Who was the first prominent European scholar to explicitly describe the Aryans as a distinct race rather than only a linguistic group?

Introduction / Context:
This question comes from the intellectual history of Oriental studies and Indology. It asks about the European scholar who first clearly spoke of Aryans as a race, an idea that later had huge influence, sometimes very negative, in European thought. Understanding who did this helps separate early linguistic discoveries from later racial interpretations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the first European to designate Aryans as a race.
• Options list Sir William Jones, H. H. Wilson, Max Muller and Alexander Cunningham.
• We assume basic awareness of key Indologists and their contributions.
• The question is about usage that went beyond purely linguistic classification.

Concept / Approach:
In the late 18th century, Sir William Jones discovered the close relationship between Sanskrit and several European languages and suggested a common source, later called the Indo-European family. However, he did not strongly popularise the idea of Aryans as a race. In the 19th century, the German-born scholar Max Muller, working in Britain, played a major role in editing and translating Vedic texts. Although he originally used “Aryan” in a mainly linguistic and cultural sense, his work was widely read and later interpreted by many as referring to a racial category, and he is often cited in exam literature as the first European to designate Aryans as a race.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question is asking about a European scholar, not an Indian thinker.Step 2: Recall that Sir William Jones mainly focused on linguistic comparison between Sanskrit, Greek and Latin.Step 3: Remember that Alexander Cunningham is known for archaeological work in India, not for racial theories about Aryans.Step 4: H. H. Wilson was an early Sanskrit scholar, but he is not usually associated in exam texts with defining Aryans racially.Step 5: Max Muller, as presented in most general history guides, is regarded as the first major European scholar who popularised the idea of Aryans in a way that was later understood as racial.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard GK and history preparation books, when they ask this exact question, give Max Muller as the answer. They note that his classification of Aryans, Semites and Turanians influenced racial thinking in the 19th century. While modern scholarship is more critical of such racial categories, exam questions still follow this older classification and expect Max Muller as the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sir William Jones: Key figure in discovering the Indo-European language family, but not usually credited in exams as the first to call Aryans a race.H. H. Wilson: Important Orientalist and Sanskrit scholar, but not central to the racial classification of Aryans in common exam narratives.Alexander Cunningham: Famous as an archaeologist and founder of the Archaeological Survey of India, not for theories about Aryan race.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse linguistic discovery with racial theory and pick William Jones because they remember his work on Sanskrit. Others may not distinguish between different Indologists at all. To answer correctly in the exam context, remember that Max Muller is typically named as the first European to designate or popularise Aryans as a race, even though he personally emphasized language more than biology.

Final Answer:
The first prominent European scholar commonly credited with designating the Aryans as a race is Max Muller.