Quotes:Turnour, George

Zirkoff, Boris

Turnour, George (1799-1843). English Orientalist, bom in Ceylon; eldest son of George Turnour, first Earl of Waterton. Educated in England; entered Ceylon Civil Service, 1818, and soon became a renowned Pâli scholar, devoting his attention to the native records of the Island. He was the first to publish authentic facts as to the origin and progress of the Buddhist religion in Ceylon. His earliest contributions to the Ceylon Almanack were derived chiefly from the Mahâvansa, and were later published as the Epitome of the History of Ceylon compiled from Native Annals (1836). He then followed with The Mahâwanso, in Roman characters and with translation (Ceylon, Cotta Church Mission Press, 1837), the first Pâli text to be translated. Tumour’s important discovery was the identification 547 of King Piyadassi, the promulgator of the celebrated rockedicts, with King Asoka. He frequently contributed essays to the Journal of the Asiatic Soc. of Bengal on Buddhist history and Indian chronology. He rose to the Supreme Council of Ceylon, and retired on acc. of health, 1841-42. He died at Naples, April 10, 1843.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 2, pp. 546-547