MONNERET DE VILLARD, Ugo. Milano 16.1.1881 — Rome 5.11.1954. Italian Archaeologist, Art Historian and Oriental Scholar, a specialist of Egypt anf Ethiopia, but with wide interests including Iran and North-West India. Son of Enrico Monneret de Villard and Anna Foli, a Piedmontese family of Burgundian origin. Studied engineering and architecture…
MOLÉ, Marijan. Ljubljana 28.7.1924 — Paris 6.5.1963. Slovenian/Polish Iranian Scholar in Paris. Son of the Slovenian author and art historian Vojeslav Molé (1886–1973) and a Polish mother. In 1925 father became Professor at Cracow and thus he spent his early years in Poland. In September 1939 the family escaped to…
MOHL, Jules (Julius von Mohl). Stuttgart 25.10.1800 — Paris 4/5.1.1876. French (German-born) Oriental Scholar in Paris. French citizen 1838. Professor of Persian at Collège de France. Son of a high civil servant in Württemberg, Benjamin Ferdinand von Mohl (1766–1845) and Louisa Friederica Autenrieth, his brothers were Robert (1799–1875, scholar of…
MITSCHERLICH, Eilhard. Neuende, Herrschaft Jever 7.1.1794 — Schöneberg near Berlin 28.2.1863. German Chemist and Mineralogist, originally interested in Persian and Sanskrit. Professor of Chemistry in Berlin. Born in North-West Germany in an area then (1793-1807) under Russian rule as the son of Rev. Carl Gustav Mitscherlich (1762–1826) and Marie Elisabeth…
MINORSKY, Vladimir (Vladimir Fëdorovič Minorskij). Korčeva, obl. Tver 6.12.1877 — Cambridge 25.3.1966. Russian Persian Scholar in the U.K. Professor in London. Son of Fëdor Minorskij and Olga Golabickaja. Educated in Moscow and in 1896-1900 studied law at Moscow (graduated), then three years at Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages preparing for…
MILL, William Hodge. Hackney, Middlesex 18.7.1792 — Brasted, Kent 25.12.1853. Rev. British Teacher and Indologist in India. Son of John Mill, of Dundee, and Martha Hodge. Privately educated by Dr. Belsham, a Unitarian preacher, studies at Trinity College, Cambridge: B.A. 1813, Fellow of Trinity College 1814, M.A. 1816. In 1818…
MILES, William. 1780 — London 21.5.1860. British Colonial Officer in India. Major-General (1854). Cadet 1799, in 1800 joined the Bombay Native Infantry, served in operations against Baroda and in 1804 at Bhurtpore (Bharatpur). “Made a treaty in 1820 with the Raja of Rodanpur, commanded a regiment in the first Burmese…
MICHAEL, James. 17?? — 15.12.1837. British Colonial Officer and Oriental (Persian and Urdu) Scholar in India, then in 1827-37 Professor of Hindu Literature and Asian History at Haileybury. From 1934 also registrar of the College. Beside Persian and Hindustani he also knew Marathi. During his last years suffered of poor health…
MEZZOFANTI, Giuseppe Gaspare. Bologna 19.9.1774 — Rome 15.3.1849. Italian Polyglot, Cardinal. Born in a humble family as the son of a carpenter, Francesco Mezzofanti and Gesualda Dall’Olme, he showed early his talent in languages. Studied with the Piarists. Ordained priest 1797, he became Professor of Arabic, Hebrew and Greek at…
MENANT, Joachim. Cherbourg 16.4.1820 — Paris 30.8.1899. French Assyriologist, with interest in Iranian religion. Son of Joachim Menant and Amable Boissière, lost his father when 10. Educated in Cherbourg. He became a lawyer (studies at Caen) and worked in administrative positions in different towns (Cherbourg, Vire, Alençon, Lisieux, Evreux, Le…