<P> He was born at Frome in Somerset in 1749 . He trained as a printer . In 1770 he went to India as a printer and writer in the East India Company's service . His facility with language allowed him to quickly learn Persian and Bengali . He was closely involved in the design of the first type for printing Bengali . He published the first typeset book in the language, earning himself the name "the Caxton of India". He also designed type for publications of books in Persian . In 1781 he was appointed as translator of Persian and Bengali to the Commissioner of Revenue and as superintendent of the Company's press . He successfully translated a Royal inscription in Kutila characters, which were thitherto indecipherable . </P> <P> In 1784, Wilkins helped William Jones establish the Asiatic Society of Bengal . </P> <P> Wilkins moved to Varanasi, where he studied Sanskrit under Kalinatha, a Brahmin pandit . At this period he began work on his translation of the Mahabharata, securing strong support for his activities from the governor of British India, Warren Hastings . Though he never completed the translation, portions were later published . The most important was his version of the Gita, published in 1785 as Bhagvat - geeta, or Dialogues of Kreeshna and Arjoon (London: Nourse, 1785). In his preface Wilkins argued that the Gita was written to encourage a form of monotheist "unitarianism" and to draw Hinduism away from the polytheism he ascribed to the Vedas . </P> <P> He had a hobby to learn about other religions . He was also a scholar of Islam . He stayed in India for 16 years (1770--1786). He also made visits to holy shrines of other religions to learn about their customs . </P>

Who amongst the following englishmen first translated bhagavad-gita into english