James Prinsep

James Prinsep FRS (20 August 1799 – 22 April 1840) was an English scholar, orientalist and antiquary. He was the founding editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal and is best remembered for deciphering the Kharosthi and Brahmi scripts of ancient India. He studied, documented and illustrated many aspects of numismatics, metallurgy, meteorology apart from pursuing his career in India as an assay master at the mint in Benares.

Quotes

• Greek was nothing more than Sanskrit turned topsy-turvy.
  • Sarda, Har Bilas, Diwan Bahadur Hindu supenonty: an attempt to determine the position of the Hindu race in the scale af natIOns Ajmer: Rajputana Printing Works, 1906 p. 280 - 281 as quoted in Londhe, S. (2008). A tribute to Hinduism: Thoughts and wisdom spanning continents and time about India and her culture

• The fact, however, that he (Pythagoras) derived his doctrines from an Indian source is very generally admitted. Under the name of Mythraic, the faith of Buddha had also a wide extension.
  • Sarda, Har Bilas, Diwan Bahadur Hindu supenonty: an attempt to determine the position of the Hindu race in the scale af natIOns Ajmer: Rajputana Printing Works, 1906 p. 280 - 281 as quoted in Londhe, S. (2008). A tribute to Hinduism: Thoughts and wisdom spanning continents and time about India and her culture