KIRCHER, Athanasius. Geisa near Fulda 2.5.1602 — Rome 27.11.1680. Father. S.J. German Polyhistor and Oriental Scholar, a Pioneer of Coptology, a Precursor of Egyptology, a Sinologist, etc. Son of Johann K., Doctor of Divinity and teacher of Benedictines. Novice of S.J. 1618 in Paderborn, took his first vows 1620. In…
KING, Lucas White. Madras 28.9.1856 — Craig Veigh (or Aboyne), Deeside 23.8.1925. Sir. British (Anglo-Irish) Civil Servant in India, Oriental Scholar, Historian and Numismatist. Professor in Dublin. Son of Deputy Surgeon-General Henry King and Sophie Eccleston. Sent to Ireland in 1864, educated at Ennis College and Dublin University. B.A. &…
KIEPERT, Heinrich. Berlin 31.7.1818 — Berlin 21.4.1899. German Geographer, Cartographer, and Historian of Geography. Professor in Berlin. Son of Samuel K. (1763–1836), a merchant, and Christiane Henriette Beer. Educated at Joachimsthaler Gymnasium (where A. Meineke was his teacher), became soon interested in ancient history and geography. From 1836 studies of…
KELLGREN, Abraham Herman August. Kuopio 21.1.1822 — Helsinki 25.9.1856. Finnish Indologist and Orientalist. Professor in Helsinki. Son of Johan August Kellgren (1792–1859), an apothecary of Swedish origin, and Maria Magdalena Nylander (1798–1826). Educated at Helsingfors Lyceum in 1833-38 and from 1838 studied at Helsinki University. His original intention was to…
KEIL, Johann Karl Friedrich. Lauterbach bei Oelsnitz, Sachsen 26.2.1807 — Rödlitz, Sachsen 5.5.1888. German Oriental Scholar in Estonia. Professor in Dorpat (Tartu), started Sanskrit teaching there. Son of a Saxonian farmer, Johann Gottfried K. and his wife Anna Sophie. In 1821 moved to his uncle in St. Petersburg. He studied…
KÉGL, Sándor (Alexander von K.). Szúnyog near Pest 1.12.1862 — Áporka near Pest 29.12.1920. Hungarian Nobleman and Indo-Iranian Scholar. Born in a wealthy Catholic landowner family (knighted 1762). Inspired by Vámbéry’s travels he studied of several Oriental languages in Budapest (Persian, Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, Tatar, Sanskrit, Urdu, Chuvash, and Mordvin…
KEENE, Henry George. 30.9.1781 — Tunbridge Wells, Kent 29.1.1864. Rev. British Civil Servant and Oriental Scholar in India. Professor in Haileybury. Son of Thomas Keene and Jane Harris, grandson of the architect Henry Keene (1726–1776), privately educated. In 1798 joined the Indian Army and participated in the siege of Seringapatam…
KAPFF, Ludwig Heinrich. Göppingen near Stuttgart 5.9.1802 — Kennenburg near Esslingen 26.2.1869. German Lutheran Priest and Oriental Scholar. Son of Gottfried Kapff (1768–1815) and Eberhardine Hehl. Educated and studied in Tübingen. After a brief vicariate in Urach returned to the university in 1826, lecturing on the Old Testament and studying…
KALTHOFF, Johann Heinrich. Warendorf near Münster 5.2.1803 — Münster 11.1.1839. German Oriental Scholar. After Gymnasium in Warendorf and Münster studied theology and philology at Münster in 1821-24 and Oriental languages at Bonn in 1824-29. Ph.D. 1829 Bonn. In 1829-30 further studies in Paris under Silvestre de Sacy and Abel-Rémusat. From…
HYDE, Thomas. Billingsley near Bridgnorth, Shropshire 29.6.1636 — Oxford 18.2.1703. English Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar, a Pioneer of Zoroastrian Studies. Professor in Oxford. Son of Ralph Hyde, vicar of Billingsley, and Anne Jennings, educated at Eton. In the age of 16 began Arabic studies at Cambridge under Wheelock. He…