GALANOS, Demetrios (Δημήτριος Γαλανός). Athens 1760 — Varanasi 3.5.1833. Greek Indologist in India. Son of Pantaleon and Diamanta G., a wealthy Athenian family, educated in Athens, Patmos and Constantinople, where his uncle had a high ecclesiatic position. Himself rejected the priestly career. In 1786 he came to India to work…
FUGLSANG, Niels Studsgaard. Holeby, Laaland (Lolland) 19.11.1759 — Slagelse, Sorø 29.12.1832. Danish Priest in India. Son of Herman F., a vicar, and Lucie Abelone Studsgaard. After school in Aalborg studied philology, medicine and theology at Copenhagen. Ordained priest 1792. Minister of the Danish Lutheran congregation in Trankebar in 1792-1804. Back…
FRYER, John. 1650? — London 31.3.1733. British Physician and Traveller in India and Iran. Son of William Fryer, of London. Studies of medicine at Cambridge, first at Trinity College, in 1671 moved to Pembroke College. M.B. 1671, M.D. 1683. Employed by E.I.C. embarked to India in 1672, returned after many…
FRASER, James. 1713 — Easter Moniack, Inverness-shire 21.1.1754. British (Scottish) Factor in India, Historian and Manuscript Collector. Son of Alexander F. (d. 1733) of Reelick near Inverness. Residing in Surat in 1730-40 he is said to have learned Sanskrit and Avestan (at least he knew Persian). Back in England started…
FRANK, Othmar (born Johann Georg Frank). Bamberg 8.5.1770 — Vienna 16.9.1840. German Pioneer of Indology. Professor in Munich. Son of Konrad Frank, a master tailor, and Maria-Anna Köberlein. After school he entered the Benedictine monastery of Banz near Bamberg (now taking the new name Othmar Frank), and was ordained there…
FRANCKLIN, William. 1763 — 12.4.1839. British Colonial Officer and Historian in India. Son of Thomas Fr. (1721–1784), an academic clergyman, and his wife, née Venables. Educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. Cadet 1782, joined the E.I.C.’s Bengal Native Infantry in 1783. In 1786 travelled in Iran, resided 8 months…
FORSTER, Johann Reinhold. Dirschau, West Prussia (now Tczew in Poland) 22.10.1729 — Halle 9.12.1798. German Scientist. Son of George Reinhold F. (1693–1753), a mayor, of an originally Scottish family (Forrester) emigrated to Germany in the mid-17th century, and Eva Wolf. After theology studies at Halle started his career as an…
FORSTER, Johann Georg Adam. Nassenhuben near Danzig (now Mokry Dwór in Poland) 27.11.1754 — Paris 10.1.1794. German Scientist, Author and Traveller interested in India. The eldest son of —> J. R. F. and Justine Elisabeth Nicolai. As a youth travelled with his father in 1766 in Russia and England and…
FORSTER, Henry Pitts. 1766? (or 1761) — Calcutta (?) 10.9.1815. British Civil Servant in India and a Pioneer of Indology. Possibly studied at Oxford. In 1783 joined the Bengal Civil Service, from 1793 Collector of Tipperah, from 1794 Registrar of the Sadr Diwani Adalat of 24 Parganas. From 1803 in…
FORSTER, George. 1752 — Nagpur 5.1.1792. British Civil Servant and Traveller in India. Served in Madras as early as 1776. In 1782 he travelled from India using the unusual route through Kashmir, Afghanistan, Herat, by the Caspian Sea to Baku, then to Astrakhan and Moscow and by ship from St.Petersburg…