FINOT, Louis. Bar-sur-Aube (Aube) 20.7.1864 — Toulon (Var) 16.5.1935. French Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar. Son of Bernardin-Florentin F., a notary, and Marie Valentine Doré. After school in Troyes studies of law and economic history in Paris. From 1890 employed in Bibliothèque Nationale as a stagiaire, from 1892 as sous-bibliothécaire. Interested early in Indology, studied under Lévi, and himself taught Sanskrit from 1895 as chargé de conference at É.P.H.É., where he had his diplom in 1894. In 1898 appointed by French Academy to develop Indochinese archaeology, in January 1899 founded É.F.E.O. in Saigon (soon moved to Hanoi), which he then himself directed in 1899-1904, 1913-18, 1920-26, and 1928-29. Also founded its Bulletin (the BEFEO) and the Hanoi Museum. From c. 1905 again chargé de conference at É.P.H.É., from 1917 directeur d’études indiennes there (Séction Sciences historiques et philologiques). Retired in 1930. In 1920-30 also Professor of Histoire et Philologie indochinoises at Collège de France. Member of A.I.B.L. 1933.
Finot is best known as the founder of the É.F.E.O. Though he was an Indologist by profession, the major part of his work was concerned with South-East Asia. He created the archaeological service of French Indochina and the Museum of Hanoi, later known as Musée Louis Finot.
Publications: “La religion et le théâtre dans l’Inde”, RHR 24, 1891, 92-96.
– Edited & transl. Les lapidaires indiens. 16+277 p. B.É.H.É. 111. P. 1896.
– Edited: Rāṣṭrapālaparipṛcchā, Sūtra du Mahāyāna. 18+69 p. Bibl. Buddh. 2. St.Petersburg 1901.
– “Fragments d’un Vinaya sanskrit”, JA 10:18, 1911, 619-625; “Le Prātimokṣasūtra des Sarvāstivādins, texte sanskrit par L.F. avec la version chinoise de Kumārajīva trad. par Éd. Huber”, JA 11:2, 1913, 465-558.
– “Recherches sur la littérature laotienne”, BEFEO 17:5, 1917, 1-218 (in Pāli and Lao).
– “La légende de Buddhaghosa”, Cinquantenaire de l’É.H.É.P. P. 1921, 101-119; “Mahāparinibbānasuttanta and Cullavagga”, IHQ 8, 1932, 241-246; “Manuscrits sanskrits de sādhana retrouvés en Chine”, JA 225, 1934, 1-86.
– Transl.: La Marche à la Lumière. Bodhicaryāvatāra, poème sanskrit de Çāntideva. 167 p. Classiques de l’Orient 2. P. 1920; Les questions de Milinda. 166 p. Classiques de l’Orient 8. P. 1923.
– A great number of articles and reviews in JA, BEFEO (which he founded and edited), reviews in RHR, etc.; in 1908-20 redacteur of the JA. From BEFEO articles was collected Notes d’epigraphie indochinoise. 439 p. ill. Hanoi 1916.
– “Archéologie indochinoise”, BEFEO 21, 1921, 43-166; “L’ethnographie indochinoise”, BEFEO 21, 1921, 167-196; “Inscriptions d’Angkor”, BEFEO 25, 1925, 289-407.
– With V. Goloubew & G. Cœdès: Le temple d’Angkor Vat. 1. L’Architecture du Monument. 43 p. 15 pl. Mém. arch. de E.F.E.O. 2. P. 1929.
Sources: Barbiche, D.B.F. fasc. 78, 1975, 1377f.; Charle: Prof. de Collège de France; *G. Cœdès, BEFEO 35, 1935, 511-515; *R. Dussaud, CRAI 1938, 487-501; *R. Dussaud, CRAI 82, 1938, 486-501; V. Goloubev, BEFEO 35, 1935, 515-538, and bibliography 538-550 (with photo); S. Lévi, JA 228, 1936, 122-124; *H. Maspero, RAA 9, 1935, 121f.; *K. Nag, JGIS 2, 1935, 170-173; P. Singaravélou, D.O.L.F. 390; Chercheurs d’Asie 105-107; Wikipedia with photo (more details in French version).
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