BENDALL, Cecil. London 1.7.1856 — Liverpool 14.3.1906. British Indologist, a Specialist of Buddhist Mahāyāna Literature in Sanskrit. Professor in Cambridge. Son of London tradesman Robert Smith B. and Elizabeth Kay. Attended the City of London School, together with Stevenson (?) and Webster, learnt Sanskrit from Nicholl. In 1875 began study at Cambridge (Trinity & Caius Colleges) under Cowell, 1879 at Göttingen under Benfey. Fellow of Caius College 1879-85. From 1881 taught elementary Sanskrit at Cambridge. In 1882 succeeded Haas at Oriental Printed Books Department of the British Museum, until 1898, in 1885-1903 also (unsalaried) Professor of Sanskrit at University College, London. From 1892 Curator of Oriental Literature in Cambridge University Library. In 1900-1903 University Lecturer of Sanskrit at Cambridge (Neil’s successor), and 1903-06 Professor of Sanskrit at Cam­bridge (Cowell’s successor). Travelled twice in India and Nepal in order to achieve manuscripts for the Cambridge University, in 1884-85 (500 Sanskrit manuscripts, inscriptions), and in 1898-99 (c. 90 manuscripts, etc.). Married 1898  Georgette Jung (d. 1910), no children. He was very fond of music, and a connoisseur of old church music. In his last years he had problems with his health, and died after an illness of 3 1/2 months. Students: Rapson.

Publications: Edited & transl. “The Megha-Sūtra”, JRAS 12, 1880, 286-311.

– Catalogue of Buddhist Sanskrit Manuscripts in the University Library of Cambridge. 56+225 p. Cambridge 1883, repr. with introd. of 16 p. Publ. of the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project 2. St. 1992; Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the British Museum. 7+261 p. L. 1902; Supplementary Catalogue of Sanskrit and Pali Books in the British Museum. 1893.

– Journey of Literary and Archaeological Research in Nepal and Northern India during the winter of 1884-1885. 100 p. Cambridge 1886; articles on Nepalese manuscripts in Berlin V OC 1881, II:2, 1882, 189-212; JRAS 20, 1888, 549-554, 1900, 345-347, 1907, 375-379 & 1908, 45-53 (last two ed. by La Vallée Poussin).

– “Tantrākhyāna, a collection of Indian folklore, from an unique Sanskrit Manuscript discovered in Nepal”, JRAS 20, 1888, 465-501.

– Edited: Çāntideva: Çikshāsamuccaya. A Compendium of Buddhist Teachings. 67+419 p. Bibl. Buddh. 1. St.P. 1897-1902; transl. the same, completed by W. H. D. Rouse. 330 p. L. 1922.

– Edited: “Subhāṣita-saṁgraha. An Anthology of extracts from Buddhist works compiled by an unknown author, to illustrate the doctrines of scholastic and mystic Tāntrik) Buddhism”, Le Muséon 22 (N.S. 4), 1903, 375-402 & 23 (N.S. 5), 1904, 1-46, 245-274 & 30 (12), 1911, 155-191 (text of the Nepalese manuscript with notes from Tibetan).

– “The History of Nepal and Surrounding Kingdoms (1000–1600 A.D.)”, JASB 72, 1903, 1-32; shorter articles.

– With La Vallée Poussin: “Bodhisattva-bhūmi. A text-book of the Yogācāra School. An English summary and notes and illustrative extracts from other Buddhist Works”, Le Muséon 24 (N.S. 6), 1905, 38-52 & 25 (7), 1906, 213-230.

Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; W.B.O[wen], D.N.B. 2nd Suppl. 1, 1912, 141f.; E.J. Rapson, JRAS 1903, 527-533;  briefly in Wikipedia; photo in Leumann 1909, 61.