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Joseph Edkins
1823–1905
A tireless 19th-century missionary-scholar, he spent decades in China and became known for writing about Chinese language, religion, and philosophy for English readers. His work helped introduce Chinese thought to the West at a time when very few such studies were available.
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About the author
Born in 1823, Joseph Edkins was an English missionary and scholar whose life became closely tied to China. He worked there for many years, and alongside his missionary efforts he developed a deep interest in Chinese language and learning.
Edkins wrote widely on Chinese religion, philosophy, and philology, producing books that explored Buddhism, popular belief, and the structure and history of language. He became especially noted as an early Western interpreter of Chinese intellectual and religious traditions.
He died in 1905, after a long career that left a substantial mark on both missionary history and the early study of China in English. Today he is remembered less for a single famous title than for the breadth of his efforts to explain Chinese culture and ideas to readers abroad.