Background Boden Professor of Sanskrit election, 1860

the position of boden professor @ university of oxford established bequest of lieutenant colonel joseph boden of bombay native infantry, died in 1811. provided on death of daughter (which occurred in 1827), estate should pass university fund sanskrit professorship. purpose convert people of india christianity disseminating knowledge of sacred scriptures among them . university statutes governing chair provided professor should chosen members of convocation – had obtained oxford degree of master of arts, whether or not taught in university – rather professors , college fellows. @ time of 1860 election, there 3,786 members of convocation. according religious historian gwilym beckerlegge, professorship regarded @ time prestigious , handsomely remunerated . editorial in british national newspaper times in 1860 said professorship 1 of important, influential, , known institutions @ oxford, not in whole civilised world. paid between £900 , £1,000 per year life.

the first boden professor, horace hayman wilson, elected in 1832 , died on 8 may 1860. election successor came @ time of public debate nature of british missionary work in india, particularly after indian rebellion of 1857. east india company, controlled british territories until absorbed british empire in 1858, had had general policy until 1813 of non-interference indian customs, including religion. christian missionaries required licence proselytize. in practice, operate without licence, except evangelicals, regarded radical in age when christians other backgrounds more prepared tolerant of other faiths. evangelical movement grew in strength, pressed greater efforts bring christianity india, , company relaxed approach missionaries in 1813. after 1858, british government reluctant provoke further unrest interference local traditions , religion, many of charged running india evangelicals sympathetic efforts convert country. beckerlegge has commented, furtherance of christian mission had become inextricably bound attempts define britain s role in india , indeed justify britain s presence in india. issue whether britain there govern india or civilise it, , if latter, whether draw or destroy india s existing culture , religion. many of supported increased missionary work in india, says beckerlegge, regarded events of 1857 nothing less divine judgment on britain s failure bring christianity country.

there 2 schools of thought on whether sanskrit should taught purpose of assisting administration , conversion of india, or own merits. east india company had provided instruction in sanskrit employees @ college @ haileybury, hertfordshire, , college of fort william in calcutta, educate them in local culture. some, led interest in indian religion , culture revealed in sanskrit texts. in contrast situation in continental europe, scholars examined sanskrit part of science of language , comparative philology, rather reasons of imperial administration. fewer european scholars visited india, many british sanskritists had lived , worked there. british scholars in other fields had strong doubts in event sanskrit, crude linguistic forgery pieced out of latin , greek , or proving little except thoroughly unwelcome kinship between briton , brahmin , in words of american academic linda dowling.

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