BLEEKER, Claas Jouco. Beneden Knijpe, Schoterland, Friesland 12.9.1898 — Amsterdam 5.5.1983. Dutch Historian of Religion. Son of Rev. Johan Jakob Bl. and Jantje Zuur. School in Leeuwarden, studies of theology at Leiden, also studies of Egyptology and religion at Berlin. Reformed priest 1925. Th.Dr. 1929 Leiden (diss. on Egyptian religion).…
BLATTER, Edelbert (or Ethelbert). Romanshorn, Appenzell 15.12.1874 (or 1877?) — Pune 26.5.1934. S.J. Swiss Catholic Missionary Scholar in India. Son of the elder Ed. Blatter, a physician. School in Schwyz. Joined S.J. 1896, studied in the Netherlands. Ph.D. In India 1903, in 1904-09 and 1915-24 Professor of Botany at St.…
BIGANDET, Paul-Ambroise. Malans (Doubs) 13.8.1813 — Rangoon 19.4.1894. French Catholic Missionary and Buddhist Scholar. Fifty years in Burma. Educated in Besancon and at the seminary of Missions Etrangères in Paris (two years there). In 1837 ordained as priest and sent as missionary to Malacca, later moved to Burma. From 1852…
BIČURIN, Iakinf (Hyacinth, originally Nikita Jakovlevič B.). Akulevo, Tsivil’skij district, Kazan Province 29.8.1777* — St.Petersburg 11.5.1853. Russian (Čuvaš) Monk, Orthodox Priest, Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Son of a deacon, graduated from Kazan Ecclesiastical Academy in 1799. Ordained as monk in 1802. Head of the Ninth Spiritual Mission of the…
BICKELL, Gustav Wilhelm Hugo. Kassel 7.7.1838 — Vienna 25.1.1906. German Oriental (Semitic) Scholar in Austria. Son of Johann Wilhelm B., Professor of Canonical Law. Studies of theology and philology at Marburg and Halle, Ph.D. 1862 Marburg, from the same year PD für semitische und indogermanische Sprachen there, also taught at…
BEYTHAN, Hermann. Teichel bei Rudolstadt, Thüringen 29.5.1875 — 1945?. German Missionary and Indologist (Tamil Scholar). Son of a farmer. After Mission School in Leipzig in 1895-1901 he was ordained priest and sent to India. Arrived in February 1902, he worked in Erode, at Fabrizius School in Madras and in 1905-09…
BESCHI, Constantino Gioseffo Eusebio (Constanzo B., Constantinus Beschius, Vīra-māmunivar). Castiglione delle Stiviere near Mantua 8.11.1680 — Ambalakat near Cranganore 4.2.1747. S.J. Italian Jesuit missionary and Tamil scholar. Nearly 40 years in India. Educated at Jesuit school in Mantua. Novice of S.J. 1698, then studies in Ravenna and in 1701-10 in…
BERTRAND, François-Marie, l’abbé. Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne) 26.10. 1807 — Versailles 30.1.1881. French Indologist (Hindi scholar) and Catholic priest. Studies at Seminaire St.Sulpice in Versailles. Served long time as minister in Herblay, 1837-56, then canon in Versailles. His opinions were heavily criticized by the conservatives, and he was generally wary of letting…
GIUSEPPE MARIA DA GARGNANO (Iosephus Maria a Gargnano; lay Bernardino Bernini). Gargnano near Brescia (then Venetian Republic) 2.9.1709 (hardly 1711) — Bettia in Bihar Terai 15.1.1761. Count. Italian Missionary in Tibet. Son of Count Giuseppe De Bernini and Giovanna De’ Bettoni, partly grew up in Vienna. Joined the Capuchin order…
BERGMANN, Benjamin Fürchtegott Balthasar von. Arrasch, Livonia (now Āraiši in Latvia) 17(28).11.1772 — Blussen b. Wenden (now Blusu near Cēsis, Latvia) 16(28).8.1856. German (Livonian) Priest and Traveller, a Pioneer of Lamaist Studies. Son of Gustav B. (1787 von B.; 1749–1814, priest and scholar) and Beata Meder. Educated at Domschule and…