UPSC Prelims 2001·GS1·history·ancient history

Who amongst the following Englishmen, first translated Bhagavad-Gita into English?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. AWilliam Jones
  2. BCharles WilkinsCorrect
  3. CAlexander Cunningham
  4. DJohn Marshall

Explanation

Charles Wilkins was a prominent typographer and Orientalist who served the British East India Company. In 1785, he published the first direct translation of the Bhagavad Gita from Sanskrit into English, titled Bhagvat Geeta or Dialogues of Kreeshna and Arjoon. This work was supported by Warren Hastings, the then Governor General of Bengal, who wrote an influential introduction to the translation. While William Jones was a famous linguist and founder of the Asiatic Society, his major translations came later and focused on other texts like the Manusmriti and Kalidasa's Shakuntala. Alexander Cunningham is primarily known as the father of Indian Archaeology, and John Marshall was a later archaeologist famous for his work on the Indus Valley Civilization. Therefore, Charles Wilkins is the correct answer.
history: Who amongst the following Englishmen, first translated Bhagavad-Gita into English?

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