George Thibaut
Encyclopedia
George Frederick William Thibaut (March 20, 1848–1914) was an Indologist notable for his contributions to the understanding of ancient India
n mathematics
and astronomy.
Thibaut was born in Germany
, worked briefly in England
, and then in 1875 was appointed Professor at the Government Sanskrit College , Varanasi
. Between 1875 and 1878 he published a detailed essay on the Śulba sūtras
, together with a translation of the Baudhāyana Śulba sūtra; he later translated the Pañca Siddhāntikā which he co-edited and with Pandit Sudhakar Dvivedi
(the latter added a Sanskrit commentary). He also edited and translated the following volumes in Max Müller
's Sacred Books of the East
:
Thibaut contributed a number of Sanskrit manuscripts to the Department of Oriental Collections, Bodleian Library
, University of Oxford
, where they are archived today.
History of India
The history of India begins with evidence of human activity of Homo sapiens as long as 75,000 years ago, or with earlier hominids including Homo erectus from about 500,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent from...
n mathematics
Indian mathematics
Indian mathematics emerged in the Indian subcontinent from 1200 BCE until the end of the 18th century. In the classical period of Indian mathematics , important contributions were made by scholars like Aryabhata, Brahmagupta, and Bhaskara II. The decimal number system in use today was first...
and astronomy.
Thibaut was born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, worked briefly in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and then in 1875 was appointed Professor at the Government Sanskrit College , Varanasi
Government Sanskrit College , Varanasi
Government Sanskrit College was the first college in Benares. Established in 1791, it was a landmark college in India from where several notable teachers emerged. In 1958 it merged with Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.-History:...
. Between 1875 and 1878 he published a detailed essay on the Śulba sūtras
Sulba Sutras
The Shulba Sutras or Śulbasūtras are sutra texts belonging to the Śrauta ritual and containing geometry related to fire-altar construction.- Purpose and origins :...
, together with a translation of the Baudhāyana Śulba sūtra; he later translated the Pañca Siddhāntikā which he co-edited and with Pandit Sudhakar Dvivedi
Sudhakar Dvivedi
Sudhakar Dvivedi was an Indian scholar in Sanskrit and mathematics.He was born in 1855 in Khajuri, a village near Varanasi. At an early age he was attracted to mathematics, which he studied under Pandit Devakrsna...
(the latter added a Sanskrit commentary). He also edited and translated the following volumes in Max Müller
Max Müller
Friedrich Max Müller , more regularly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of the western academic field of Indian studies and the discipline of comparative religion...
's Sacred Books of the East
Sacred Books of the East
The Sacred Books of the East is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious writings, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910...
:
- Vol. 34, The Vedanta-SutrasBrahma SutrasThe Brahma sūtras , also known as Vedānta Sūtras , are one of the three canonical texts of the Vedānta school of Hindu philosophy. A thorough study of Vedānta requires a close examination of these three texts, known in Sanskrit as the Prasthanatrayi, or the three starting points...
, vol. 1 of 3, with the commentary of SankaracharyaAdi ShankaraAdi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
, part 1 of 2. Adhyâya I–II (Pâda I–II). (1890) - Vol. 38, The Vedanta-Sutras, vol. 2 of 3, with the commentary of Sankaracharya, part 1 of 2. Adhyâya II (Pâda III–IV)–IV. (1896)
- Vol. 48, The Vedanta-Sutras, vol. 3 of 3, with the commentary of RâmânujaRamanujaRamanuja ; traditionally 1017–1137, also known as Ramanujacharya, Ethirajar , Emperumannar, Lakshmana Muni, was a theologian, philosopher, and scriptural exegete...
. (1904)
Thibaut contributed a number of Sanskrit manuscripts to the Department of Oriental Collections, Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where they are archived today.