RAHDER, Johannes. Loeboeg Begalong (Lubuk Begalung), Sumatra 27.12.1898 — 3.3.1988. Dutch Japanologist and Buddhist Scholar in the U.S.A. Born in Indonesia where his father was the governor of Western Sumatra. Studies in 1917-24 at Leiden, then 1924-28 at Brussels (La Vallée Poussin) and Paris (Pelliot). Ph.D. 1926 Utrecht (under Caland). In 1929 chargé de mission scientifique at Maison Franco-japonaise in Tokyo, working on the Hōbōgirin. In 1929/30-31 Professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Linguistics at Utrecht (between Caland and Gonda). In 1931-46 Professor of Japanese at Leiden. In 1932-35 travelling and studying in Japan and Korea. In 1937-38 Visiting Professor at University of Hawai’i, in 1946 became Professor there, but soon (1947) moved to Yale as Professor of Japanese. Retired in 1965. In retirement lived in Hamden, Conn. Married Sadako Takeda (1911–2001).

Rahder began his career with the study of the Daśabhūmikasūtra (part of the Avataṁśakasūtra), became interested in Indian influence on East Asia and soon ended up in Japanology.

Publications: Diss. Daśabhūmikasūtra. Ed. & transl. 28+256+28 p. Leuven 1926.

– “Daśabhūmikasūtra VII. Text and Study”, AO 4, 1926, 214-256; Daśabhūmikasūtra et Bodhisattvabhūmi, chapitres Vihāra et Bhūmi. 28+99+28 p. Le Muséon 39. P. 1926; Glossary of the Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese versions of the Daśa­bhūmika­sūtra. 8+202 p. P. 1928.

– “Willem Caland”, Levensberichten van de Maatschappij der nederlandsche Letterkunde te Leiden 1932-33, 26 p.

– “La satkāyadṛṣṭi d’après Vibhāṣā, 8”, Mélanges Chinois et Bouddhiques 1, 1931-32, 227-239.

– “Daijō, sk. Mahāyāna”, AO 17, 1939, 1-16; “The elephant in the South-East Asian languages”, Liebenthal Festschrift, Sino-Indian Studies 5, 1957, 171-173; and other articles mainly on Japanology in AO, Hōbōgirin, etc.

– Etymological Vocabulary of Japanese, Korean and Ainu. 1-5. Tokyo 1956-62.

– Reviews in Philosophy East and West, also of Indological and Buddhist books.

Sources: “een bescheiden onderkomen” 1981, 96f.; Wie is dat? 1938 & 1948; Wikipedia; bibliography in https://www.dutchstudies-satsea.nl/deelnemers/rahder-johannes/ (only Indian contributions).