Charles Henry Tawney
Charles Henry Tawney was an English educator and scholar, primarily known for his translations of Sanskrit classics into English. He was fluent in German, Latin, and Greek; and in India also acquired Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, and Persian.Biography
Tawney was the son of Rev. Richard Tawney, and educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge; where he was a Cambridge Apostle and worked as a Fellow and Tutor for 4 years, until he moved to India for health reasons. He married Constance Catharine Fox in 1867 and had a large family. One of his children, born 30 November 1880 in Calcutta, was Richard Henry or R. H. Tawney. From 1865 to his retirement in 1892 he held various educational offices, most significantly Principal of Presidency College for much of the period of 1875-1892. His translation of Kathasaritsagara was printed by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in a small series called Bibliotheca Indica between 1880 and 1884.
After retirement, Tawney was made Librarian of the India Office.Translations from Sanskrit
Tawney translated the Mālavikāgnimitra of Kālidāsa whose first edition was published in 1875 and second edition in 1891.
His other works include:
- Bhavabhūti: Uttara-rāma-carita — a play
- Two Centuries of Bhartṛihari — two collections of ethical and philosophico-religious stanzas
- Somadeva: Kathā Sarit Sāgara — the massive collection of legends and tales
- Kathākoça — Jain stories
- Merutunga: Prabandhacintāmaṇi — Jain stories
