Dictionary of Indian Biography/Cowell, Edward Byles
COWELL, EDWARD BYLES (1826–1903)
Born Jan. 23, 1826 : son of Charles Cowell : educated at Ipswich : early attracted to Sir W. Jones' works : studied Persian : entered a merchant's office : went to Magdalen Hall, Oxford : first class, 1854 : studied from 1853, under H. H. Wilson (q.v.) : joined the Education Department and became Professor of History and Political Economy at the Presidency College, Calcutta, 1856 : also Principal of the Sanskrit College, in 1858 : left India, 1864 : was the first Professor of Sanskrit at Cambridge, 1867 : Fellow of Corpus Christi * College, Cambridge : LL.D. of Edinburgh : D.C.L. of Oxford. After he was elected Professor of Sanskrit, the study of Oriental languages increased at Cambridge : the Semitic Languages Tripos was established, 1878 : the Indian Languages Tripos, 1903 : the Oriental Languages Tripos, 1895 : a Board of Oriental studies was formed, and a Board of I.C.S. studies : he taught Sanskrit, Indian philosophy, comparative philology, Persian, Pali, Zend, etc. : his publications were numerous. From early days, he wrote on Persian poetry, the Hindu drama, etc., in the Westminster Review, also in the Asiatic Journal, Journal of Philology, Gentleman's Magazine, J.A.S. Bengal, Calcutta Review : on Prakrit Grammar : translated and edited many Sanskrit works, both at Calcutta and Cambridge : knew also modern languages, including Welsh, and the classics : D.C.L., 1896 : received the Gold Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1898 : died Feb. 9, 1903.