Brian Houghton Hodgson
Brian Houghton Hodgson | |
|---|---|
Portrait by Louisa Starr-Canziani | |
| Born | 1 February 1801 |
| Died | 23 May 1894 (aged 93) London, England |
| Alma mater | East India Company College |
| Employer | British East India Company |
| Notable work | Classified catalogue of mammals of Nepal, Illustrations of the Literature and Religion of the Buddhists. |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Scott, Susan Townshend. |
Brian Houghton Hodgson (1 February 1801 – 23 May 1894) was a pioneer naturalist and ethnologist working in India and Nepal where he was a British Resident. He described numerous species of birds and mammals from the Himalayas, and several birds were named after him by others such as Edward Blyth. He was a scholar of Newar Buddhism and wrote extensively on a range of topics relating to linguistics and religion. He was an opponent of the British proposal to introduce English as the official medium of instruction in Indian schools.