BELL, Harry Charles Purvis. India 21.9.1851 — Kandy 6.9.1937. British Archaeologist of Sri Lanka. Son of General Harry Wainwright Bell (1821–1888) of Irish/Scottish descent, and Harriet Croker. From 1864 educated at Cheltenham College, but never went to a university. From 1873 in Ceylon Civil service, served in various positions, finally…
BELL, Charles Alfred. Calcutta 31.10.1870 — Oak Bay, Victoria, B.C. 8.3.1945. Sir. British Tibetan Scholar, Traveller, and Civil Servant in India. Born as a son of a civil servant (in India) Henry Bell and his wife Anne, educated at Winchester and Oxford (New College). In 1891 joined Indian service in…
BELIGATTI, Giovanni —> CASSIANO DA MACERATA
BEGLAR, Joseph David(itch) Freedone Melik. Dacca (Dhaka) 1840 — 24.4.1907. Armenian Archaeologist in India. Son of David Fridomitch Beglar of Chinsura and his wife Khatchkhatun, after Hooghly College trained at Calcutta Civil Engineering College as civil engineer. Assistant of Cunningham in the A.S.I. from 1871, before this worked from 1864…
BEER, Eduard Friedrich Ferdinand. Bautzen, Upper Lusatia 15.6.1805 — Leipzig 5.4.1841. German Epigraphist and Semitic Scholar, a Pioneer of Cuneiform Studies. Son of a master tailor, Leonhard Beer (1775–1827) and Erdmuthe Apelt. Gymnasium in Bautzen. Studied Oriental languages at Leipzig from 1824-33. Father’s death in 1827 brought financial problems, and…
BECKH, Christoph Eugen Hermann. Nürnberg 4.5.1875 — Stuttgart 1.3.1937. German Indologist and Tibetan Scholar, later turned into Anthroposophist Priest. Son of a factory owner, Eugen Beckh, and Marie Seiler, studied economy and law at the Maximilianeum of Munich until 1896 and worked as assessor, but was soon frustrated with law…
BECKER, Christophorus (born Christoph Edmund B.). Elsoff near Frankfurt 22.10.1875 — Würzburg 30.3.1937. S.D.S. German Catholic Missionary in India and Scholar of Missiology and Indian Ethnography. A Salvatorian from the age of 14. Studied philosophy and theology in Rome, dr.theol. and ordained priest 1898. Docent 1900 in Meran. Also Dr.phil.…
BECHTEL, Fritz (Friedrich). Durlach 2.2.1855 — Halle 9.3.1924. German IE Scholar. Professor in Göttingen and Halle. Son of Johann Friedrich Bechtel, a deacon, and Emilie Harrer. After a brief time of theology in Heidelberg studied at Göttingen IE linguistics under Benfey, Bezzenberger, A. Fick, et al. Ph.D. 1876 Göttingen, then…
BECCARINI-CRESCENZI, Elena. 18?? — 19??. Italian Poet and Translator interested in Sanskrit. Born of (or married to) an old noble family of Siena. A student of Pavolini, graduated 1915. Then lived in Frascati. Still active in the 1950s. Publications: Translated: “Il dramma della Sacra di Rāma (Abhiṣekanāṭaka) composito dal poeta…
BEAMES, John William. Greenwich 21.6.1837 — Clevedon, Somerset 24.5.1902. British Civil servant and Indologist in India, a Pioneer of Comparative NIA Studies. Served in India in 1858-93. The eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Beames (1815–1864) and Susanna Amelia Dewsnap (1811–1868). Educated first at Merchant Taylor’s School, then 1856-57 at…