The Origins of Himalayan Studies: Brian Houghton Hodgson in Nepal and Darjeeling

Brian Hodgson (1800-1896) lived in Nepal from 1820-1843 during which time he wrote and published extensively on Nepalese culture, religion, natural history, architecture, ethnography and linguistics. Largely self-educated, he was one of the last amateurs to make a real impression, and as an important and controversial figure in his day, he played a key role in the intellectual debate that, in the mid-19th century - was a feature of the far reaching changes in scientific thought and discovery that characterised this period.