. Indika. The country and the people of India and Ceylon . urned to England, wrote on Indian topics, and in 1751returned to India as12th member of theperpetual Zemindarand Council. Bein^in Calcutta at the timeof the capture by Sirajud Daula, he was con-fined with others inthe Black Hole. Hishealth was shatteredby the sufferings ofthat awful night. Hereturned to again went to In-dia, and, for a shorttime, succeeded Cliveas Governor - Generalof the country. Heretired in 1760 fromhis Indian service. Holwells history inIndia was that of aman who seems to havebeen aroused to intense ment
. Indika. The country and the people of India and Ceylon . urned to England, wrote on Indian topics, and in 1751returned to India as12th member of theperpetual Zemindarand Council. Bein^in Calcutta at the timeof the capture by Sirajud Daula, he was con-fined with others inthe Black Hole. Hishealth was shatteredby the sufferings ofthat awful night. Hereturned to again went to In-dia, and, for a shorttime, succeeded Cliveas Governor - Generalof the country. Heretired in 1760 fromhis Indian service. Holwells history inIndia was that of aman who seems to havebeen aroused to intense mental activity by the historical andliterary wealth of the country. The very air about him in-spired him to earnest research. His Narrative of the BlackHole Tragedy was an exhaustive monograph, and is the bestoriginal source for the proper understanding of that blackestchapter of Anglo-Indian history. But Holwells study of Indialed him into larger fields. He inquired deeply into the religionsof the people, their architectural achievements, their usages, and. J. Z. HOLWELL. ENGLISH WRITERS 1 \ INDIA 397 their far-distant history. His principal works arc his Mythol-ogy, Cosmogony. Fasts and Festivals. and Interesting Bistorical Events Relative to the Province of Bengal. Ee waiprobably one of the best collectors of ancient manuscripts andother literary treasures in India, at a time when the Europeancraze for Oriental literary treasures had not as yet made themscarce in India. But his rich gatherings were losl at the capt-ure of Calcutta. In addition to his elaborate books, he wrotemonographs on various Indian topics, and contributed largelyto awaken in England a literary interest in India. I lis famespread to the Continent, where he was recognized, even morethan in England, as an author of great worth. Voltaire saysof him: This is the same Holwell who learned not only thelanguage of the modern Brahmans, but also that of the ancientBrahmans. It is he who wrote most precious memoirs on
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