VANSITTART, Henry. Bloomsbury, Middlesex (D.N.B. London) 3.6.1732 — on sea 1770. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Arthur van Sittart (1691–1760), a wealthy merchant of Dutch origin, and Martha Stonhouse (1697–1782). “Educated at Reading [school] and Winchester [college]; went out as a writer of the E.I.C. to the Madras…
VANÍČEK, Alois. Prague 21.6.1825 — Prague 9.5.1883. Czech Classical and IE Scholar. Son of a teacher. After school in Prague, in 1843-47 studies of law, but soon also Classics at Prague. In the early 1850s, under Curtius and Schleicher, also learned Sanskrit and IE linguistics. Worked as gymnasium professor in…
VAMBÉRY, Ármin (Arminius[z], Hermann, orig. Hermann Hamburger [or Bamberger]). Szentgyörgy (now Svätý Jur in Slovakia) 19.3.1832 — Seebenstein, Austria (Setälä) of Budapest (Wiki) 15.9.1913. Hungarian Traveller and Oriental scholar. Professor in Budapest. Born in a poor orthodox Jewish family, lost very early his father. Grew up on Dunaszerdahely (Dunajska Strada).…
VALLAURI, Mario. Viareggio (Lucca) 31.7.1887 — Dronero (Cuneo) 19.9.1964. Italian Indologist. Professor in Turin. Born of an old Piemontese family, son of Giuseppe Vallauri (1840–1902) and Maddalena Pronetti. Studied Indology at Naples under Kerbaker(degree 1911). Further studies in 1912 at Florence under Pavolini and 1913-14 at Würzburg under Jolly, concentrating…
VÄTH, Alfons. Werbachhausen, Kr. Main-Tauber 15.3.1874 — Bonn 12.5.1937. Father. S.J. German Missionary and Indian Historian. Working in Bombay in 1899-1903 and 1910-16. He founded in 1913 St. Xavier’s College as a historical institute and worked there teaching English and Indian history until the WW I interrupted the work of…
URAY DE URA, Géza Ferenc Zoltán. Budapest 16.8.1921 — Vienna 17.7.1991. Hungarian Tibetan Scholar. Professor in Budapest. Son of Zoltán János Uray (1888–1946) and Margit Izabella Klara Zala. Reluctantly following his father’s wish he enrolled the Military Academy in 1939, but in 1940 moved to university. First studied law, from…
UPHAM, Edward. Exeter 1776 — Bath 25.8.1834. British Bookdealer and Orientalist. Born in Exeter, where his father Charles Upham (1739–1807) was later (1796) the mayor. Himself worked as bookseller in Exeter, in 1807 became its sheriff and 1809 mayor. After earlyretirement lived in Dawlish (Devon) and Bath. Married 1801 Mary…
UNKRIG, Wilhelm Alexander. Köslin, Pomerania (now Koszalin in Poland) 1883 — Traisa near Darmstadt 24.6.1956. German Mongolian and Lamaist Scholar. Son of a crofter. From 1908 he was trained for missionary work among the Mongols at Religious Academy in Kazan and in 1912 became Russian Orthodox priest. The World War…
ÚJFALVY DE MEZŐ-KÖVESD, Charles-Eugène (Mezőkövesdi Újfalvy Károly Jenő, Karl Eugen Újfalvy von Mezőkövesd). Vienna 18.5.1842 — Florence 31.1.1904. Hungarian Traveller and Anthropologist of Central Asia living in France. Born in an aristocratic family, son of cavalry officer Samuel de Újfalvy and Theresa Huszár. Grew up in the family estate in…
UHLIG, Helmut. Chemnitz 18.5.1922 — Rotenburg an der Wümme in North-Eastern Niedersachsen 24.2.1997. German Teacher and Author interested in Buddhist Studies. Son of post official Georg Uhlig and his wife Olga, a leftist family highly critical towards Nazis. Matriculated in 1941, then in army, but was wounded in Balkan and…