ECKSTEIN, Ferdinand d’. Copenhagen 1.9.1790 — Paris 22. or 25.11.1862 (when 71). Baron. French Historian, of Danish/German Origin. Details of his origin are unclear, the title of nobility probably doubtful. “Je ne desire pas me faire l’écho de rumeurs piquantes sur son origine et sa jeunesse” (Mohl). He is said…
DYNOWSKA, Wanda (Umādevī). St.Petersburg 30.6.1888 — Mysore 20.3.1971. Polish Theosophist in India. Born in Russia in a family of Polish nobility, daughter of Eustachy Dynowski and Helena Sokołowska. Grew up mainly in the family estate in present-day Latvia, educated at home. Studied in Cracow and Lausanne, during WW I in…
DURSCH, Johann Georg Martin. Deggingen, Kr. Göppingen, Württemberg 11.11.1800 — Rottweil, Württemberg 21.2.1881. German Catholic Theologian interested in Sanskrit. Studies at Tübingen, ordained as priest in 1825. Dr.theol. and Ph.D. 1825. Then two and a half year studies of Oriental languages in Paris (under Chézy et al.). After returning he…
DUPEYTY-TRAHON, Jean-Ferdinand. Claire-Fontaine (Seine-et-Oise) 30.3.1794 — 1836. French Indologist. Son of an officer, who had served in India under Haidar ‘Ali, became interested in India through his father’s reminiscences. After studies of medicine in Paris became in 1813 the physician of the 150th regiment, but felt unhappy in the army…
DUMONT, Paul-Émile. Brussels 27.8.1879 — Baltimore 8.12.1968. Belgian Indologist in the U.S.A. Professor in Baltimore. Son of Constant Louis Michel Dumont (1823–1892), the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Belgium, and Hermine Devos. Studies at Bruxelles in 1897-99, graduated in philosophy. Now studied Sanskrit at Bologna under Pullé. Ph.D.…
DUMONT, Louis Charles Jean. Thessaloniki (Osman Empire) 11.8.1911 — Paris 19.11.1998. French Sociologist and Indologist. Son of a railway engineer, lost early his father. After restless youth (he left school when 18 and tried various odd jobs) he studied ethnology under Mauss. The plans of a doctorate about Celtic survivals…
DUMÉZIL, Georges Edmond Raoul. Paris 4.3.1898 — Paris 11.10.1986. French Linguist. Professor in Paris. Son of Jean Anatole Dumézil (1857–1929), general of artillery, and Marguérite Dutier (1860–1945), grew up in garrison towns. Thus attended collège in Neufchâteau, lycée in Troyes, Paris (Louis-le-Grand) and Tarbes. He read Bréal and started with…
DOWSON, John. Uxbridge near London 1820 — Sandhurst, Buckinghamshire 23.8.1881. British Indologist. Professor in Sandhurst. In the age of 16 came to London to assist his uncle —> Edwin Norris, the secretary of R.A.S. He became soon interested in Oriental languages. He was a self-made scholar, but very able. Tutor…
DOUGLAS, Gordon (Bhikkhu Asoka). 18?? — April 1900 (Payer) or 1905. British Bauddha. He was claimed to be the very first British who was ever (known to be) ordained as a Buddhist monk (Wikipedia Laurence Carroll as U Dhammaloka is earlier, see W. on him). The ordination took place in…
DIEHL, Carl Gustav Ruben. Malmö 21.9.1906 — Lund 1/2.5.1995. Swedish Lutheran Missionary, Bishop, and Scholar of South Indian Religion. Son of Anders Diehl (1857–1928), a house manager, and Emma Christina Andersson, matriculated from Malmö in 1925. From 1925 studies of theology at Lund, teol.kand. 1929, ordained as priest in 1930.…