author
Lionel D. (Lionel David) Barnett
1871–1960
A leading British orientalist of the early 20th century, he helped open Sanskrit and Indian literature to English-speaking readers through scholarship, translation, and teaching. His work also shaped major library collections and the study of Asian texts in London.
1 Audiobook
Hindu gods and heroes : studies in the history of the religion of India
by Lionel D. (Lionel David) Barnett
About the author
Born in Liverpool in 1871, Lionel David Barnett was an English orientalist best known for his work on Sanskrit and Indian literature. He studied in Liverpool and at Trinity College, Cambridge, and went on to build a long scholarly career centered on classical and Asian texts.
Barnett joined the British Museum in 1899 and later became Keeper of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts, a role he held until 1936. He also taught Sanskrit in London, including at University College London and the School of Oriental Studies, and was known for making complex traditions more approachable through books such as Hinduism and translations including The Antagada-dasao and Anuttarovavaiya-dasao.
Remembered as a careful, wide-ranging scholar, Barnett worked across Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, and related fields, and contributed both specialist catalogues and more general works for readers curious about Indian philosophy and religion. He died in 1960, leaving behind a body of writing that connected academic research with a broader reading public.