KAYE, George Rusby. Leicester 1866 — Tunbridge Wells, Kent 1.7.1929. British Teacher and Indologist in India. Son of George Rusby K. and Lucy Emma Oliver. Educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in London and St. Mark’s College in Chelsea. In 188? he came to India as teacher, taught first at Bishop Cotton School in Simla, then Rector of Boy’s High School in Allahabad and Byculla Boys’ School in Bombay, then Vice-Principal of Government Training College in Lucknow and from 1903 in Allahabad. Soon he was transferred to Bureau of Education in Simla and remained there until his retirement in 1923. Back in England he was given the task of cataloguing European manuscripts in India Office, which he continued until his death. Married, two daughters and one son.
As a scholar Kaye concentrated on Indian mathematics, criticising too positive claims of originality. Himself he derived greater part of it from Greece, perhaps thus exaggerating the opposite viewpoint, but in general his influence was healthy. He also deciphered astronomical antiquities for the Archaeological Department.
Publications: “Notes on Indian Mathematics. I. Aritmetic Notation. II. Āryabhaṭa”, JASB N.S. 3, 1907, 475-508 & 4, 1908 (1910), 111-141 (with tr. and comm. of the Gaṇita); “The use of the Abacus in Ancient India”, JASB 4, 1908; “The Bakshāli Manuscript”, JASB 8, 1912, 349-361; “Ancient Indian Apherical Astronomy”, JASB 15, 1919, 153-189; “Hindu Astronomical deities”, JASB 16, 1920, 57-75; a few further articles, e.g. JASB 7, 1911.
– Indian Mathematics. 73 p. Calcutta 1915.
– Translated with Rāmānujācārya: “The Triśatika of Çrīdharācārya”, Bibl. Mathem. 3:13:3, Lp. 1913, 203-217.
– Astronomical Observatories of Jai Singh. 8+151 p. A.S.I. New Imp. Ser. 40. Calcutta 1918.
– A Guide to the Old Observatories at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Benares. 108 p. 15 ill. Calcutta 1921; Astronomical Instruments in the Delhi Museum. 25 p. 6 pl. M.A.S.I. 12. Calcutta 1921; Index to the Annual Reports of the Director-General of Archaeology in India, 1902 to 1916. 169 p. Calcutta 1924.
– Hindu Astronomy. Ancient science of the Hindus. 2+134 p. M.A.S.I. 18. Calc. 1924.
– The Bakhshali Manuscript. A study in Medieval Mathematics. 1-2. 237 p. 94 pl. A.S.I. New Imp. Ser. 43. Calcutta & Delhi 1927-33 (with text edition).
– With E. H. Johnston: Catalogue of Manuscripts in European Languages in the India Office Library. 2:2. Minor Collections and Miscellaneous Manuscripts Section 1. Nos 1-538. 19+1167 p. L. 1937.
Sources: H.N. Randle, JRAS 1930, 221-223; D.E. Smith, Science 70, 1929, 347. On his work see W. E. Clark in Lanman Vol. 1929.
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