GARCIN DE TASSY, Joseph-Héliodore-Sagesse-Vertu. Marseille 20.1.1794 — Paris 2.9.1878. French Indologist (Hindi-Urdu) and Oriental Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Joseph Jacques Garcin, a stockbroker, and Claire Virginie Tassy. Educated in Marseille, where he also learned spoken Arabic. From 1817 studies of law in Paris, at the same time Persian…
GAÁL, László. Karcag 22.1.1891 — Karcag 13.6.1964. Hungarian Classical and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Debrecen. Son of László Gal and Zuzsanna Borsos. After gymnasium in Karsag studies of classical and Oriental languages at Kolozsvár University (under Gy. Németh and J. Csengeri), Ph.D. there 1913. Originally he was mainly a classical…
FREJMAN, Aleksandr Arnol’dovič. Warsaw 10.(22.)8.1879 — Leningrad 19.1.1968. Russian Iranist, specialist of Middle Iranian. Professor in Leningrad. Son of an official. After gymnasium in Warsaw in 1889-99, studies of Indo-Iranian and Armenian at Oriental Faculty (under Salemann, Žukovskij, Ol’denburg, Ščerbackoj and Marr) and of linguistics (under Bulič and Baudouin de…
FRASER, James. 1713 — Easter Moniack, Inverness-shire 21.1.1754. British (Scottish) Factor in India, Historian and Manuscript Collector. Son of Alexander Fraser (d. 1733) of Reelick near Inverness. Residing in Surat in 1730-40 he is said to have learned Sanskrit and Avestan (at least he knew Persian). Back in England started…
FRANK, Othmar (born Johann Georg Frank). Bamberg 8.5.1770 — Vienna 16.9.1840. German Pioneer of Indology. Professor in Munich. Son of Konrad Frank, a master tailor, and Maria-Anna Köberlein. After school in Bamberg he entered the Benedictine monastery of Banz near Bamberg (now taking the new name Othmar Frank), and was…
FRANCKLIN, William. 1763 — 12.4.1839. British Colonial Officer and Historian in India. Son of Thomas Fr. (1721–1784), an academic clergyman, and his wife, née Venables. Educated at Westminster and Trinity College, Cambridge. Cadet of E.I.C. 1782, joined the Bengal Native Infantry in 1783. In 1786 travelled in Iran, resided 8…
FORBES, Duncan. Kinnaird, Pertshire 28.4.1798 — London 17.8.1868. British (Scottish) Oriental Scholar (Persian and Urdū). Born in a poor family, in 1801 remained with his grandfather, when the parents moved to the U.S.A. In the age of 12 he still knew not English (or was illiterate in it), but as…
ERSKINE, William. Edinburgh 8.11.1773 — Edinburgh 20.5.1852. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Lawyer. 1804-23 in India. Son of David Erskine (1739?–1791), a lawyer, and Jean Melvin (1753?–1780?). Educated at Royal High School and Edinburgh University (dr. iuris). He “was a lawyer’s apprentice, 1792-9, went to India in 1803-4 with Sir…
ERDMANN, Friedrich Franz Ludwig von (Russian Fëdor Ivanovič Èrdman, born Friedrich Franz Ludwig Erdmann). Ludwigslust, Mecklenburg 15.3.1793 (or 1795?) — Kazan 2/14.2.1862. German Historian of Asia in Russia. Son of Johann Ernst Friedrich Erdmann (1759–1814), a vicar, and Luise Adel. Educated in Lübeck, studies at Rostock (O. G. Tychsen) and Göttingen.…
ELPHINSTONE, Mountstuart. Dumbarton, Scotland 6.10.1779 — Hookwood, Surrey 20.11.1859. British (Scottish) Civil Servant in India. The youngest son of John, the 11th Baron Elphinstone (1737–1794), and Anne Ruthven (1737–1801). Educated in Edinburgh and Kensington. From 1795 writer in E.I.C.’s service, was sent to Benares, where he soon learned Persian and…