Vincent Arthur Smith

Who was Vincent Arthur Smith?

Vincent Arthur Smith, CIE, was a British Indologist and art historian.

Smith was born in Dublin on June 3, 1848 which was then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He worked in the Indian Civil Service between 1871–1900 and retired early to devote himself to his writing. He was elected a foundation scholar of Trinity College, Dublin, where he also served as president of the University Philosophical Society in 1868-69.

He also wrote books on various rulers, such as the Buddhist ruler Ashoka the Great and Mughal emperor Akbar the Great, and a history of fine arts in India and Ceylon.

Smith was honoured with the award of Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire.