PHAYRE, Arthur Purves. Shrewsbury 7.5.1812 — Bray near Dublin 14.12.1885. Sir. British (Irish Protestant) Colonial Officer and Burmese Scholar. In Burma 1834-74. Son of Richard Phayre (1761–1830) and Mary Ridgeway. “Educated in Shrewsbury, entered the Bengal Army, 1828. Served in the administration of Burma, 1834-48, in the Panjab, 1848-9; Commissioner…
PETRUNIČEVA, Zorja Nikolaevna. Moscow 26.7.1926 — 27.5.1995. Russian Indologist (Historian and Telugu Scholar). Daughter of an official. Graduated 1948 at Moscow, in history. Kand. ist. nauk 1955. From 1953 naučnyj sotrudnik at Oriental Institute of Academy of Science in Moscow. Publications: At least 120 publications, i.a. – Kand.diss. Krestjanskoe i…
PARISOT, C.-C.-Valentin. Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher) 16.8.1800 — Paris 8.10.1861. French Literate interested in India. Professor at Faculté de Lettres in Rennes, Grenoble and Douai. Son of a musician. Studies at Pensionnat normal (future École normale supérieur). Schoolteacher in several towns, for a while theatre director, then Professor of Foreign Literature at…
PARGITER, Frederick Eden. Jaffna, Sri Lanka 1852 — Charlbury, Oxfordshire 18.2.1927. British Civil Servant and Indologist in India (I.C.S. 1875-1906). Son of Rev. Robert P. and Anna Matilda Palm, educated at Taunton Grammar School. Studies at Oxford (Exeter College), mathematics, Sanskrit, etc. In 1875 he joined the Bengal Civil Service…
PALMBLAD, Vilhelm Fredrik. Skönberga, Östergötland 16.12.1788 — Uppsala 2.9.1852. Swedish Historian interested in India. Professor in Uppsala. Son of a warden (kronofogd) Carl Fredrik P., and Eva Katarina Fahlstedt, the father died when he was 10. In the age of 14 became disabled through a pelvic illness. From 1806 studies…
VORETZSCH, Ernst Arthur. Lucka, Thüringen 13.8.1868 — Colmberg, Kr. Ansbach 18.5.1965. German Diplomat and Historian. Studied law at Göttingen and entered foreign service in 1899. Served as Vice-Consul in Calcutta, Christiania (Oslo) and Johannesburg, as Consul in Hong Kong, Singapur, Bangkok, Shanghai, Hankou und Christiania/Oslo. Then Ambassador in Lisbon 1920-28…
VOLNEY DE CHASSEBOEUF (BOISGIRAIS), Constantin-François, comte de. Craon, Anjou 3.2.1757 — Paris 25.4.1820. French Asian Traveller, Historian, Philosopher and Politician. Son of Jacques-René Chasseboeuf (1727–1796), a lawyer, and Jeanne Gigault (1728–1759), of minor nobility. Studied classics in Paris and soon befriended with intellectuals. In 1782 left for Egypt, then travelled…
VIVIEN DE SAINT-MARTIN, Louis. Saint-Martin-de-Fontenay (Calvados) 22.5.1802 — Versailles 3.1.1897. French Scholar of Historical Geography. Born Louis Vivien, came to Paris in 1814. Worked as author and editor in Paris. Legion d’honneur 1867. He did not know Sanskrit and based his Vedic studies on Langlois’ insufficient translation. Publications: A number…
VEYSSIÈRE DE LACROZE, Mathurin (M. V. de La Croze). Nantes 4.12.1661 — Berlin 21.5.1739. French Oriental Scholar and Polyhistor. Son of a rich merchant, he left school and went to the colony of Guadeloupe to learn trade. Back in Nantes (1677) and after the bankruptcy of his father studied medicine,…
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…