Who was the Founder of the Asiatic Society?

The Asiatic Society was founded by the renowned philologist and polymath Sir William Jones on January 15, 1784, in Calcutta [t1][t3]. Jones, who served as a judge of the Supreme Court at Fort William, established the society to encourage Oriental research and study the history, antiquities, arts, sciences, and literature of Asia [t5][t10]. He served as its president until his death in 1794 [t5]. In contrast, William Carey and Joshua Marshman were Baptist missionaries associated with the Serampore Mission established in 1799 [c1][t4]. David Hare was a watchmaker and educator known for founding the Hindu College in 1817 alongside Raja Rammohan Roy [c3]. While the Asiatic Society of Bengal later published scholarly works like the 'Bibliotheca Indica' series, its inception remains the defining legacy of William Jones's efforts to bridge Eastern and Western knowledge [c2][t10].

Sources

1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jones_(philologist)
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asiatic_Society
3. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 19: Towards Modernity > 19.7 Christian Missionaries > p. 306
4. [4] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 7: Social and Cultural Awakening in the First Half of the 19th Century > MODERN INDIA > p. 127
5. [5] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State > Translating the Ain > p. 220