Life and works of Alexander Csoma de Körös : $b A biography compiled chiefly from hitherto unpublished dataDuka, Tivadar
History
Life and works of Alexander Csoma de Körös : $b A biography compiled chiefly from hitherto unpublished data
Duka, Tivadar
Kőrösi Csoma, Sándor, 1784-1842
Captain Kennedy wrote to the Assistant Political Agent at Umbála, on
the 28th of November, reporting that “an European traveller, who gives
his name as Alexander Csoma de Körös, a subject of Hungary, has arrived
at this post. He is particularly introduced to my notice by Mr.
Moorcroft, whose letter I herewith enclose. Mr. Csoma de Körös remains
here at present, and waits the arrival of a Lama, whom he expects in a
few days, to proceed with him towards Tibet. I request your
instructions regarding this gentleman’s movements.”
To this the following answer was received the next day:—
“Be good enough to detain the European traveller at Sabathú until
instructions of the agent to the Governor-General at Delhi can be
received regarding him.”
From the following it will appear that Lord Amherst gave orders that
Csoma be requested to give a complete account of himself and of his
plans, and to submit the same through Captain Kennedy.
Csoma’s letter, dated Sabathú, 28th January 1825, will be found below;
it is the same as that which, in an abridged form and in a different
shape, was published in the first number of the “Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society of London” in 1834, to which allusion has already been
made:
“To Captain C. P. Kennedy, Assistant Political Agent and Commanding
Subathoo.
“Sir,—I beg leave to acknowledge your communication of the
Secretary to Government’s answer to your letter reporting my
arrival at Subathoo, through the Governor-General’s agent at Delhi,
dated Fort William, 24th December 1824; and since, by the
Government’s order, it is required from me to give in writing a
full and intelligible account of my history and past proceedings,
and of my objects and plans for the future, as also of the length
to which I propose to carry my Travels and Researches, I have the
honour to state, for the information of the Governor-General of
India, as follows:—
2. “I am a native of the Siculian [15] nation (a tribe of those
Hungarians who settled in ancient Dacia in the fourth century of
the Christian era) in the great principality of Transylvania,
subject to his Majesty the Emperor of Austria.
3. “Having finished my philological and theological studies in the
Bethlen College at N. Enyed in the course of three years, from 1st
August 1815 to 5th September 1818, I visited Germany, and by his
Imperial Majesty’s permission, at the University of Göttingen in
Hanover, I frequented several lectures from 11th April 1816 to the
last of July 1818; and on my request to the Government of Hanover,
I was also for one year favoured there with Libera mensa regia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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