HALÉVY, Joseph. Adrianople (now Edirne) 15.12.1827 — Paris 21.1.1917. French (originally Turkish Jew) Epigraphist, Semitist and Traveller. Professor in Paris, naturalized Frenchman 1865. Taught Hebrew in Jewish schools in Adrianople and Bucharest, studied Oriental languages and archaeology. In 1865 came to Paris. In disguise of a Rabbi from Jerusalem he…
GUYARD, Stanislas. Frottey-lès-Vesoul (Haute-Saône) 27.9.1846 — Paris 7.9.1884. French Oriental, especially Semitic scholar, but with wide interests, including Indology. Son of Auguste Guyard (1808–1882), a radical idealist who wanted to introduce a universal religion and homeopathy. Spent three years in Russia, came to Paris in 1861 in the age of…
GUIGNES, Joseph de. Pontoise (Seine-et-Oise) 19.10.1721 — Paris 19.3.1800. French Oriental Scholar, a Pioneer of Sinology and Precursor of Indology. Professor in Paris. Son of Jean Louis de Guignes and Françoise Vaillant. Recommended by his cousin, Professor Le Vaillant, he was accepted as a student by the Sinologist Etienne Fourmont…
GOLDZIHER, Ignász (Ignác, Ignaz G. Yitzhak Yehuda G.). Székesfehérvár 22.6.1850 — Budapest 13.11.1921. Hungarian Oriental (Hebrew and Arabic) Scholar. Professor in Budapest. Born in a German-speaking Sephardic Jewish family, son of Adolf Goldziher (1811–1874), a leather merchant, and Katalin Berger. Obtained both gymnasial and Talmudic education. From 1865 studies at…
GÖTZE, Albrecht Ernst Rudolf. Leipzig 11.1.1897 — Garmisch-Partenkirchen 15.8.1971. German Assyriologist, Semitic and IE Scholar in the U.S.A. Born in a Jewish family, the son of the physician (psychiatrist) Rudolf Götze (d. 1920) and Elsa Rommler. Grew up in Darmstadt. From 1915 studies at Munich, Leipzig, Berlin, and Heidelberg, in…
GLADWIN, Francis. 1744/45? — 1812. British Colonial Officer and Orientalist (Persian Scholar) in India. Served in the Bengal Army at least 30 years, until his death. He was encouraged by Warren Hastings in his study of Oriental languages, mainly worked on Persian literature. From 1801 he was the first Professor…
GIORGI, Antonio Agostino (Augustinus Antonius Georgius; baptized Francesco Maria Giorgi). Santo Mauro di Romagna (near Rimini) 10.5.1711 — Rome 4.5.1797. Italian Monk, Theologian, and Orientalist, a Coptic Scholar and Pioneer of Tibetan Studies. Son of Antonio Giorgi (1685–1723) and Antonia Semprini (1687–1767). Augustinian monk since 1726, studied philosophy, science, theology…
GILDEMEISTER, Johannes Gustav. Klein-Piemen (now Kröpelin), Mecklenburg 20.7.1812 — Bonn 11.3.1890. German Indologist and Orientalist. Professor in Marburg and Bonn. Born in Mecklenburg countryside in a Bremenian patrician family, son of Johann Gildemeister (1784–1844), a merchant and journalist, and Maria Anne Catharine Wienholt (1786–1856). Gymnasium in Bremen, learned there Hebrew…
GARCIN DE TASSY, Joseph-Héliodore-Sagesse-Vertu. Marseille 20.1.1794 — Paris 2.9.1878. French Indologist (Hindi-Urdu) and Oriental Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Joseph Jacques Garcin, a stockbroker, and Claire Virginie Tassy. Educated in Marseille, where he also learned spoken Arabic. From 1817 studies of law in Paris, at the same time Persian…
FORBES, Duncan. Kinnaird, Pertshire 28.4.1798 — London 17.8.1868. British (Scottish) Oriental Scholar (Persian and Urdū). Born in a poor family, in 1801 remained with his grandfather, when the parents moved to the U.S.A. In the age of 12 he still knew not English (or was illiterate in it), but as…