James Prinsep: A Workaholic Like No Other

Prinsep Ghat is a popular place in Kolkata but do we really know much about this great man's body of work? Well, his untiring efforts have been the reason why we know about the Mauryan emperor Ashoka today. Had it not been for him, a huge chunk of ancient Indian history would have still remained a mystery for us.

A portrait of James Prinsep; Image source: Wikipedia

Unaware of what lay ahead of him, in the year 1819 a young James Prinsep, then a 20-year-old Englishman stepped on the soil of the Indian subcontinent for the first time. Having completed his studies in the field of architecture and chemistry in London, he was all set to become the Assay Master at the Calcutta Mint. It was here that he came to be largely influenced by his senior Horace Hayman Wilson, a Sanskrit scholar and Orientalist historian. Prinsep developed a new interest in numismatics and the new artefacts sent by people from around the subcontinent kept him on edge.

He was soon transferred to the Benaras Mint. This place gave him the opportunity to practice his multidisciplinary interests- be it engineering or painting. It made him realise his full potential. He had built a bridge over the Karmanasa River, repaired the Alamgir Mosque and produced a series of paintings on the lives of people at the various ghats of Banaras.

In 1830 he was called back to Calcutta and it was while he stayed here that he made his biggest discovery. One of the most significant of his achievements has been deciphering the Brahmi and the Kharoshti scripts. The former was deciphered in 1837 and this was during his tenure as the editor of The Journal of the Asiatic Society. These scripts happen to be the oldest of the deciphered texts in the Indian subcontinent.

All thanks to James Prinsep. We can now read and understand the rock edicts of Ashoka which are numerous and widely spread across the subcontinent. This opened the path to India’s ancient past beyond what Thomas Twining called the “line of shade” i.e. 1000 C.E. It was after this discovery by Prinsep and a significant contribution from George Turnour, a historian then working in Ceylon(Sri Lanka) that we came to associate Ashoka with the title 'Devanampiya Piyadasi***'*** which literally means- The Beloved of the Gods. India’s ancient glory was gradually coming alive in front of its people.

Kharoshtion the other hand was deciphered by a detailed study of the Indo-Greek coins from the north-western part of the subcontinent. Sadly it was after the decipherment of the Kharoshti script that he had to return to his homeland because of a nervous breakdown. Thus, it happens to be the last of his works as he died soon after in 1840 from what the doctors then referred to as ‘softening of the brain’. As many put it, James Prinsep’s workaholic nature ultimately cost him his life. Nevertheless, his achievements within the young age of 41 years were a rare accomplishment that only a few hardworking souls are able to reach.

Prinsep Ghat, in Kolkata; Image source: Wikipedia

A memorial on the bank of the river Hooghly stands till date. It was built in 1843 in his honor and consists of a Palladion structure. The ghat too is named the Princep Ghat. It’s a go-to place of hangout for the people of Kolkata and reminiscent of a man who contributed so much to reconstructing the Indian history.