BOSCH, Frederik (Fritz) David Kan. Potchefstroom, Transvaal 17.6.1887 — Leiden 20.7.1968. Dutch Indologist and Indonesian Scholar. Professor in Leiden. Born in South Africa, son of Hendrik Bosch (1859–1902) and Judith Kan (1862–1889), after his mother’s death came to live with his two aunts in Amsterdam and went to school there.…
BOISSEVAIN, Jan Wilhelm. Amsterdam 27.9.1874 — Velp, Rheden, Gelderland 24.3.1959. Dutch Indologist and Theosophist. Son of Gideon Maria Boissevain and Louise Caroline toe Laer. Ph.D. 1905 Leiden (under Speyer). Gymnasium teacher of Dutch and History in Amsterdam. Publications: Diss. Het indische tooneelstuk Prabodhacandrodaya. 1. Toelichting en beoordeeling. 400 p. Leiden…
BODDING, Paul Olaf. Gjøvik, Oppland 2.11.1865 — Odense, Denmark 25.9.1938. Rev. Norwegian Missionary and Munda Scholar in India, lived long time among the Santals. Son of a bookseller, Edvard Olsen Bodding, and Betzy Emilie Wennevold. After meeting —> L. O. Skrefsrud in his father’s shop he decided to become a…
BOCHINGER, Jean-Jacques (Johann Jacob B.). Strasbourg 28.11.1802 — Strasbourg 12.8.1831. Alsatian Protestant Theologian. Of humble origin, son of Jean Bochinger, a weaver, and Christine Madeleine Lutz. Studies at Protestant Seminary and Theological Faculty of Strasbourg, then at Heidelberg and Göttingen. For a while, 1824-26, private tutor in Lyon, then further…
BLOOMFIELD, Maurice (born Blumenfeld). Bielitz, Austrian Silesia (now Bielsko-Biała in Poland) 23.2.1855 — San Francisco, CA 13.6.1928. U.S. (of German Jewish Origin) Indologist. Professor in Baltimore. Born in the then Austrian Silesia as the son of Solomon Blumenfeld (then Bloomfield) and Beatha Jaeger he moved in the age of four…
BLOCHET, Gabriel Joseph Edgar. Bourges (Cher) 12.12.1870 — Paris 5.9.1937. French Oriental (Arabic and Iranian) Scholar and Historian of Religions. Son of a cavalry officer. After studies in Paris (i.al. ancient Iranian under Darmesteter at É.P.H.É. and Arabic (diploma), Persian, Turkish and Urdu at É.L.O.V.), from 1895 Assistant, then Librarian…
BLEEKER, Claas Jouco. Beneden Knijpe (now De Knijpe), Schoterland, Friesland 12.9.1898 — Amsterdam 5.5.1983. Dutch Historian of Religion. Son of Rev. Johannes Jakob Bleeker 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.…
BLAVATSKY, Helena Petrovna (née Hahn, Russian Jelena Petrovna Blavatskaja, née Gan). Ekaterinoslav (now Dnipro in Ukraine) 12.8.1831 — London 9.5.1891. Russian Noblewoman, the Founder of the Theosophical Society. Born in Ukraina as daughter of colonel Peter Hahn, of a noble family of Mecklenburg settled in Russia. Married at 17 a…
BIRD, James. 1797 — Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire 10.7.1864. British Physician in India interested in Archaeology. Educated from 1810 at King’s College, Aberdeen, M.A. 1814, then at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals. Dr. med. From 1818 served in Bombay Presidency, first as assistant surgeon. In 1826-32 residency surgeon at Sattara, 1840-43…
BIGANDET, Paul-Ambroise. Malans (Doubs) 13.8.1813 — Rangoon 19.4.1894. French Catholic Missionary and Buddhist Scholar. Fifty years in Burma. Educated in Besançon 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…