French Academic Forays in the Eighteenth-Century North India

Abstract

French adventurers’ academic forays in the 18th century in India has so far received little scholarly attention. Except some stray remarks and mentioning, it has not been taken up systematically. The present article is an exercise to show that some of the French military adventurers had been touched and impressed by Indian culture and civilization. They, therefore, carried out passionate explorations of Indian books and manuscripts, not only to understand India better but also to acquaint the Occident more. in the process, some them emerged as great collectors. they were pioneers also, in the sense that they were forerunners to the British Indologists who appeared on Indian academic horizon in the last quarter of the 18th century. Anquetil Duperron, Polier, and Gentil were among the the great collectors of books and manuscripts during the time.