Sir William Jones was a brilliant and engaged man of letters and law closely involved with the significant figures of Great Britain, America and India during the American Revolution and the early days of the Raj. He essentially introduced the Western world to Oriental peoples and cultures. To linguists, he is known as the founder of Indo-European linguistics. In the field of South Asian Studies, he is known as one of the early pioneers of Indology, and the founder of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal. His translations of Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit poetry and drama are credited with having a major impact on the English romantic poets. Within the history of English jurisprudence, he is known for a classic treatise on the Law of Bailment, and his translations of key Hindu and Islamic legal treatises such as the Laws of Manu.

The world's foremost authorities on Sir William Jones reflect here on Jones's life and mind, contributions and influences. In Part One of this volume, the life and mind of Sir William Jones are explored by Garland Cannon and Rosane Rocher. In Part Two, Jones's contributions to linguistics, jurisprudence, history and natural science are presented by R.H. Robins, James Oldham, O.P. Kejariwal and Kenneth A.R. Kennedy. In Part Three, W.P. Lehmann examines Jones's influence in German-speaking areas in the nineteenth century, and David Kopf debates Jones's role in the hotly contested subject of British Orientalism.