Wilkinson was born in Crosby-Ravensworth, Cumbria, son of James and Nanny née Eggleston[1] and went to India after receiving training at Haileybury College.
He interacted with Indian scholars and came to learn of Bhaskara's 12th century Siddhanta Shiromani, an astronomical text and worked on translating it into English.
He found it to be very advanced, with a heliocentric model which contrasted with the Puranas which promoted a geocentric, flat-earth view.
Wilkinson also wrote against female infanticide, supported widow remarriage and translated the Vajrasuchi, an anti-Brahminical text.
[2][3][4] Notable protégés of Wilkinson included Subaji Bapu, Omkar Bhatt, and Bapudeva Sastri.