Edward Thomas CIE FRS (31 December 1813 – 10 February 1886) was an English civil servant of the East India Company, known for his writings on Indian antiquities.
Poor health affected his career, and he took several absences in England on sick leave; and when Lord Dalhousie offered him in 1852 the post of foreign secretary to the government of India, he declined it.
He retired on a pension in 1857, and spent the rest of his life in scholarly pursuits, attending the meetings of learned societies and writing on Asian archæology.
[1] Thomas is considered to have made ground-breaking studies in a number of areas of scholarship, such as numismatics (Bactrian, Indo-Scythic, and Sassanian coins); Indian metrology; and Persian gems and inscriptions.
His work was recognised by his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society on 8 June 1871, as correspondent of the Institute of France in January 1873, and as honorary member of the Russian Academy; and by his decoration as Companion of the Indian Empire.