fbpx
Wikipedia

John Zephaniah Holwell

December 31, 2022

John Zephaniah Holwell FRS (17 September 1711 – 5 November 1798) was a surgeon, an employee of the British East India Company, and a temporary Governor of Bengal (1760). He was also one of the first Europeans to study Indian antiquities and was an early advocate of animal rights and vegetarianism.

John Zephaniah Holwell
Born17 September 1711
Dublin
Died5 November 1798
Pinner
OccupationSurgeon

Biography

Holwell was a survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta, June 1756, the incident in which British subjects and others were crammed into a small poorly ventilated chamber overnight, with many deaths. Howell's account of this incident (1757) obtained wide circulation in England and some claim this gained support for the East India Company's conquest of India. His account of the incident was not publicly questioned during his lifetime nor for more than a century after his death. However, in recent years, his version of the event has been called into question by many historians.[1][2][3]

 
Holwell's monument in Calcutta

Holwell has also become an important source for modern historians of medicine,[4][5] as a result of his description of the practice of smallpox variolation in eighteenth-century Bengal, An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts (London, 1767).[6]

Born in Dublin, he grew up in London, and studied medicine at Guy's Hospital.[7] He gained employment as a surgeon in the British East India Company and was sent to India in 1732. He served in this capacity until 1749. In 1751, he was appointed as zemindar of the Twenty-four Parganas District of Bengal.[7] He then served as a member of the Council of Fort William (Calcutta) and defended the settlement against Siraj Ud Daulah in 1756. He later succeeded Robert Clive as temporary Governor of Bengal in 1760, but was dismissed from the Council in 1761 for remonstrating against the appointment of Henry Vansittart as Governor of Bengal. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1767.

Study of Hinduism

Holwell was one of the first British travellers to study Hinduism.[8] He came to believe that the Hindu scriptures completed and unlocked a secret meaning of the Bible. He wrote about this in the second and third volumes of his work Interesting Historical Events, Relative to the Provinces of Bengal, and the Empire of Indostan (1765–1771). [8]

Holwell was a believer in metempsychosis (transmigration of souls).[8] He came to the conclusion that the fundamental doctrine of the brahmins was that God (the Eternal one) had created angelic beings but they rebelled and so were condemned to be punished, with the possibility of earning a return to grace by passing through a series of rebirths to regain paradise. He held the view that all animals and humans were fallen angels.[8]

Howell suggested that the Greeks and Egyptians took their belief in metempsychosis from the brahmins. Holwell stated that all religions have much in common but only the Hindu scriptures have all the truths fully articulated. He wrote that Moses's version of the creation and Fall of Man is "clogged with too many incomprehensible difficulties to gain our belief", and is only made intelligible with the Hindu doctrine that humankind are fallen angels.[8]

Holwell was a vegetarian and opposed the Cartesian view that animals are machines without souls.[8] He argued that animals were not created for domination or use by man. He stated that meat and the killing of animals is a violation of man's original nature and is the cause of moral and physical evil.[8]

Holwell believed that metempsychosis accounted for the problem of Original sin as the Fall of Man had occurred in heaven long before the creation of Adam and Eve who were fallen angels. In regard to Christianity, Holwell identified as a Christian deist, which was consistent with his belief in transmigration of souls and his enthusiasm for Hinduism.[8]

Publications

By Holwell:

  • A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen and others who were suffocated in the Black Hole (London, 1758)
  • Interesting Historical Events, Relative to the Provinces of Bengal, and the Empire of Indostan With a seasonable hint and perswasive to the honourable the court of directors of the East India Company. As also the mythology and cosmogony, fasts and festivals of the Gentoo's, followers of the Shastah. And a dissertation on the metempsychosis, commonly, though erroneously, called the Pythagorean doctrine, 3 vols. (London, 1765–1771)
  • An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts (London, 1767).

References

  1. ^ Bayon, H. P. (November 1944). "John Zephaniah Holwell (1711–1798) and the Black Hole of Calcutta". Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine. 38 (1): 15–18. doi:10.1177/003591574403800103. PMC 2181149. PMID 19992966.
  2. ^ Adamson, Kohleun (2005). Replacing Emotional Biases: A Critical Look at the Accounts of John Zephaniah Holwell.
  3. ^ Dalley, Jan (2006). The Black Hole: Money, Myth and Empire. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-91447-9.
  4. ^ Wujastyk, Dominik (2001). "`A Pious Fraud': The Indian Claims for Pre-Jennerian Smallpox Vaccination". In G. J. Meulenbeld and Dominik Wujastyk (ed.). Studies in Indian Medical History (in English and Sanskrit) (2 ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 121–154. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  5. ^ Boylston, Arthur (July 2012). "The origins of inoculation". Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 105 (7): 309–313. doi:10.1258/jrsm.2012.12k044. PMC 3407399. PMID 22843649.
  6. ^ Holwell, John Zephaniah (1767). An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts. London: T. Becket & P. A. de Hondt.
  7. ^ a b McCabe, Joseph (1920). "Holwell, John Zephaniah". A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists. London: Watts & Co. pp. 356–357. OCLC 262462698.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Trautmann, Thomas R. (1997). Aryans and British India. University of California Press. pp. 68–72. ISBN 0-520-20546-4

See also

December 31, 2022
john, zephaniah, holwell, september, 1711, november, 1798, surgeon, employee, british, east, india, company, temporary, governor, bengal, 1760, also, first, europeans, study, indian, antiquities, early, advocate, animal, rights, vegetarianism, born17, septembe. John Zephaniah Holwell FRS 17 September 1711 5 November 1798 was a surgeon an employee of the British East India Company and a temporary Governor of Bengal 1760 He was also one of the first Europeans to study Indian antiquities and was an early advocate of animal rights and vegetarianism John Zephaniah HolwellBorn17 September 1711DublinDied5 November 1798PinnerOccupationSurgeon Contents 1 Biography 2 Study of Hinduism 3 Publications 4 References 5 See alsoBiography EditHolwell was a survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta June 1756 the incident in which British subjects and others were crammed into a small poorly ventilated chamber overnight with many deaths Howell s account of this incident 1757 obtained wide circulation in England and some claim this gained support for the East India Company s conquest of India His account of the incident was not publicly questioned during his lifetime nor for more than a century after his death However in recent years his version of the event has been called into question by many historians 1 2 3 Holwell s monument in Calcutta Holwell has also become an important source for modern historians of medicine 4 5 as a result of his description of the practice of smallpox variolation in eighteenth century Bengal An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts London 1767 6 Born in Dublin he grew up in London and studied medicine at Guy s Hospital 7 He gained employment as a surgeon in the British East India Company and was sent to India in 1732 He served in this capacity until 1749 In 1751 he was appointed as zemindar of the Twenty four Parganas District of Bengal 7 He then served as a member of the Council of Fort William Calcutta and defended the settlement against Siraj Ud Daulah in 1756 He later succeeded Robert Clive as temporary Governor of Bengal in 1760 but was dismissed from the Council in 1761 for remonstrating against the appointment of Henry Vansittart as Governor of Bengal He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1767 Study of Hinduism EditHolwell was one of the first British travellers to study Hinduism 8 He came to believe that the Hindu scriptures completed and unlocked a secret meaning of the Bible He wrote about this in the second and third volumes of his work Interesting Historical Events Relative to the Provinces of Bengal and the Empire of Indostan 1765 1771 8 Holwell was a believer in metempsychosis transmigration of souls 8 He came to the conclusion that the fundamental doctrine of the brahmins was that God the Eternal one had created angelic beings but they rebelled and so were condemned to be punished with the possibility of earning a return to grace by passing through a series of rebirths to regain paradise He held the view that all animals and humans were fallen angels 8 Howell suggested that the Greeks and Egyptians took their belief in metempsychosis from the brahmins Holwell stated that all religions have much in common but only the Hindu scriptures have all the truths fully articulated He wrote that Moses s version of the creation and Fall of Man is clogged with too many incomprehensible difficulties to gain our belief and is only made intelligible with the Hindu doctrine that humankind are fallen angels 8 Holwell was a vegetarian and opposed the Cartesian view that animals are machines without souls 8 He argued that animals were not created for domination or use by man He stated that meat and the killing of animals is a violation of man s original nature and is the cause of moral and physical evil 8 Holwell believed that metempsychosis accounted for the problem of Original sin as the Fall of Man had occurred in heaven long before the creation of Adam and Eve who were fallen angels In regard to Christianity Holwell identified as a Christian deist which was consistent with his belief in transmigration of souls and his enthusiasm for Hinduism 8 Publications EditBy Holwell A Genuine Narrative of the Deplorable Deaths of the English Gentlemen and others who were suffocated in the Black Hole London 1758 Interesting Historical Events Relative to the Provinces of Bengal and the Empire of Indostan With a seasonable hint and perswasive to the honourable the court of directors of the East India Company As also the mythology and cosmogony fasts and festivals of the Gentoo s followers of the Shastah And a dissertation on the metempsychosis commonly though erroneously called the Pythagorean doctrine 3 vols London 1765 1771 An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts London 1767 References Edit Bayon H P November 1944 John Zephaniah Holwell 1711 1798 and the Black Hole of Calcutta Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 38 1 15 18 doi 10 1177 003591574403800103 PMC 2181149 PMID 19992966 Adamson Kohleun 2005 Replacing Emotional Biases A Critical Look at the Accounts of John Zephaniah Holwell Dalley Jan 2006 The Black Hole Money Myth and Empire London Penguin Books ISBN 0 670 91447 9 Wujastyk Dominik 2001 A Pious Fraud The Indian Claims for Pre Jennerian Smallpox Vaccination In G J Meulenbeld and Dominik Wujastyk ed Studies in Indian Medical History in English and Sanskrit 2 ed Motilal Banarsidass pp 121 154 Retrieved 3 January 2014 Boylston Arthur July 2012 The origins of inoculation Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 105 7 309 313 doi 10 1258 jrsm 2012 12k044 PMC 3407399 PMID 22843649 Holwell John Zephaniah 1767 An Account of the Manner of Inoculating for the Small Pox in the East Indies with Some Observations on the Practice and Mode of Treating that Disease in those Parts London T Becket amp P A de Hondt a b McCabe Joseph 1920 Holwell John Zephaniah A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Rationalists London Watts amp Co pp 356 357 OCLC 262462698 a b c d e f g h Trautmann Thomas R 1997 Aryans and British India University of California Press pp 68 72 ISBN 0 520 20546 4 Anon 1800 Account of John Zephaniah Holwell Esq From The Asiatic Annual Register with Additions The European Magazine and London Review 37 270 274 See also EditUrs App 2010 The Birth of Orientalism Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Press ISBN 978 0 8122 4261 4 contains a 66 page chapter pp 297 362 on Holwell Dalley Jan 2006 The Black Hole Money Myth and Empire London Penguin Books ISBN 0 670 91447 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Zephaniah Holwell amp oldid 1123769121, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.