VASCONCELOS (DE) ABREU, Guilherme Augusto (de). Coimbra 20.5.1842 — Lisbon 1.2.1907. Portuguese Indologist. Professor in Lisbon. Son of Victor Madail de Abreu (1811–1868), an official and liberal activist, and Guilhermina de Vasconcellos Abreu. School in Coimbra and 1854-56 in Porto, then some time in Brazil, also visited India. Then studied then…
VARTHEMA, Ludovico di (Barthema, Vertomannus). Bologna 1470? — Rome before June 1517. Italian Traveller in India. Claiming to have started his travels only in order to win fame he left Italy late in 1502 and travelled on the route Venice–Cairo–Beyrout–Damas–Mecca (the first known non-Muslim there), using Muslim robe (under the…
VANSITTART, Henry. Bloomsbury, Middlesex (D.N.B. London) 3.6.1732 — on sea 1770. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Arthur van Sittart (1691–1760), a wealthy merchant of Dutch origin, and Martha Stonhouse (1697–1782). “Educated at Reading [school] and Winchester [college]; went out as a writer of the E.I.C. to the Madras…
VANÍČEK, Alois. Prague 21.6.1825 — Prague 9.5.1883. Czech Classical and IE Scholar. Son of a teacher. After school in Prague, in 1843-47 studies of law, but soon also Classics at Prague. In the early 1850s, under Curtius and Schleicher, also learned Sanskrit and IE linguistics. Worked as gymnasium professor in…
VAMBÉRY, Ármin (Arminius[z], Hermann, orig. Hermann Hamburger [or Bamberger]). Szentgyörgy (now Svätý Jur in Slovakia) 19.3.1832 — Seebenstein, Austria (Setälä) of Budapest (Wiki) 15.9.1913. Hungarian Traveller and Oriental scholar. Professor in Budapest. Born in a poor orthodox Jewish family, lost very early his father. Grew up on Dunaszerdahely (Dunajska Strada).…
VALVANNE, Hugo (until 1906 H. Wegelius). Pietarsaari 18.7.1894 — Funen, Denmark 25.7.1961. Finnish Student of Indology and Diplomatist. Son of Henrik Eliel Wegelius (1853–1933), a vicar, and Johanna (Hanna) Elisabet Häggman, brother of theosophist author Väinö Valvanne (1887–1919). Matriculated from Porin lyseo in 1912. Studied Indology (under Reuter) and other…
VALLAURI, Mario. Viareggio (Lucca) 31.7.1887 — Dronero (Cuneo) 19.9.1964. Italian Indologist. Professor in Turin. Born of an old Piemontese family, son of Giuseppe Vallauri (1840–1902) and Maddalena Pronetti. Studied Indology at Naples under Kerbaker(degree 1911). Further studies in 1912 at Florence under Pavolini and 1913-14 at Würzburg under Jolly, concentrating…
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…
UPHAM, Edward. Exeter 1776 — Bath 25.8.1834. British Bookdealer and Orientalist. Born in Exeter, where his father Charles Upham (1739–1807) was later (1796) the mayor. Himself worked as bookseller in Exeter, in 1807 became its sheriff and 1809 mayor. After earlyretirement lived in Dawlish (Devon) and Bath. Married 1801 Mary…
UNKRIG, Wilhelm Alexander. Köslin, Pomerania (now Koszalin in Poland) 1883 — Traisa near Darmstadt 24.6.1956. German Mongolian and Lamaist Scholar. Son of a crofter. From 1908 he was trained for missionary work among the Mongols at Religious Academy in Kazan and in 1912 became Russian Orthodox priest. The World War…