Vincent Arthur Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vincent Arthur Smith
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The Early History of India by Vincent Arthur Smith, 1914
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| Born | 3 June 1843 |
| Died | 6 February 1920 (aged 76) Oxford
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| Occupation | Indologist, art historian |
Vincent Arthur Smith (born June 3, 1843 – died February 6, 1920) was an important Irish historian. He studied the history of India and its art. He was also a member of the Indian Civil Service, which was a group of British officials who helped govern India when it was part of the British Raj.
In the 1890s, Smith played a key role in uncovering a big secret. He found out that a person named Alois Anton Führer, who worked for the Archaeological Survey of India, was making fake historical writings. Smith caught him in the act!
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About Vincent Arthur Smith
Vincent Arthur Smith was born in Dublin, Ireland, on June 3, 1843. At that time, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. His father, Aquilla Smith, was a well-known expert in medicine and old coins.
Early Life and Work
After finishing his studies at Trinity College Dublin, Vincent Smith passed a special test in 1871. This test allowed him to join the Indian Civil Service (ICS). He did very well, coming in first place. He then worked in a part of India that is now called Uttar Pradesh.
He worked in many different roles for the ICS until the year 1900. He even became a "Chief Secretary" and a "Commissioner," which were very important jobs.
A Historian's Journey
Even while working for the government, Smith spent a lot of his time writing about Indian history. He loved it so much that he left his job early in 1900 to focus completely on his historical research and writing. He then moved back to England.
First, he lived in Cheltenham. By 1910, he had settled in Oxford. There, he joined St John's College and became a Curator at the Indian Institute. This meant he helped manage a collection of Indian artifacts and studies.
His Famous Books
After he retired, Smith wrote many important books about Indian history. He wrote two books about famous Indian emperors, Ashoka and Akbar. He kept updating these books as new information was discovered.
He also wrote two big books that covered a lot of Indian history. These were called The Early History of India and The Oxford History of India. He also wrote a book about the history of beautiful art in India and Sri Lanka.
Awards and Recognition
For all his hard work and contributions, Vincent Smith received an award called Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. This was a special honor given by the British government. In 1919, he also received a special doctorate degree from Trinity College Dublin.
Vincent Arthur Smith passed away in Oxford on February 6, 1920.
Key Works by Vincent Arthur Smith
- General index to the reports of the Archaeological Survey of India (1887)
- Editor of William Henry Sleeman's Rambles and Recollections of an Indian official (1893)
- Preface to Purna Chandra Mukherji: A report on a tour of exploration of the antiquities of Kapilavastu Tarai of Nepal (1901)
- Asoka, the Buddhist Emperor of India (1901)
- The Jain Stûpa and other antiquities of Mathurâ (1901)
- "The Kushān, or Indo-Scythian, Period of Indian History" (1903)
- The Indian civil service as a profession (1903)
- The Early History of India, from 600 B. C. to the Muhammadan conquest (1904)
- Catalogue of the coins in the Indian Museum, Calcutta (1906)
- A history of fine art in India and Ceylon from the earliest times to the present day (1911, with later revised editions)
- Second and revised edition to François Bernier's Travels in the Mogul Empire, AD 1656–1668 (1919)
- The Oxford history of India : from the earliest times to the end of 1911 (1919)
- Indian constitutional reform, viewed in the light of history (1919)
