James Atkinson (Persian scholar)

Self-portrait ca. 1845, National Portrait Gallery, London

James Atkinson (17 March 1780 – 7 August 1852) was a surgeon, artist and Persian scholar — "a Renaissance man among Anglo-Indians".[1]

First arriving in India in 1802 as a surgeon, he was later appointed Assistant to the Assay Master at the Calcutta Mint in 1812; and was also editor of the Calcutta Gazette. Closely associated with the British colonial authorities and their community in India, he would meet Lord Minto and Lord Bentick, the latter with whom he had a notorious disagreement. He was best known for his study of Persian and his translation of a number of texts in to English. He was a gifted amateur artist and published a number of illustrated books, including on his travels in Afghanistan in the early 1840s.

  1. ^ p.185 The Raj, India and the British 1600-1947, various contributors edited by C. A. Bayly, Published by the National Portrait Gallery Publications 1990