Sir William Jones (1746–1794) is often viewed as the "father of Indology," yet his legacy is a battleground between those who see him as a brilliant bridge-builder and those who see him as a sophisticated tool of colonial power.
Before diving into the debates sparked by Edward Said or the "Religious Enlightenment" revisionists, here are the essential and agreed-upon facts of his life.
1. Boyhood and Early Education (1746–1764)
Birth & Pedigree: Born in London to a Welsh family. His father, William Jones Sr., was a celebrated mathematician who famously introduced the use of the symbol π to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
Sir William Jones: bio and legacy -- I am writing about Jones, and my entry point is Said's Orientalism, and then I want to consider Indian Nationalists who defend him against Said's charges. Then I consider recent revisionist historians who see him as a powerful figure illustrating the "Religious Enlightenment like Thomas Trautmann, Urs App and others, who add to his Enlightenment radicalism (friend of Ben Franklin, pro american and french revolutions) an interest in proving the literal truth of Genesis. But first what are the essential and agreed upon facts of his bio from boyhood to polyglot scholar to judge in India?
The Widow’s Influence: His father died when Jones was only three. He was raised by his mother, Mary Nix Jones, who encouraged a rigorous "learning by doing" philosophy.
Sir William Jones (1746–1794) is often viewed as the "father of Indology," yet his legacy is a battleground between those who see him as a brilliant bridge-builder and those who see him as a sophisticated tool of colonial power.
Before diving into the debates sparked by Edward Said or the "Religious Enlightenment" revisionists, here are the essential and agreed-upon facts of his life.
1. Boyhood and Early Education (1746–1764)
Birth & Pedigree: Born in London to a Welsh family. His father, William Jones Sr., was a celebrated mathematician who famously introduced the use of the symbol to represent the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter.
The Widow’s Influence: His father died when Jones was only three. He was raised by his mother, Mary Nix Jones, who encouraged a rigorous "learning by doing" philosophy.
The Harrow Prodigy: At Harrow School, Jones’s linguistic genius became apparent. He mastered Greek and Latin so thoroughly that he began teaching himself Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian during his holidays.
2. The Oxford Years and "Persian Jones" (1764–1783)
Oxford Scholar: He entered University College, Oxford, in 1764. Lacking independent wealth, he supported himself by tutoring the young Lord Althorp (son of Earl Spencer).
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