BESSE, Léon (Leo). 27.3.1853 — 1919. Father. S.J. French Jesuit Missionary and Historian in India. Joined the S.J. in 1881. Teacher and in 1903-09 Rector of St.Joseph’s College in Tiruchirappalli. Not to be confused with Jean Martial Léon Besse (1861–1920), a benedictine monk, who wrote much about French church history…
BATAILLARD, Paul Théodore. Paris 23.3.1816 — Paris 1.3.1894. French Archivist and Gipsy Scholar. Son of Pierre Charles Bataillard and Agathe Vasse. Studies at Ecole de chartes. In the 1850s in French Indochine. From 1877 Archivist of Faculté de Médécine in Paris. Married 1849 Élisa Waldor (d. 1852, one daughter) and…
BARTH, Marie-Étienne-Auguste. Strasbourg 22.3.1834 — Paris 15.4.1916. French Indologist. Born in Strasbourg as the son of catholic father, commis-négociant Étienne Barth, and protestant mother, Marie-Wilhelmine Stoeber. Educated in Strasbourg, 1856 lic. ès lettres. Taught logic and rhetorics at Bouxviller Collège near Savern from 1857, privately studied Sanskrit, and in 1861…
BARRIGUE DE FONTAINIEU, Gérard Hilaire Prosper Emmanuel Hippolyte, Baron, 1895 Marquis de Fontainieu. Marmande (Lot et Garonne) 26.7.1863 — Paris 15.4.1927. French Indologist, specialist of Tamil and Hindustani. Son of Prosper Barrigue de F. and Françoise Delage (1837–1863), member of a family coming from Marseille and belonging to nobility from the early…
VARENNE, Jean Albert. Marseille 12.6.1926 — Paris 12.7.1997. French Indologist. Professor in Aix-en-Provence. After school (Lycée Thiers) in Marseille studies at Aix-en-Provence and Paris. Ph.D. 1959 Paris (É.P.H.É. IV section). In 1959-60 taught French at Poona University, then worked at E.F.E.O., in Pondicherry and Pune. In 1962-80 Maître de conférences for…
TESSIER DE QUÉRALAY, Jean-Jacques. Chantenay (Sarthe) c. 1668 — Ayuthia, Thailand 27.9.1736. French Capuchin Missionary in India. From 1699-1720 missionary (procureur of Société des Missions Etrangères) in Pondichéry. From 1717 Coadjutor to Vicar Apostolic of Siam (Thailand) and titular Bishop of Rosalia, in 1723-36 Vicar Apostolic of Thailand. Publications: G. Dharampal: La…
SILVESTRE DE SACY, Antoine Isaac (baron 1814). Paris 21.9.1758 — Paris 21.2.1838. French Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Abraham Jacques Silvestre (1722–1765), a notary, and Marie Marguerite Judde, a Jansenist Jewish family, lost early his father. Privately educated, studied law. In 1781-92 worked in financial…
ROLLAND, Romain. Clamecy (Nièvre) 29.1.1866 — Vézelay (Yonne) 30.12.1944. French author interested in Indian Thought, Personal Friend of Gandhi and Tagore. Also a firm Roman Catholic. Son of a notary, the family moved to Paris in 1880. Studies at École Normale Supérieure, worked as teacher until 1912, then free author.…
PELLIOT, Paul. Paris 28.5.1878 — Paris 26.10.1945. French Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of merchant Charles Théodore P. and Marie Renault, educated in Paris. Studied in Paris for diplomatic career, but soon turned to Indology and Sinology under Lévi, Chavannes and Cordier. In 1900 joined the…
MOZAC (Mosac), Antoine. Clermont 17.12.1704 — Pondichéry 4.12.1779. S.J. French Missionary in India. Entered S.J. in 1720, came to India 1735. First in south, from 1742 and still 1764 Superior of Bengal Mission in Chandernagor, then in 1775-77 Superior of Pondichéry Mission. In 1756 met Anquetil-Duperron. Besse (referring to *Sommervogel…