MASPÉRO, Henri Paul Gaston. Paris 15.12.1883 — Buchenwald 17.3.1945. French Sinologist. Son of the Egyptologist Gaston Maspéro (1846–1916, of Italian ancestry) and Louise Balluet d’Estournelles de Constant de Rebecque. After school in Paris he began himself with a study on Hellenistic Egypt, but soon turned into Sinology under —> Chavannes…
MARTIN, François. Paris 1634 — Pondichéry 31.12.1706. French Traveller in India. Illegitimate son of a wealthy spice merchant, after his death had to work as shop assistant. In 1663 joined the French E.I.C., served first in Madagascar, from 1668 in India, soon in charge of the factory in Masulipatan. In…
LUBAC, Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de. Cambrai 20.2.1896 — Paris 4.9.1991 (when 95). S.J. French Catholic Theologian and Scholar of Comparative Religion. Cardinal of the Roman Church. Sn of a banker, of ancient nobility, schooled by Jesuits in Lyon, where the family had moved in 1898. Joined Jesuit order 1913 and…
LOISELEUR-DESLONGCHAMPS, Auguste-Louis-Armand (L. des Longchamps). Paris 14.8.1805 — Paris 10.1.1840. French Indologist. Son of the noted physician and botanist Jean-Louis-Auguste L. des L. (1774–1849; from his name are formed the plant genera Loiseleuria and Deschampsia) and Catherine Françoise Mallet (1773–1864). After Collège Charlemagne studied botany and medicine, but interrupted soon…
LITTRÉ, Michel-François. Avranches, Normandy 25.5.1765 — 20.12.1827. French Pioneer of Indology. Son of goldsmith Jean Littré and Marie Anne Liégears (1739–1768). Served in French navy and adopted revolutionary ideas. Then settled in Paris as tax-collector. In order to give good education to his sons he achieved a library and studied…
LINOSSIER, Raymonde. Lyon 25.3.1897 — 31.1./1.2.1930. French Art Historian and Indologist. Lawyer at Paris Cour d’appel. Daughter of Georges L. (1857–1923), Professor of Medicine. In WW I served as nurse, after war began law studies, graduated 1926. Also studied Indology under Lévi. Worked from 1925 as unsalaried attachée in Musée…
LINGAT, Robert Arthur. Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes) 22.12.1892 — Paris 7.5.1972. French Lawyer, Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar, long time in South-East Asia. After school in Charleville and law degree in Paris studied Sanskrit, Pāli (under H. Smith) and Thai (Lorgeou). In the WW I he served as interpreter for forces sent by…
LIÉTARD, Gustave Alexandre. Domrémy-la-Pucelle (Vosges, Lorraine) 4.4. 1833 — Plombières-les-Bains (Vosges) 8.2.1904. French Physician and Indologist. Son of a viticulturist, he was educated at College of Toul and studied at Faculté de médecine in Strasbourg. Dr.med. 1858 Strasbourg. At Faculté de lettres he also learned the elements of Sanskrit under…
L’HERNAULT, Françoise. Rouen 17.3.1937 — Chennai 30.1.1999. French Scholar of South Indian Art and Archaeology. Studied history, art and archaeology in Paris, also Tamil at É.L.O.V., then two years at Annamalai. From 1971 at É.F.E.O. in Pondichéry in charge of photographic collections. Ph.D. 1984 Paris III (Sorbonne-Nouvelle). She was in…
LÉVI, Sylvain. Paris 28.3.1863 — Paris 30.10.1935. French Indologist. Professor in Paris. Son of Louis-Philippe L., a Jewish cloth merchant, and Pauline Bloch, the family came from Alsace. After Lycée Charlemagne studies in Paris, first Greek, but soon (from 1882) Indology under Bergaigne et al. From 1885 taught himself Sanskrit…