RASK, Rasmus Kristian (bapt. Rasmus Christian Rasch). Brændekilde near Odense 22.11.1787 — Copenhagen 14.11.1832. Danish Linguist and Traveller, also interested in Sanskrit and Old Iranian. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of Niels Hansen Rasch (1749–1810), a smallholder and tailor, and Birthe Rasmusdatter (d. 1801). Educated at home and in Odense, became…
RAPSON, Edward James. Leicester 12.5.1861 — Cambridge 3.10.1937. British Indologist. Professor in Cambridge. Son of the teacher and future vicar Edward Rapson, educated at Hereford Cathedral School. From 1879 studied at St.John’s College, Cambridge. Graduated in classics in 1883 and started now Indology under Cowell. Fellow of St.John’s 1887-93, in…
RANDLE, Herbert Niel. Bombay 19.10.1880 — Richmond, Surrey 8.7.1973. British Indologist. Civil servant (teacher) in India and Librarian in London (India Office). Son of Nathaniel Randle (1839–1893), manager of a vining company, and Elfrida Clark. The father sent soon his wife and children to the U.K. and he was educated…
RAMSTEDT, Gustaf John. Tammisaari 22.10.1873 — Helsinki 25.11.1950. Finnish Altaic Scholar. Son of Gustaf Adolf Ramstedt, a machineman, and Edla Matilda Holmberg. Gymnasium in Turku, matriculated 1892. Studies of classics, Sanskrit (under Donner and Reuter) and Finno-Ugrian at Helsinki. M.A. 1898, Lic. phil. (Ph.D.) 1902 (diss. on Mari language under…
RAHDER, Johannes. Loeboeg Begalong (Lubuk Begalung), Sumatra 27.12.1898 — 3.3.1988. Dutch Japanologist and Buddhist Scholar in the U.S.A. Born in Indonesia where his father was the governor of Western Sumatra. Studies in 1917-24 at Leiden, then 1924-28 at Brussels (La Vallée Poussin) and Paris (Pelliot). Ph.D. 1926 Utrecht (under Caland).…
RAGOZIN, Zenaide Alekseevna (born Zenaida Alekseevna Verderevskaja, then Agreneva, Kel’sieva and Ragozina). Rjazan govt. 16.6.1838 (1834/35?) — Leningrad 18.5.1924. Russian Traveller and Authoress of Popular Histories in the U.S.A. Born in a noble family, spent some time in imperial court in St.Petersburg. Travelled much in Europe, in 1874 emigrated to…
RAFFLES, Thomas Stamford (Sir Stamford). on sea near Jamaica 6.7.1781 — Highwood Hill near London 5.7.1826. Sir. British Civil Servant and Scholar in South-East Asia. Born on board of the Ann sailing from Jamaica to England under his father, Captain Benjamin Raffles, mother was Anne Lyde (1755–1824). Living in London, only…
TYPALDOS, Georgios Kozakis (Γεώργιος Kοζάκης Τυπάλδος, also as G. Typ.-Koz.). Lixouri, Cephalonia 1790 — Athens 6.6.1867. Greek Physician and Philologist. Born in a noble family of Cephalonia, ultimately of German-Italian origin (Typaldos < Theobald). Studied medicine at Padova. The first Librarian of the University of Athens (founded in 1836), retired…
TYCHSEN, Thomas Christian. Horsbüll, Schleswig (now Hordbøl near Tønder in Danish Slesvig) 8.5.1758 — Göttingen 23.10.1834. German Greek and Oriental Scholar and a Numismatician. Professor in Göttingen. Son of a minister, taught by father and at Husum Gymnasium. From 1777 studies of theology, classics and Oriental languages at Kiel, from…
TYCHSEN, Oluf (Olaf) Gerhard. Tondern, Schleswig (now Tønder in Danish Slesvig) 14.12.1734 (not 1735) — Rostock 30.12.1815. German Oriental Scholar. Son of a Norwegian father, Jern Tuka(son), himself took later the name Tychsen. Educated in Tondern and Altona, Oriental studies at Jena and soon at Halle. For a while teacher at Waisenhaus…