Copy of a letter addressed to Colonel Sykes by Captain Kittoe, read November 1849

This material is held atRoyal Asiatic Society Archives

  • Reference
    • GB 891 RAS GOV7-RAS GOV7/26
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1849
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 4.5 pages handwritten

Scope and Content

'Copy of a letter addressed to Colonel Sykes by Captain Kittoe (no place or date)' in which he writes that he has just returned from a tour along the bank of the Gandak. He has spent several months examining inscriptions made by Captain R.W. Ellis, Political Assistant in Bundelkund. He is currently having them translated into English. He is becoming convinced that ancient Pali was the first written character in Central India.
Kittoe also writes about the architectural details and sculpture discoveries that he has been making of both Buddhist and Brahmanical buildings giving descriptions of them and their inscriptions. There are also some pencil sketches with the copy of the letter to further aid his descriptions. He writes of having been in Allahabad as well as Bupau, Patna and back to the Benares (Varanasi) area.

Administrative / Biographical History

Markham Kittoe was in India from 1825-53 as an Officer in Bengal 6th Native Infantry. He became Archaeological Enquirer to Government in the North Western Provinces.

Note

Markham Kittoe was in India from 1825-53 as an Officer in Bengal 6th Native Infantry. He became Archaeological Enquirer to Government in the North Western Provinces.

Additional Information

Published