BUSCHMANN, Johann Carl Eduard. Magdeburg 14.2.1805 — Berlin 21.4.1880. German Linguist. Son of a craftsman. After school in Magdeburg studies of Arabic, Persian and especially Sanskrit at Berlin (Bopp), then at Göttingen, but never completed Ph.D. Later turned to Malayo-Polynesian and American languages. As tutor in Mexico 1826-28 he learned Nahuatl…
ASMUSSEN, Jes Peter. Aabenraa, North Slesvig 2.11.1928 — Copenhagen 5.8.2002. Danish Iranian Scholar, Specialist of Judeo-Persian Literature. Son of engineer Asmus Heinrich Asmussen (d. 1959) and Eline Petersen (d. 1960). Matriculated from Aabenraa in 1948, then studied theology at Copenhagen University: Cand.Theol. 1954. After amy service as military chaplain in…
ATKINSON, James. Darlington, co. Durham 17.3.(or 9.3.?)1780 — London 7.8.1852.British Physician in India, Scholar of Persian and Urdū. Son of a woolcomber. Medical studies at Edinburgh and London, joined Indian Medical Service in 1805 as Assistant Surgeon and worked in Bengal. From 1812 Assistant to the Assay Master at Calcutta…
ZENKER, Julius Theodor. Ehrenfriedersdorf in Erzgebirge, Sachsen 1811 — Thurn, Erzgebirge 28.6.1884. German Oriental Scholar. Son of Rev. Friedrich Christlieb Zenker (d. 1843). Studies of Oriental languages at Leipzig, Göttingen and Berlin, then also in Paris. Ph.D. PD 1846 Rostock, but seeing his future there too uncertain moved soon to…
WOLFF, Philipp. Ulm 22.12.1810 — Tübingen 1.1.1894. German Priest and Oriental Scholar. Studies of theology at Tübingen, but soon moved to Halle and concentrated on Oriental languages. Ph.D. 1834 Halle (under Rödiger). Then further studies in Paris (Silvestre de Sacy). PD 1835 Tübingen, where in 1836-38 he also taught Sanskrit…
WHALLEY, Paul. Haulbowline, county Cork (or Painswick, Gloucestershire) 19.1.1839 — Vevet, Vaud, Switzerland 1920. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Captain George Briscoe Whalley and Elizabeth Parker. From 1857 studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, B.A. 1861, M.A. 1864. From 1860 in Bengal Civil Service, served in North-West Provinces. From…
STEWART, Charles. Lisburn, Antrim 1764 — Bath 19.4.1837. British Colonial Officer and Oriental Scholar in India. Son of Captain Poyntz Stewart, in 1781 joined E.I.C.’s army as cadet. Served in Upper India and Rohilkhand. From 1800-06 taught Persian at Fort William College. In 1805 the College sent him to Mysore…
SHEA, David. Limerick county 1777 — Haileybury 10.5.1836. British (Irish) Persian Scholar. Professor at Haileybury. Son of Daniel Shea, a farmer. Studied Classics at Dublin from 1793, in 1898 expelled as nationalist, having refused an oath to government, and went to England. He worked as tutor in London, then as…
SEBASTIANI, Leopoldo. Rome 1770 — Rome 5.9.1843. Father. Italian Missionary. Son of Vincenzo S. Worked as sub-librarian in Vatican before taking missionary career, working for Propaganda Fide. Before 1821 he had spent ten years in Turkey and, after a brief sejour in Rome, five in Persia and Afghanistan (1803-1808) and…
ROUSSEAU, Samuel Kent. London, bapt. 20.9.1763 — London 4.12.1820. British Printer and Oriental Scholar. He is said to be a distant relative of J. J. Rousseau, of the English Huguenot branch of the family, descending from J. J. Rousseau’s great uncle, who had moved to London, but others deny this. Son of…