NOBEL, Julius Adolf Johannes. Forst/Lausitz 25.6.1887 — Wehrda bei Marburg 22.10.1960. German Indologist and Buddhist Scholar. Professor in Marburg. Son of a clerc, Oskar Nobel, and Elisabeth Teichert. Educated in Fulda, became early interested in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. The parents wished of him a Roman Catholic priest, but in…
NITTI-DOLCI, Luigia. Naples 31.7.1903 — Paris 1.1.1939. Italo-French Indologist in Paris. Daughter of Francesco Saverio Nitti (1868–1953), a politician holding important positions in pre-fascist Italy (Prime Minister 1919-20), and Antonia Persico. Educated in Naples (school and university, studied classics). In 1923 the family escaped the fascists to Geneva. Herself she…
NIKITIN, Afanasij. Tver 1433 (?) — Smolensk 1472 or 1475 (?). Russian Traveller in India. A merchant from Tver, he visited Persia and India, and wrote a good account of these countries. The chronology of his travel is uncertain. He left Tver in 1466, 1469, or 1471 and travelled down…
NIEUHOFF, Johan. Uelsen, Grafschaft Bentheim (Germany) 22.7.1618 — Madagascar 8.10.1672. Dutch Traveller in India in the middle of the 17th century. Son of the mayor of Uelsen, van Nijhoff and Egberta Picardt. In 1640-49 in Brazil during the Dutch attempt to establish a colony there, then in the service of…
NIEDERMANN, Max Jakob. Winterthur 19.5.1874 — Neuchâtel 12.1.1954. Swiss Linguist (Classical and IE). Professor in Basel and Neuchâtel. Son of merchant Jakob N. and Regula Susanna Stolz. Educated in Winterthur. Studies at Zürich (1893-94) and Basel (1894-97, especially under Wackernagel), Ph.D. 1897 Basel. Then further studies in Paris (Meillet and L.…
NIEBUHR, Carsten. Lüdingworth near Cuxhaven 17.3.1733 — Meldorf, Holstein 26.4.1815. German Traveller, Geographer and Engineer in Danish Service. Son of Barthold Niebuhr (1704–1749), a free farmer, and Caecilie von Duhn (1706–1733). Father’s death interrupted school, but he studied privately mathematics, surveying, and Arabic, then at Göttingen. Selected by J. D.…
NICHOLSON, B. A. R. 1??? — 1???. British Physician in Bombay Medical Service. M.D. Active as early as 1832, serving in Bhooj (1836) Surat (1840) and Rajkote (1843/48). Married Catherine (d. 1843). Publications: Brief papers in Transactions of Bombay Geogr. Soc. 1844, 111, JBRAS 1, 1844, Tr. of Linnean Soc.…
NICHOLL, George Frederick. Tipton, Staffordshire 5.11.1832 — 28.7.1913. British Semitic Scholar also interested in Indology. Son of John Nicholls (1811–1893, his sons dropped the final s) Studies at Balliol College, Oxford, M.A. 1878, Hon. Fellow 1888. As a schoolteacher in London he taught Sanskrit to Bendall in the beginning of…
NEWALL, David John Falconer. Kensington, London 1825 — Isle of Wight 8.3.1901. British Colonial Officer in India. Son of David Rae Newall and Charlotte Janetta Falconer (1801–1831). From c. 1842 served in Bengal Artillery. Lieutenant-Colonel, retired as Major-General. In 1882 living in the Isle of Wight. Married 1869 Maria Margaret…
NEVILL, Hugh. Tottenham, Middlesex 19.6.1847 — Hyères, France 10.4.1897. British Civil Servant in Sri Lanka. Son of William Nevill and Mary Oridge (d. 1857). Came to Ceylon when 17 as private secretary to Chief Justice and served 27 years there, finally (1895-97) District Judge in Batticaloa. He left Ceylon because…