RAU, Adolf Wilhelm Ludwig. Gera 15.2.1922 — Gera 29.12.1999. German Indologist. Professor in Marburg. Son of Rudolf Rau (1877–1954), a schoolteacher, and Johanna Seifarth (1890–1985), also a teacher, gymnasium at Rutheneum in Gera. Began with Sanskrit already when 15. From 1940 studies at Leipzig under Fr. Weller, soon interrupted by…
RASMUSSEN, Harald Christian. Haderslev 28.8.1853 — Copenhagen 25.12.1904. Danish Schoolteacher and Oriental Scholar. Son of Harald Valdemar Rasmussen (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,…
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…
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. 1942?); Raghúvamça. 272 p.…
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…
RABE, Carl. Breslau 1814 — 18??. German Student of Indology. Son of a farmer, educated in Breslau. Ph.D. Breslau 1845 (under Stenzler). Perhaps he was the unnamed German student, who, according to Whitney, c. 1852 wrote a thesis on Kālidāsa’s plays and moved then to England, where Goldstücker deemed his…