BEER, Eduard Friedrich Ferdinand. Bautzen, Upper Lusatia 15.6.1805 — Leipzig 5.4.1841. German Epigraphist and Semitic Scholar, a Pioneer of Cuneiform Studies. Son of a master tailor, Leonhard Beer (1775–1827) and Erdmuthe Apelt. Gymnasium in Bautzen. Studied Oriental languages at Leipzig from 1824-33. Father’s death in 1827 brought financial problems, and…
BAYER, Theophilus (Gottlieb) Siegfried. Königsberg 5/6.1.1694 — St.Petersburg 10.2.1738. German Orientalist and Historian, from Königsberg, was elected to the Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences and moved to St.Petersburg. In Russian his name is variously spelled as Beer, Beèr, and Bajer’. Son of painter Johann Friedrich Bayer and Anna Katharina Porath,…
BAUSANI, Alessandro. Rome 29.5.1921 — Rome 11.3.1988. Italian Orientalist (Persian Scholar). Grew up in a stricly religious Catholic family, educated in Rome. Studies in Rome, graduated 1943. Ph.D. From 1944 incaricato di lingua e letteratura persiana, Università di Roma, 1951-56 lettore ordinario; 1956-71 Professor of Persian language and literature, I.U.O.N.…
BARTOL’D, Vasilij Vladimirovič (Wilhelm Barthold). St.Petersburg 3(15).11.1869 — Leningrad 19.8.1930. Russian Scholar of Central Asian History and Geography, one of the most famous of his time. Born of a Russianized German family. School and from 1891 studies at St.Petersburg, first of Oriental languages, from 1892 also of Asian history. Magistr…
BARDELLI, Giuseppe. Branciolino, Pieve S. Stefano, Arezzo 10.4.1815 — Florence 2.10.1865. Abbate. Italian Indologist and Orientalist (Sinologist and Coptic Scholar). Professor at Pisa, one of the first pioneers of Indian studies in Italy. Tuscan, son of Michelangelo Bardelli and Maria Gabrieli. Began his career as a priest after the seminary…
AUTRAN, Charles Georges Martin. Saint-Estèphe (Gironde) 29.10.1879 — Bois-Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) 17.8.1952. French Oriental Scholar. Son of Fréderick Charles Autran (1853–1915), a Protestant lawyer. After studies in Paris (É.P.H.É.) and at Institute d’archéologie orientale in Cairo he became Professor at Faculté des lettres, University of Aix-en-Provence. In the early 1920s there,…
ASCOLI, Graziadio Isaia. Gorizia 16.7.1829 — Milano 21.1.1907. Italian (Jewish) Linguist. Professor in Milano. Born in a rich Jewish merchant family in Görz, then of Austria (now Gorizia in Italy) as the son of Leone Flaminio Ascoli (died early) and Elena Norsa. Never went to school, but was tutored by…
ARBUTHNOT, Forster Fitzgerald. Belgaum, Bombay Presidency 21.5.1833 — London 25.5.1901. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Oriental Scholar in India. Son of Sir Robert Keith Arbuthnot, 2nd Bart. (1801–1873), and Anne Fitzgerald, educated privately in Anhalt and Genoa. In 1851 went to Haileybury, in 1853 joined Bombay Civil Service (like his…
ANTON, Konrad Gottlob. Lauban, Oberlausitz (Lubań in Poland) 29.11.1745 — Dresden 4.7.1814. German Oriental Scholar and Linguist. Professor at Wittenberg. In one source (Gel. T.) born in 1743. Son of Konrad Anton, a belter, and Maria Magdalene Zimmer. Studies at Leipzig. From 1775 Professor of Oriental (i.e. Semitic) Languages at…
ANQUETIL-DUPERRON, Abraham Hyacinthe. Paris 7.12.1731 — Paris 18.1.1805. French Orientalist, Pioneer of Iranian and Indian Studies. Travelled in India 1755-61, then member of the A.I.B.L. in Paris. He was the son of a spice merchant from Paris, Pierre Anquetil, and Angélique Coignard, and brother of historian Louis-Pierre Anquetil (1723-1806). He…