Brian Hodgson lived in Nepal from 1820-1843 during which time he wrote and published extensively on Nepalese culture, religion, natural history, architecture, ethnography and linguistics.
Brain Houghton Hodgson was a nineteenth century administrator and scholar who lived in Nepal, where he was the British Resident from 1820 until 1843. After this he worked as an independent scholar in Darjeeling until 1858. During his time in the Himalayas Hodgson, with extraordinary dedication, laid the foundations for the study of the Eastern Himalayan region, writing about many aspects of life and culture. He was among the first westerners to take an interest in Buddhism, both writing about it and collecting manuscripts. He is perhaps best known for his work as an ornithologist and zoologist, writing around 130 papers and commissioning from Nepalese artists a unique series of drawings of birds and mammals. He also wrote about and recorded details of the buildings and architecture of the Kathmandu valley and wrote a series of ethnographic and linguistic papers on Nepal and the Himalayan region. Hodgson donated his collection of writings, specimens and drawings to libraries and museums in Europe, much of which still needs detailed examination. This book critically examines Hodgson's life and achievement within the context of his contribution to scholarship. It consists of contributions from leading historians of Nepal and South Asia and from specialists in Buddhist studies, art history, linguistics, ornithology and ethnography. Many of the drawings photographed for this book have not previously been published.


Origins of Himalayan Studies: Brian Houghton Hodgson in Nepal and Darjeeling, Hardcover, RourledgeCurzon, 280 Pages, $104.95

David M. Waterhouse is Vice-President of the Royal Asiatic Society. He was British Council Director in Nepal from 1972 to 1977.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations and Technical Note
Details of Contributors
Foreword / Thomas Trautmann
1. Brian Hodgson - A Biographical Sketch / David Waterhouse
2. The Political Role of Brian Hodgson / John Whelpton
3. Brian Hodgson - The Unsung Story / Harihar Raj Joshi
4. The Ambivalent Exegete - Hodgson's Contribution to the Study of Buddhism / Donald S. Lopez, Jr.
5. The Architectural Monuments of Buddhism - Hodgson and the Buddhist Architecture of the Kathmandu Valley / J.P.Losty
5.1 Appendix - B. H. Hodgson's Essay: Architectural Illustrations of Buddhism
6. Zoology Amuses Me Much / Ann Datta and Carol Inskipp
7. Brian Hodgson and the Mammals and other Animals of Nepal / Ann Datta
8. A Pioneer of Himalayan Ornithology / Carol Inskipp
9. Hodgson, Hooker and the Himalayan Frontier / David Arnold
10. Brian Hodgson as Ethnographer and Ethnologist / Martin Gaenszle
11. Hodgson's Tibeto-Burman and Tibeto-Burman Today / George van Driem
12. Hodgson's Legacy / David Waterhouse
Bibliography
Index