Election Boden Professor of Sanskrit election, 1860

the election held on 7 december 1860 in sheldonian theatre. 3 special trains laid on between didcot , oxford afternoon meet passengers travelling west of england, , 1 additional train provided between oxford , london via didcot in evening. london-bound train north of england called additionally @ bletchley allow onward connections oxford passengers places such liverpool, manchester , birkenhead. evangelical clergymen turned out in force vote. on 5 , half hours of voting, 833 members of congregation declared williams, 610 müller.

historians have advanced various views why, though müller regarded superior scholar, lost williams. beckerlegge suggests several possible factors: unlike williams, müller known writer , translator rather teacher of sanskrit, did not have links east india company or indian civil service call upon supporters, , had not been educated @ oxford. in obituary of müller, arthur macdonell (boden professor 1899–1926) said election came turn on political , religious opinions of candidates rather on merits sanskrit scholars , adding party feeling ran high , large numbers came vote. similarly, dowling has written in less cosmopolitan precincts outside oxford ... argument müller not english told heavily against him since argument (and meant be, of course) unanswerable. adds tories opposed him liberal political views, traditionalist factions within oxford rejected germanizing reform, , anglican clergy ... detected unbelief lurking in umlaut . american historian marjorie wheeler-barclay takes view 3 motives people voting against müller cannot disentangled. supported indian missionary work, dowling writes, saw key continued british rule, , there no need take chance electing müller, had reputation unsound religious opinions , since williams scholar of distinction known conservatism , piety.

müller attributed defeat german background , suspicions christianity insufficiently orthodox, factors had been used influence in particular voters no longer resident members of university. had lost, wrote, because of calumnious falsehood , vulgar electioneering tactics williams wrote in unpublished autobiography had been favoured circumstances , that, unlike müller, had been regarded politically , religiously conservative.