MILES, William. 1780 — London 21.5.1860. British Colonial Officer in India. Major-General. In 1800 joined the Bombay Native Infantry, served in Baroda. “Made a treaty in 1820 with the Raja of Rodanpur, commanded a regiment in the first Burmese war, took Mergui. Made a treaty with the Suigam chiefs, in…
MIHANOVIĆ Petropoljski, Antun. Klanjec 10.6.1796 — Novi Dvori 14.11.1861. Austrian (Croatian) Nationalist Author. Born in a noble family, son of Matije M. and Justina Kušević. Studied law at Vienna until 1817 and worked then as military judge. Entered soon the foreign department and served in Austrian consulates in Belgrad, Thessaloniki,…
MICHAEL, James. 17?? — 15.12.1837. British Colonial Officer and Oriental (Persian and Urdu) Scholar in India, then in 1827-37 Professor of Hindu Literature and Asian History at Haileybury. From 1934 also registrar of the College. Beside Persian and Hindustani he also knew Marathi. During his last years suffered of poor health…
MERKEL, Josef. Mainz 4.8.1788 — 1866. German Teacher and Librarian interested in Sanskrit. From 1810 teacher at Philosophisches Lehrinstitut in Aschaffenburg, from 1818 Professor at local Lyceum. From 1828 also Hofbibliothekar in Aschaffenburg. Retired in old age. Publications: Translated Colebrooke’s essay “On the vedas”, published as an appendix to Bopp’s…
MARTIN, François. Paris 1634 — Pondichéry 31.12.1706. French Traveller in India. Illegitimate son of a wealthy spice merchant, after his death had to work as shop assistant. In 1663 joined the French E.I.C., served first in Madagascar, from 1668 in India, soon in charge of the factory in Masulipatan. In…
MARSHMAN, Joshua. Westburg Leigh, Wiltshire 20.4.1768 — Serampur 5.12.1837. British Missionary and Pioneer of Indology in India. Son of John Marshman, a weaver, and Mary Couzener, educated at the village school of Westbury Leigh. Apprenticed to a bookseller he read extensively. In 1794-99 Master of a Baptist school in Bristol,…
MARSDEN, William. Verval, county Wicklow, Ireland 16.11.1754 — Aldenham, Herefordshire 6.10.1836. British Pioneer of South-East Asian Studies and Numismatician. Son of John M., an English merchant in Dublin, and Eleanor Bagnall. “Educated at Dublin schools, went out as a writer in the E. I. Co.’s service to Bencoolen in Sumatra,…
MARCO DELLA TOMBA (lay Pietro Girolamo Agresti). Tomba (now Castel Colonna) near Senigallia in Urbino 1726 — Bhagalpur (Patna) 13.3. (or 7.6.) 1803. Father. Italian Capuchin Missionary, in India 1757-73 & 1786-1803. Son of Crisostomo Agresti and Vittoria Luzietti, Capuchin novice 1745. In 1755 he joined the Tibetan mission of…
MANUCCI (MANNUCCI, MANUZZI), Niccolo. Venice 19.4.1638 — Madras 1717. Italian Traveller in India. Son of Pasqualino M. and Rosa Bellini. He run away from his Venetian home in the age of 14 in 1653, became servant to Viscount Bellemont and travelled via Smyrna, Isfahan, Gombron and by ship to Surat…
MANNING, Thomas. Broome, Norfolk 8.11.1772 — Bath 2.5.1840 [Wikipedia near Dartfors 1840]. British Physician and Traveller in Asia, visited Lhasa. Buckland (with additions):“Son of the Rev. William M. [and Elizabeth Adams], educated at Caius College, Cambridge. Scholar, 1790-95, private tutor, studied mathematics, friend of Porson and Charles Lamb. Studied Chinese…