RAWLINSON, Henry Creswicke (Sir Henry). Chadlington Park, Oxfordshire 11.4.1810 — London 5.3.1895. Bart. British Pioneer of Near Eastern Archaeology. Son of Abram Tyson R., a breeder of racehorses, and Eliza Creswicke, brother of —> George R. Educated at Wrington and Ealing schools, became early interested in ancient history. In the…
RAVERTY, Henry George. Falmouth, Cornwall 31.5.1825 — Grampound Road, Cornwall 20.10.1906. British Colonial Officer and Oriental (Afghan) Scholar in India. Son of Peter Raverty, a naval surgeon of Irish background (his father was O’Raverty), educated in Falmouth and Penzance. Came to India as cadet of Welsh Fusiliers, in 1843 moved…
RAU, Adolf Wilhelm Ludwig. Gera 15.2.1922 — Gera 29.12.1999. German Indologist. Professor in Marburg. Son of Rudolf Rau, a schoolteacher, and Johanna Seifarth, also a teacher, gymnasium in Gera. Began with Sanskrit already when 15. From 1940 studies at Leipzig under Fr. Weller, soon interrupted by service as interpreter for…
RASMUSSEN, Harald. Haderslev 28.8.1853 — Copenhagen 25.12.1904. Danish Schoolteacher and Oriental Scholar. Son of Harald Valdemar R. (1821–1891), a minister and scholar of Danish, and Hulda Arnkiel (1824–1874). Educated in Copenhagen. Studied theology at Copenhagen, kand.theol. 1877. From 1875 worked as schoolteacher at Forenede Kirkeskoler, from 1882 Senior Teacher, from…
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 in Hereford. From 1879 studied at St.John’s, Cambridge. Graduated in classics in 1883 and started now Indology under Cowell. Fellow of St.John’s 1887-93, then brief time as…
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 family returned soon to the U.K. and he was educated at Dulwich College in…
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. 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 E. N. Setälä), Docent of…
RAMOS DE ANDRÉS, Justo. 1904 — 1965. Padre. Spanish Linguist. Ph.D. Professor of Classical languages at Madrid, also taught Sanskrit, from 1934 and still in the late 1950s. Publications: Spanish translations of Kālidāsa: Rtusamhara, o, Curso de las estaciones. 109 p. Madrid 1964 (an earlier ed. without date, 1942); Raghúvamça.…
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).…