LEBEDEV, Gerasim Stepanovič (Herasim Lebedeff). Jaroslavl 1749 (not 1746) — St.Petersburg 15.7.(27.7.)1817. Russian Musician, Traveller and Pioneer of Indology. Son of Stepan L. and his wife Paraskov’a. Father was a poor Orthodox clergyman, who did not allow him to obtain higher education. The family moved to St.Petersburg, where he studied…
LACROIX, Alphonse François. Lignières, Canton Neuchâtel 10.5.1799 — Calcutta 3.7.1859. Swiss Missionary and Bengali Scholar in India. Grew up with his uncle, educated in Zürich and Neuchâtel. In 1816 moved to Amsterdam as a tutor and soon became interested in mission. Accepted as agent of the Netherlands Missionary Society at…
KARPUŠKIN, Boris Mihajlovič. Moscow 1.3.1925 — 25.9.1987. Russian Indologist, Specialist of Bengalī and Oṛiyā. Son of a worker. Graduated 1951 from Moscow Institut vostokovedenija. Kand. filol. nauk 1966. In 1961-74 naučnyj sotrudnik at Institut vostokovedenija of Academy of Sciences in Moscow. In 1974-89 (?) taught at Moscow International Insitute of…
KARPELÈS, Suzanne. Paris 17.3.1890 — Aurobindo Ashram in Vellore 7.11.1968. French Indologist (Buddhist Scholar). Her father (a Greek [Jewish] merchant living in France) imported indigo from India, she spent part of her early life in Calcutta and spoke fluent Bengali. After studies in Paris under Lévi, Foucher and Finot (in…
HOFFMANN, Karl. Hof am Regen, Oberpfalz (Bavaria) 26.2.1915 — Erlangen 21.5.1996. German Indo-Iranian and IE Linguist. Professor in Erlangen. Son of a railway officer. After school in Munich he studied from 1934 at Munich under Oertel, Sommer and Wüst. Ph.D. 1941 Munich (under Wüst). He had to join the army…
HODSON, Thomas. North Scarle, Lincolnshire 9.2.1804 — 9.9.1882 (or 9.9.1878). British Wesleyan Missionary in India and a noted Kannaḍa Scholar. Worked nearly a decade as preacher and teacher in Lincoln. Came to India in 1829 and worked in Calcutta to 1833. In 1833-36 in Bangalore, then in Mysore (1836-37 and…
JONES, William. Westminster 28.9.1746 — Calcutta 27.4.1794. Sir. British Pioneer of Indology. Judge in Calcutta. He was the youngest child of the mathematician William Jones (1675–1749), originally a Welshman from Anglesey, and Maria Nix. Lost early his father and was raised by mother. Educated from 1753 at Harrow, where he…
HAUGHTON, Graves Champney. Dublin 1788 — St.Cloud near Paris 28.8. 1849. Sir. British Colonial Officer and Indologist. Son of the physician John H. (originating from a Lancashire family), educated in England. Obtained a cadetship in Bengal army and left for India in 1808. Soon learned Hindi. In 1812 he got…
HAMILTON, Alexander. 3.10.1762 — Liverpool 30.12.1824. British (Scottish) Pioneer of Indology. Born in Scotland (if not in India), son of William H., a merchant in Greenock (Inverclyde), and Jean Donald, and grandson of Alexander H., Laird of Grange in Ayrshire, brother of Major Walter Hamilton (1779–1818), who also wrote on…
HALHED, Nathaniel Brassey. Westminster 25.5.1751 — London 18.2.1830. British Precursor of Indology. Son of William H., a bank director, educated at Harrow. From 1768 studies at Christ Church, Oxford, where —> William Jones prompted him to study Arabic. After a brush-off accepted a post of Writer and left for India…