JACQUET, Eugène-Vincent-Stanislas. Bruxelles 10.5.1811 — Paris 7.7.1838. Belgian Sinologist, Indologist and Oriental Scholar in Paris. Born in a wealthy family. They moved to Paris when he was two. Educated at home by his parents and at Collège Louis le Grand. Soon he became interested in Oriental studies and tried to learn all languages then available in Paris (mainly Chinese, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, but also Malay and NIA). A student of Abel-Rémusat, Chézy and Burnouf, also of Silvestre de Sacy and Jaubert. In 1829, at the age of 18, he joined the Société asiatique and soon became one of the most active contributors of the JA. In the beginning he was mainly a Sinologist, but in the end mainly worked on Indology. In the 1835 reformation of Belgian universities a new chair of Oriental studies at Ghent was offered to him, but he set too high financial demands, for purchasing books, manuscripts and coins. Great plans remained unachieved, when he died in the middle of work (Indo-Greek coins sent by Court) of pulmonary tuberculosis in the age of 27 only.
Jacquet was talented and much was expected of him, probably with good reason. He was always trying to get to original sources. He was much interested in epigraphy, numismatics and palaeography, and among his most important plans was a Corpus of Indian inscriptions. He had wide correspondence with Oriental scholars in Europe and India (e.g. with Prinsep). He defended his late teacher Abel-Rémusat against the criticism of Julien. Perhaps his most lasting achievement was his participation in the dechipherment of Old Persian Cuneiform.
Publications: “Note sur la littérature du Nipal”, JA 2:4, 1829, 334-336.
– “Notice sur les accouchements au Japon”, JA 2:4, 1829, 225-231; “Le livre du grand-caan”, JA 2:6, 1830, 57-72 (by Jean de Cora, Franciscan Bishop in China); “Legende de Yê sou, selon le Chin siân thoung kian”, JA 2:7, 1831, 223-228; “Notice sur quelques relations diplomatiques de Mongols de Chine avec les papes d’Avignon”, JA 2:7, 1831, 417-433; “Étymologie du nom Ziagatara que les Japonais donnent à l’Europe”, JA 2:8, 1831, 349-352; “Nom de Constantinople en Chine”, JA 2:9, 1832, 456-464.
– “Observations grammaticales sur un spécimen du dialecte abyssin du Tigre”, JA 2:5, 1830, 284-293; “Mélanges Malays, Javanais et Polynésiens I. Notice sur l’alphabet Yloc ou Ylog”, JA 2:8, 1831, 2-45, further parts upto 2:11, 1833; “Description des îles Trapo et Traponée”, JA 2:8, 1831, 441-444; “Notice sur les Orang Aboung de l’île de Sumatra”, JA 2:12, 1833, 170-176 (tr. from Maly); “Conjectures sur l’origine de la dénomination de l’Afrique”, JA 2:13, 1834, 193-218; “Raison alléguée par les mahométans pour rejeter l’Évangile”, JA 2:14, 1834, 267f. (tr. from Arabic).
– Edited: “Extrait d’un ms. inédit intitulé Religion des Malabars”, JA 2:8, 1831, 535.542 & 2:9, 1832, 562-574 & 2:10, 1832, 291-302, 454-480 (written by an anonymous Jesuit).
– “Mode d’expression symbolique des nombres employés par les Indiens, les Tibétains et les Javanais”, JA 2:16, 1835, 5-42, 97-130.
– “Notice de la collection des médailles bactriennes et indo-scythiques rapportées par le général Allard”, JA 3:1, 1836, 122-190; “Notice sur les découvertes archéologiques faites par M. Honigberger dans l’Afghanistan”, JA 3:2, 1836, 234-277; 3:4, 1837, 401-440; 3:5, 1838, 163-197; & 3:7, 1839, 385-404; “Mémoire sur la série des médailles indiennes connues sous la dénomination indo-scythique”, JA 3:9, 1840, 54-66 & 3:10, 1840, 202-236.
– “Notice of the Vallabhi Dynasty of Saurashtra; extracted from the Buddhist records of the Chinese”, JASB 5, 1836, 685-688 (685-687 Prinsep’s foreword in English, then 687f. the note in French).
– “Examen de la traduction du Foe-koué-ki”, JA 3:4, 1837, 141-179 (Faxian).
– “Examen critique de l’ouvrage intitulée Die altpersischen Keilinschriften von C. Lassen”, JA 3:5, 1838, 351-376, 422-445, 544-601 & 3:6, 1838, 385-425.
– Translated: “Épisode de Viçvamitra”, JA 3:7, 1839, 146-167 (from the Rāmāyana).
– Translated with notes articles by foreign scholars for the JA, like Molbech, “Notice sur la collection des mss. palis et singhalais de Copenhague”, JA 2:6, 1830, 452-471; and Court: “Conjectures sur les marches d’Alexandre dans la Bactriane”, JA 3:4, 1837, 359-397.
Sources: E.B[urnouf], JA 3:4, 1838, 85f.; Eyriès, B.U. 68, 1841, 49-51; F. Nève, “Mémoire sur la vie et les travaux d’E. J.”, Acad. Brux. 1856 (148 p., life, analysis of his publications, some letters and posthumous studies) & B.N.B. 84f.; *J. Petit, “E.J. and his Pioneering Study of Indian Numerical Notation”, Ganita Bharati 31, 2009, 23-33; *L. de Rosny, N.B.G. 26, 1885, 270-272.
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