BALLINI, Ambrogio. Asola (near Mantova) 19.7.1879 — 20.3.1950. Italian Indologist, especially Jaina Scholar. Professor in Padua, Milano and Rome. Studied at the university of Bologna, interested soon in Sanskrit (under Formichi), but also acquainted himself with Greek and Latin. Further studies in Germany (at Bonn under Jacobi), at Padua (Teza)…
BALLIN, Louis. 18?? — 1???. Frenchman apparently knowing Sanskrit. Doctor. “Ancien sous-inspecteur des forêts”, in 1897 living in Autun. Continued Fauche’s Mahābhārata translation. To quote Carrière, it is “parfois tres belle … souvent inexacte, ou incompréhensible”. In the introduction he says that he is no longer young and thanks Regnaud…
BALLHATCHET, Kenneth Arthur. Bristol 29.11.1922 — 13.3.1995. British Historian of South Asia. Professor in London. Educated at Clifton College in Bristol. From 1941 studies at Peterhouse College in Cambridge. The studies were interrupted by service in RAF in 1942-46, two years of which were spent in India. Back in Cambridge…
BALLANTYNE, James Robert. Kelso, Teriotdale 13.12.1813 — Pimlico, London 18.2.1864. British (Scottish) Indologist in India. Son of Alexandet Thomson Ballantyne (1776–1847), journalist and printer, and his wife Anne (sister of —> J. Michael), his younger brother was Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825–1894), a noted author of juvenile fiction. Educated at Kelso…
BALL, Valentine. Dublin 14.7.1843 — Dublin 15.6.1895. Irish Scientist in India. Son of the naturalist scholar Robert Ball (1802–1857) and Amelia Gresley Hellicar. Educated in Chester and Dublin (Rathmines School), studies at Trinity College, Dublin (B.A. 1864, M.A. 1872, LL.D. 1889). In 1860-64 worked as clerk in Dublin. He then…
BÁLINT-ILLYÉS, Gábor Szentkátolnai. Szentkátolna (now Catalina in Romania) 13.3.1844 — Temesvár (now Timişoara in Romania) 25.5.1913. Hungarian Altaic Scholar, Polyglott and Linguist, also interested in Dravidian. Professor in Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca in Romania). Son of Endre Bálint, of the Szekely noble family, and Agnes Illyés. He learnt many languages already…
BALFOUR, Francis. Fife 1744? — Fernie estate, Fife 7.5.1818. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of Arthur B., an officer. Dr.Med. 1767 Edinburgh. From 1769 Assistant Surgeon in E.I.C.’s service in India, mainly in Calcutta, full surgeon 1777. He was a friend of Warren Hastings and soon joined the A.S.B,…
BALFOUR, Edward Green. Angus, Montrose 6.9.1813 — London 8.12.1889. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of Captain George Balfour of E.I.C. marine and Susan Hume. Educated at Montrose, studies at Edinburgh University. Left for India in 1834, on way visited Mauritius, arrived 1836 and joined the Medical Department serving in…
BALDAEUS, Philippus (Philips Baelde). Delft bapt. 24.10.1632 — Geervliet 1671. Dutch Priest and Traveller. Son of Jan Baelde, a merchant, and Maria de Jomge (Junius, d. 1636), of Flemish origin, lost early his parents (1636). After Latin school in Delft studied at Groningen and, in 1650-54, Leiden universities. In 1654…
BALBI, Gasparo. 15?? — after 1590. Italian Merchant and Traveller, in the East 1579-86. He was from Venice and dealt in jewels, and therefore went to India. Started from Venice in 1579, travelled by the land route, via Aleppo, Basra, and Ormuz to Goa, where he stayed till 1582. Then…