ARTHUR

See also:

• COKE (a northern English word, possibly connected with " colk," core)
• COKE, SIR EDWARD (1552-1634)
• COKE, SIR JOHN (1563-1644)
• COKE, THOMAS (1747-1814)

COKE

See also:

• ARTHUR COKE BURNELL (1840–1882)
• BURNELL, ROBERT (d. 1292)

BURNELL (1840–1882)  , English Sanskrit scholar, was born at St Briavels, Gloucestershire, in 1840 . His father was an official of the East India Company, and in 186o he himself went out to Madras as a member of the Indian civil service . Here he utilized every available opportunity to acquire or copy Sanskrit manuscripts . In 1870 he presented his collectionof 350 MSS. to the India library . In 1874 he published a Hand-book of South Indian Palaeography, characterized by Max Muller as " indispensable to every student of Indian literature," and in 188o issued for the Madras government his greatest work, the Classified Index to the Sanskrit MSS. in the Palace at Tanjore . He was also the author of a large number of translations from, and commentaries on, various other Sanskrit manuscripts, being particularly successful in grouping and elucidating the essential principles of Hindu law . In addition to his exhaustive acquaintance with Sanskrit, and the southern India vernaculars, he had some knowledge of Tibetan, Arabic, Kawi, Javanese and Coptic . Burnell originated with Sir Henry Yule the well-known dictionary of Anglo-Indian words and phrases, Hobson-Jobson . His constitution, never strong, broke down prematurely through the combined influence of overwork and the Madras climate, and he died at West Stratton, Hampshire, on the 12th of October 1882 . A further collection of Sanskrit manuscripts was purchased from his heirs by the India library after his death .