Charles Wilkins
Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 4 "The Colonial Era in India"
Meaning
Charles Wilkins was an official of the East India Company and a scholar of Sanskrit. In 1785 he published the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which was also the first English translation of a Sanskrit text. He helped William Jones found the Asiatic Society in Calcutta in 1784. He also designed printing type (metal letters) for Bengali and Devanagari scripts. His work helped bring Indian classical texts to Europe.
Example
Wilkins' Bhagavad Gita appeared in London in 1785, with an introduction by Governor-General Warren Hastings. It was followed by French, German and other translations. Indian texts went on to influence European thinkers and writers.
Don't confuse with
- William Jones: he founded the Asiatic Society (1784) and translated Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam. Wilkins translated the Gita.