Your search within this document for 'India' resulted in ten matching pages.
1

“...rule, and the Inhabitants of India ١١ ho are to obey. The Romans, a people of little learning and lefs tafte, had no fooner conquer- cd Greece than they applied themfelves to the ftudv of Greek: They adopted it Laws even before they could read them, and civilized them 1 es in fubduing their enemies. The Englifh, who have made lo capital a progrels in tile Eolite Arts, and who are inafters of Bengal, may, with more eale and greater propri- ety, add its Language to their acquilitions : that they may ex- plain the benevolent principles of that legiftacion١vhofe decrees thev inforce ن that they may convince while they command; and be at once -the difpenlers of Laws and of bcience to an extenfie nation. This fubjedt has hitherto been utterly difregarded in Europe ن and it is fcarcely believed that Bengal ever poffiffed a native and peculiar dialed of its own, diftindt from that idiom ١١’hich١ undei’ the name of Moors, has been fuppofed to prevail over all India. To remove the fe prejudices,...”
2

“...there ftill exifts fufficient grounds for conjecture that Egypt has but a difputable claim to its long-- boafttd originality in language, in policy and in religion. In fupport of this opinion I fhall mention only one. circumftance. The Raja of Kifhenagur, who is by much the moft learned and able antiquary which Bengal has produced within this century, has very lately affirmed, that he has in his own pofleffion Shan- fcrit books which give an account of a communication formerly fubfifting between India and Egypt ل wherein the Egyptians are conftantly defcribed as difciples, not as inffrudtors ن and as feel" ing that liberal education and thofe fciences in Hindoftan, which none of their own countrymen had fufficient knowledge to in- part. The few paffages which are extant in the antient Greek authors refpedting the Bracmans at the fame time that they re- ceive a frefh light from this relation, very ftrongly corroborate its authenticity. But though thefe feveral proofs of the former prevalence...”
3

“...idiomatic turns of expreffion and com. plexion of fpeech we may obferve the ftrongeft family likenefs. The Charafters alfo peculiar to the Hlndoftanic are exaftly the fame with thofe of the Shanfcrit, but of a ruder fhape : yet ffill exhibiting a more accurate refemblance than is found in ma٠ ny of the Greek letters upon infcriptions of different AEras. This primitive Hindoftanic tongue has by no means preferved its purity, or its universality to the prefent age: for the modern Inhabitants of India vary al noft as mucli in language as in Re- ligion. It is well known in what an obftinate and in iolable obfcurity the Jentoos conceal as well the Myfieries of their Faith, as the Books in which they are contained : and under what Severe prohibitions their moft approved Legislators have confi- ned the ftudv of the Shanfcrit to their own principal tribes on- ly. An explanation of it to perfons not qualified for this Science by their rank, fubjefted both the teacher and the pupil to very tremendous...”
4

“....PREFACE. xi portion of his language to me, has by no means efcaped the cen- fure of his countrymen : and while he readily difplayed the prin- cipies of his grammar, he has invariably refufed to develope a fin- gle article of his religion. Thus we may fuppofe that when the Mahometan Invaders firft fettled in India, and from the neceffi. ty of having forne medium of communication with their new fubjefts, applied themfelves to the fiudy of the Hindoftanicdia- left, the impenetrable referve of the Jentoos would quickly ren- der its abftrufer Shanfcrit terms unintelligible ; and the Fo- reigners, unprafticed in the idiom, would frequently recur to their own native expreflions. New adventurers continually ar- riving kept up a conftant influx of exotic words, and the he- terogeneous mafs gradually incread its flock, as conqueft or policy extended the boundaries of its circulation. But thefe alter- ations a flexed words only. The grammatical principles of the original Hindoftanic, and the ancient...”
5

“...and tales have been composed by learned Perfian and Mogul authors, and are still extant in the libraries of the curious. Thefe are always written in the Perfian hand, which is by no means calculated for exprefling the found either of the Hindo- ftanic vowels or nafal confonants. The Mahometans of the- low- er rank, have a few books on Religious subjects in this language, and in the Naagoree characters; which are also used by fome of them in their petty accounts. Europeans on t'heir ar- rival in India, reduced to a necessary intercourse with Mahometan...”
6

“...attempt to a Gram- mar and Vocabulary. The jargon however, fuch as it is, proves utterly unintelligible to the villagers and peafants both in Hindoftan and Bengal, nor is ufed any where, but in large towns frequented by Mahometans and Strangers. On this dia٠ left an ingenious Miffionary long fince published a laborious treatife in Latin. He is the earlieft and may be deemed the only writer on the fubjeft, for the latter compofitions do not deferve a name. What the pure Hindoftanic is to upper India, the language which I have here endeavoured to explain is to Bengal, intimate- ly related to the Shanfcrit both in expreffions, conftruftion and charafter. It is the foie channel of perfonal and epiftolary com- munication among the Hindoos of every occupation and tribe. All their bufinefs is tranfafted, and all their accounts are kept in it ؛ and as their fyftem of education is in general very confined, there are few among them who can write or read any other idi- om : the uneducated, or eight...”
7

“...PREFACE. XV Tie Board of Commerce at Calcutta, ?nd the feveral Chiefs of the ftibordinate Factories cannot properly condiuft the India Company’s mercantile corefpondence and negotiations, with- ont the intermediate agency of Bengal In e praters ٠. for the whole fyftem of the Inveftment, in e١^ery ftige 0؛ its prepaa tion and provifion, -is managed in thelangiiage of tlie country 5' in which all the accounts of the Aurungs, (or mantifa^uring towns) thofe of the Company’s Export Warehouse, all propo- fa؟ and letters from agents, merchants, contraiftors, wea١’ers٠ binders, bleachers &c. are conftantly prefented i and into which all orders to Gomaftahs, Aumeens and other officers for the pnrehafe and procuration of goods muft be translated. Important as this 1 ftgiia'ge muft confequently appear to the Commertial line, its adoption would be no lefs beneficial to the' Revenue department. For although the Contrahs, Leafes anti other obligations, execu'ted between Government and its imine-, diate...”
8

“...Upon-the fame principle, fince the influence of the Britifli nation has fuperceded that of its former conquerors, many terms of Britifli derivation have been naturalized into the Bengal VO- cabulary. For as the laws, the revenues and the commerce are gradually falling into new hands and are conducted by a new fvftem, new denominations will neceflarily arife to the exclu- fion of the old. The force of this obfervation may particu- larly be proved from thofe places in which the greateft part of the India Company’s inveftment is provided; where a great number of the terms relating to trade aredireftly borrowed from the Englifh. So in all the country Courts of Juflice the words Decree, appeal. Warrant, Summons, and many others are con- flatly applied and underflood by the whole body of the people. The following work prefents the Bengal language meerly as derived from its- parent the Shanfcrit. In thecourfe of try dcfign 1 have avoided, with fome care, the admiffion of fuch ords...”
9

“...accurate translator to pay fame attention both to the Perfian and Hindoftanic dialeftsj .fince in tlie occurrences of modern bufineb, as managed by the pr trit illiterate generation, he will find all his letters, reprefentatioris 'and accounts interfper fed with a variety o'f.borrowed phrases or unauthorized expreffions. -Such l hope have no place in the ئ flaeets ن and as I cannot be acculed of interfering with )the pro* vince of thofe who may have illuftrated either ot the other dia- left* of India, fo l may with confidenteJrm that I 'have not be guided or aflifted in my refcarches by thofe of any preced- ing Author. The 'errors and defeats of this compilation nre entirely my on however copious they may be found, i have employed the moft unwearied application to correft and expunge tliem : and if I have been in the fmallt ft degree inftrumental in exciting the attention ( f the curious, or 'in 'gratifying ,he tafte of the difeerning, l hope fo much ١٩ill be allowed me in the op- pofite Eale...”
10

“...for it, with the afliftance of the ableft artifts it! London. But as he has egregioufly failed in executing even the eafiefi part, or primary alphabet, of which lie has publifeed a fpecimen, there is no reafon to fuppofe that his project when com pleated, wo hid have ad vanced Beyond the u- fiial fete of imperfection to wBicfi new inventions are confiantly expo fed. The advice arid even follicitation of the Governor General prevailed upon Nir. Wilkins, a gentleman who has been fome yedrs in the India Company’s civil fervice in Bengal, to under- take Ji fet of Bengal types. He did, arid his fiiccefs Has exceeded e- vei-y expectation. In a couritrv fo remote from all connexion with d European...”