Edwin Arnold

Sir Edwin Arnold (1832-1904) was a British poet, journalist, and Orientalist whose work bridged Eastern religious traditions and Victorian literary culture. He was educated at King's College London and University College, Oxford, and served as principal of Deccan College in Pune, India, from 1856 to 1861, an experience that deepened his engagement with Asian religion and culture. Returning to England, he joined the Daily Telegraph and eventually became its editor-in-chief. He is most celebrated for 'The Light of Asia' (1879), a blank-verse account of the life and teachings of the Buddha that became an international bestseller. His 'Pearls of Faith: or Islam's Rosary' (1883) is a poetic treatment of the ninety-nine beautiful names of Allah, composed through sustained engagement with Islamic devotional literature and theology. Arnold was knighted in 1888 and continued writing on Asian religions and cultures throughout his life. He died in London in 1904.