

Ill sound judgment, gave him a more complete mastery over the whole range of Sanskrit learning,— its religion, its law and its philosophy, its language and its literature, its algebra and its astronomy,— than any other scholar has since acquired. A ll Colebrooko’s papers may bo read both with interest and advantage.

In the first year of this century he gave translations of Visala Deva’ s inscriptions on the Delhi pillar. Theso were followed by other translations in the 9th volume of the Re5barch.es in 1807, and in the 1st volume of the Royal Asiatic Society’s Translations in 1824, which exhibit the same critical scholarship and sound judgment. But a more valuable contribution is his “ Essay on the Vedas,” * which first gave to the European world a full and accurate account o f the gacred volumes of the Hindus. Other essays followed at intervals,— on the Sanskrit and Prakrit languages; on the Philosophy of the H indus; on the Indian and Arabian divisions of the Zodiac; on the notions of Hindu astro­ nomers concerning the Precession; and on the Algebra of Brahma Gupta and BMskara. The mere titles of these essays are sufficient to show the wido range of his studies. But the grasp is as firm as tlio range is wide, and theso essays still remain our standard works on the subjects of which they treat.

Colebrooko left India in 1815. Eor several years after his return to England he continued his studies and gave to the world some of the essays which have already been noticed. But his latter years were clouded by family bereavements and continued ill health, under which he at last sank on the 10th March 1837, in his 72nd year.t

In the year 1800 D r. B uchanan (who afterwards took the name of Hamilton) was deputed by the Marquis of Wellesley to make an agricultural survey o f Mysore. This particular duty he performed with much ability; but the value of his work is greatly increased by several interesting notices which he has given of the antiquities of the country, and of the various races of people in Southern India. Tho best acknowledgment o f the value of this work was the


 * Asiatic Researches, Vol. IX.

t The main facts of this brief sketch are taken from a deeply interesting and instructive memoir written by hiB son.—See Journal of Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. V,