Brian Houghton Hodgson (1 February 1800 or more likely 1801 – 23 May 1894) was a pioneer
naturalist and
ethnologist working in
India and
Nepal where he was a British
Resident. He described numerous species of birds and mammals from the Himalayas, and several birds were named after him by others such as
Edward Blyth. He was a scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and wrote extensively on a range of topics relating to linguistics and religion. He was an opponent of the British proposal to introduce English as the official medium of instruction in Indian schools.