Arnold's masterpiece, The Light of Asia (1879), a blank-verse narrative of the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, became an international bestseller and profoundly shaped Western perceptions of Buddhism. He followed it with The Light of the World (1891), depicting the life of Christ, and The Song Celestial (1885), a poetic translation of the Bhagavad Gita. His other notable works include The Indian Song of Songs (1875), adapted from Jayadeva's Gita Govinda; Pearls of the Faith (1883), on Islamic tradition; and travel writings such as India Revisited (1886) and Seas and Lands (1891). Knighted in 1888, Arnold is remembered as a pioneering mediator between Eastern and Western literary traditions.
Edwin Arnold
Edwin Arnold (1832–1904) was an English poet, journalist, and scholar best known for popularizing Asian religions and culture in Victorian Britain. Born in Gravesend, Kent, he was educated at King's School, Rochester, and University College, Oxford, where he won the Newdigate Prize for poetry. In 1856 he traveled to India to serve as principal of Deccan College in Poona, an experience that sparked his lifelong fascination with Eastern thought and languages. He later joined The Daily Telegraph, becoming a celebrated leader-writer and world traveler.