Early Nineteenth Century Chinese Studies in Bengal

Summary

This article narrates the emergence of Chinese language and cultural studies in Bengal in the early nineteenth century. It describes how chaplains David Brown and Claudius Buchanan, influenced by the evangelical movement and working under Governor-General Wellesley, recognised the absence of trained officials who could read Asian languages. To remedy this, they helped establish Fort William College in Calcutta, which aimed to teach oriental languages and facilitate missionary work. The college sought to obtain an expert in Chinese and recruited Joannes Lassar, an Armenian Christian from Macao who was fluent in classical and colloquial Chinese. The article recounts how Lassar and missionaries such as William Carey and Joshua Marshman produced some of the first Chinese books printed in India using wooden blocks and later metal type. It notes the logistical difficulties they faced, including the scarcity of Chinese fonts and a devastating fire that destroyed the Serampore press, as well as their determination to continue printing Chinese scriptures and grammars. The study also touches on the role of Bengalis in supporting these efforts by collecting books and participating in translation projects. By the 1820s a considerable body of Chinese literature had been produced in Serampore, attracting attention in Europe and China. The article argues that these efforts laid the foundations for Sinology in India and demonstrated the cosmopolitan intellectual environment of colonial Bengal.