FOUCAUX, Philippe-Édouard. Angers (Maine-et-Loire) 15.9.1811 — Paris 19.5.1894. French Indologist and Tibetan scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of a wealthy merchant from Angers, came to Paris in 1828 to study Oriental languages. He was a student of Burnouf and prompted by him started on his own to learn Tibetan from the books of Csoma de Kőrös and Schmidt. In 1842 started a course of Tibetan in the adjoint school of É.L.O.V., “près la Bibliothèque royale”, from 1847 had to do it without salary. From 1853 again paid, and from 1857 Burnouf’s successor as Professor of Sanskrit at Collège de France (when his friend Pavie, until this acting Professor, withdraw), first acting Professor, officially nominated in 1862. Continued teaching Tibetan until 1864 (when in this succeeded by Féer). In the age of 51 married Louise Charlotte Filon (1832–1902), later known under nom-de-plume —> Mary Summer.
Foucaux is best remembered as a pioneer of Tibetan studies in Europe, but the major part of his publications consists of translations from Sanskrit. Important was his work on the Lalitavistara. Among his students were Féer and David-Neel.
Publications: Edited and translated: Specimen du Rgya-tch’er-rol-pa. 27+33 p. P. 1841; Rgya-tch’er-rol-pa. 2+388+45+425 p. P. 1847-48 (Tibetan Lalitavistara).
– Edited in Tibetan: Sage et fou. Extrait du Kanjur. 74 p. P. 1842 (with glossary); and several other Tibetan texts.
– Translated: “Strîparva. Le Don de l’Eau (Djalapradanika)”, JA 3:13, 1842, 5-48.
– Parabole de l’enfant égaré, Saddharmapuṇḍarika. Edité en sanscrit et tibétain, traduit. 55+98 p. P. 1854.
– Grammaire de la langue tibétaine. 32+231 p. P. 1858.
– Edited & transl.: Le Tresor des Belles Paroles. Choix de Sentences composees en tibetain par le Lama Saskya Pandita, suivies d’une élégie tiree du Kanjour. 46 p. + Tib. text. P. 1858.
– Translated: Légende d’Ilvala et Vâtâpi. 16 p. P. 1861; Le Mahâbhârata. Onze épisodes de ce poème épique. 34+431 p. P. 1862.
– Translated: Vikramôrvaçî (Ourvaçî donnée pour prix de l’héroïsme). Drame sanskrit de Kâlidâsa. 96 p. P. 1861; La reconnaissance de Sakountalâ. 24+188 p. P. 1867; Mâlavikâ et Agnimitra. Drame sanskrit de Kâlidâsa. 12+118 p. P. 1877; Sakountala. 137 p. P. 1894 (from the Mbh.).
– Edited in Sanskrit & Tib., transl.: La guirlande précieuse des demandes et des réponses. 32 p. Mém. de l’Acad. de Stanislas. P. 1867 (Maṇiratnamālā, the promised Tibetan text is missing, at least in the Gallica scan).
– Étude sur le Lalita Vistara. 16+56 p. Mém. de la Soc. d’éthnogr. 2:6. P. 1870.
– Translated: Le Lalitavistara, l’histoire traditionelle de la vie du Bouddha Cakyamuni. Trad. du sanscrit. 1-2. 23+406+6+240 p. P. 1884-92.
– Articles and reviews in JA, RHR, etc.
Sources: B. Le Calloch, The Tibet Journal 12, 1987, 39-49 & Archævs, Studies in History of Religions 5, 2001, 27-66; L. Feer, JA 9:3, 1894, 560-563; H. Cordier, TP 5, 1894, 286; Wikipedia (also French version, with portrait).
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