TASKER, Theodore James. Stuttgart, Germany 20.1.1884 — Swanage, Dorset 9.5.1981. Sir. British Civil Servant in India. Son of John Greenwood Tasker (geneanet 1853–1932, WikiTree 1854–1936) and Ellen Martha Sanderson. In 1908-44 in I.C.S., Madras, in 1927-42 seconded to Nizam’s government in Hyderabad. C.I.E. 1932 O.B.E. Knighted 1937.. Married 1915 Jessie Helen Mellis Smith (1888–1974), three sons and one daughter.

Publications: “Prehistory and Anthropology in the Hyderabad Deccan”, Man 47, 1947, 100f. (summary of paper).

Sources: Stray notes in Internet; gw.geneanet.org; portrait in npg.org.uk.

SYKES, Percy Molesworth. Brompton, Kent 28.2.1867 — London 11.6.1945. Sir. British Colonial Officer and Diplomat. Brigadier-General. Son of army chaplain Rev. William Sykes (1829–1900) and Mary Molesworth, educated at Rugby, military education at Sandhurst. From 1888 served in 2nd Dragoon Guards in India, 1895 Lieutenant, 1897 Captain. In 1892 secret mission to Uzbekistan, 1893 returned from home leave to India riding through Iran. In 1902 transferred to Indian Army, served as Consul in Kerman 1895-1905 (in 1901 participated in Boer War), then until 1913 in Mashad. In 1915 Consul General for Chinese Turkestan in Kashgar, then again in Iran until 1918. Retired from army 1924. K.C.I.E. 1915. A photographer. Married 1902 Evelyn Seton (1882–1973), six children.

His sister, Ella Constance Sykes (1863–1939) travelled in Iran, accompanied his brother in Central Asia to Kashgar and wrote several travel books (see Encyclop. Iranica and Wikipedia on her).

Publications: “The Gypsies of Persia. A Second Vocabulary”, JRAnthrInst 36, 1906, 302-311.

– A History of Persia. 19+565 p. L. 1915.

– With Ella Sykes (his sister): Through deserts and oases of Central Asia. 12+340 p. L. 1920; several travel books on Iran.

– A History of Exploration. L. 1934; The Quest for Cathay. 278 p. 1936; Explorers All, Famous Journeys in Asia. 206 p. L. 1939.

– A History of Afghanistan. 1-2. L. 1939-40.

Sources: D. Wright, Encyclop. Iranica online 2008/17; *A. Wynn, Persia in the Great Game – Sir Percy Sykes: Explorer, Consul, Soldier. 2003; Wikipedia with photo.

SWADESH, Morris. Holyoke, MA 22.1.1909 — México City 20.7.1967. U.S. Linguist. Son of Bessarabian Jewish immigrant parents. Studies of Linguistics (L. Bloomfield) and Anthropology (E. Sapir) at University of Chicago (B.A., M.A.), then followed his teacher Sapir to Yale (Ph.D. there 1933). In 1937-39 Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin in Madison. Early fieldwork on Amerindian, in 1939-41 in Mexico, then in war service (some time in North-East India). In 1946-48 Guggenheim Fellow, then Professor at City College of New York, but was fired in 1949 as a Communist. With his openly leftist opinions he had difficulties in the time of McCarthyism. After 1954 spent the rest of his life teaching in Mexico (National Autonomous University, 1956-67) and as visiting Professor Canada (University of Alberta, 1966-67). Died of heart attack. Married 1931 Mary Haas (1910–1996, a linguist, divorce 1937), then Frances Leon (divorce) and 1956 Evangelina Arana.

In his studies Swadesh mainly concentrated on American indigenous languages. He was a noted pioneer of glottochronology and lexicostatistics. During the war in India he studied Naga languages.

Publications: Much on American languages of the U.S.A., Canada (diss. on Nootka) and Mexico, on English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, etc., and on general linguistics (often in Spanish).

– Basic Vocabulary of Glottochronology. Denver 1951; The Origin and Diversification of Language. Chicago 1971 (on monogenesis).

– “Archeological and linguistic chronology of Indo-European groups”, Am. Anthropologist 55, 1953, 349-352; “Linguistics as an Instrument of Prehistory”, Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 15, 1959, 20-35; “The problem of consonantal doublets in Indo-European”, Word 26, 1970, 1-16.

Sources: *D.H. Hymes, Word 26, 1970, 119-138; St. Newman, Language 43, 1967, 948-951 & bibliography, 951-957; Wikipedia with photo.

SUHOČEV, Aleksej Sergeevič. Strežnevo, Oktjabr’skij raion, obl. Kursk 22.3.1928 — 2000. Russian Indologist, specialist of Urdu and Assami Literature. Son of a farmer. In army in 1950-56. Graduated 1957 from Moscow. Kand. filologičeskih nauk 1962, Dr. 1976. From 1956 naučnyj sotrudnik, 1974 staršij naučnyj sotrudnik at Oriental Institute, AN SSSR, Moscow.

Publications: At least 30 items, e.g. kand.diss. Mesto tvorčestva Nazira Ahmada v istorii literatury urdu. Manuscript of 243 p. M. 1962; dr. diss. Stanovlenie romana na jazyke urdu (vtoraja pol. XIX – načalo XX v.). Manuscript of 381 p. M. 1974.

– “Kratkij očerk istorii assamskoj literatury”, Poèzija narodov Indii. M. 1962, 162-190.

– With N. Glebov: Literatura urdu. Kratkij očerk. 232 p. M. 1967.

– Ot dastana k romanu. Iz istorii hudožestvennoj prozy urdu XIX veka. 245 p. M. 1971.

– With others: Mirza Galib – velikij poèt Vostoka. M. 1972.

–  With R. A. Elizarov: Progressivn. pisateli Pakistana (na materiale lit. urdu). 176 p. Taškent 1978.

– “Usovnost’ v sovrem. proze urdu”, Literatura stran zarubež. Vostoka. M. 1982, 133-252.

– Krišan Čandar. 232 p. M. 1983; Mahdum Mahiddin. 152 p. M. 1989.

– Translated from Urdu with L. Vasil’ev: Hajdar Kurrat ul’ Ajn, Kto šel s nami do rassveta.  317 p. M. 1983.

Sources: *Na semi jazykah Indostana – pamjati A. S. Suhočeva. M. 2002; Miliband 1977, 1995.

STRADIOT, Eugène Clement François. India 1850/51 — India 14.12.1917. Belgian Musician in India. Son of Francois Albert Joseph Stradiot (1820–1868) and his wife Josephine. Director of music to H. E. the Governor of Madras, a position his father had before him. Married 1881 Honoria Hallet Lynn (1852–1899), children.

Publications: “Notes on the Principles of Hindu Music: with a Collection of Nine Hindu Melodies”, MJLS 30, 1887-88, 1-28.

Sources: timdracup.com/2017/01/26/dracups-in-india-the-3rd-and-4th-generations/.

STONOR, Charles Robert. 20.5.1912 (or 20.4.?) — Brent, Middlesex 1982.  British Anthropologist and Naturalist in India. Roman Catholic. Son of Francis Cyril Stonor (1880–1955) and Juliana Tindal Bosanquet. Surveyor in the Naga Hills in British period, then agricultural officer in Assam, remained some time in India after 1947. Back in the U.K. lived at Brooklands North, Sarisbury Green, Hampshire. In 1953-54 visited Nepal. Active photographer.

Publications: “The Keju or Iron Hoe of the Angami Nagas”, Man 49, 1949, 133-134, 1 pl.; “The Feasts of Merit among the Northern Sangtam Tribe of Assam”, Anthropos 45, 1950, 1-12; “The Sulung Tribe of the Assam Himalayas”, Anthropos 47, 1952, 947-962.

– With E. Anderson: “Maize Among the Hill Peoples of Assam”, Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens 36, 1949, 355-404.

– The Sherpa and the Snowman. 12+209 p. 37 pl. L. 1955.

– “Notes on Religion and Ritual among the Dafla Tribes of the Assam Himalayas”, Anthropos 52, 1957, 1-23; “The Blacksmith and His Forge in the Mountains of North-East India”, Anthropos 70, 1975, 833-838.

Sources: Wikidata; parents in WikiTree; stray notes in Internet.

STOLZ, Friedrich. Hall in Tyrol 29.7.1850 — Innsbruck 13.7.1915.  Austrian IE Linguist. Professor in Innsbruck. Son of Joseph Stolz, a psychiatrist, and Anna Luise Rapp (d. 1857). From 1868 studied classics at Innsbruck under Jülg et al., 1871-72 at Leipzig (Curtius). From 1872 teacher in Görz, and soon in Graz. Ph.D. 1874 Graz. Then teacher in Klagenfurt. PD 1879 Innsbruck. From 1886 ao. Professor of comparative linguistics there as Jülg’s successor, 1890 ord. An illness forced him to retire in 1912 (succeeded by his student Walde). Died after long illness.

Publications: Much on Latin, also on Greek.

– Über die Entwicklung der indogermanischen Sprachwissenschaft. 24 p. Innsbruck 1899.

Sources: D. Angetter, Ö.B.L. 13, 2010, 316f.; *A. Walde, Idg. Jb. 3, 1916, 187-197; German Wikipedia with photo; photo in A. Gudemann, Imagines Philologorum(online).

STOKES, Eric Thomas. Hampstead, London 10.7.1924 — 5.2.1981.  British Historian of South Asia. Son of Walter John Stokes and his wife Winifred. Educated in London and during early war in Towcester, Northamptonshire. From 1941 studies at Cambridge (Christ’s College). Two years 1944-46 of war service in Indian Mounted Artillery, then back to Cambridge. Ph.D. 1952 (under Spear). From 1950-54 Lecturer at University of Malaya in Singapore, 1955-56 at Bristol. From 1957-63 Professor at University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland in Salisbury (now Harare), then University Lecturer in Colonial Studies at Cambridge. In 1970-81 Smuts Professor of History of the British Commonwealth at Cambridge, from 1977 also Chairman of History Faculty. Hon. D.Litt. 1977 Mysore, Fellow of British Academy 1980. Married 1949 Florence Mary Lee, four daughters. Died of lung cancer (although not a smoker).

As a scholar his main interest lied in British colonial period in India and in its agrarian history. He was popular teacher who had many South Asian students. In Africa he openly criticised racist policy (and was under police surveillance).

Publications: Rev. diss. publ. as The English Utilitarians and India. 16+350 p. Oxford 1959.

– The Peasant and the Raj: Studies in Agrarian Society and Peasant Rebellion in Colonial India. 8+308 p. Cambr. South Asian St. 23. Cambridge 1978 (12 papers).

– The peasant armed: the Indian revolt of 1857. 16+261 p. Oxford 1986.

– Also wrote much on African history.

Sources: C.A. Bayly, Proc. Br. Acad. 97, 1998, 467-498 with photo and *Oxford D.N.B. 2004; *M. Hasan & N. Gupta (eds.), India’s Colonial Encounter: Essays in Memory of E.St. N.D. 1993;  Wikipedia (omitting career concentrates on his work).

STOCQUELER, Joachim Hayward. London 21.7.1801 — Bath 14.3.1885. British Journalist and Writer in India. Son of Joachim Christian Stocqueler (who had Italian mother and Portuguese father) and Elizabeth Hayward. Educated at Brochard’s academy in Camden. In 1819 joined E.I.C.’s army as non-commissioned officer and left for Bombay. Left army in 1824 and in 1827 began as a journalist. Seriously in debt he had to secretly leave Bombay in 1831 in an Arabic boat and went via Mesopotamia to the Black Sea and from Odessa to London. In 1833 he went to Calcutta where he continued his work as journalist. With renewed financial difficulties he was in Debtors’ Prison in 1840-41, then returned by sea to London. Now concentrated on literary work, also holding lectures on various subjects and working as journalist – but again with repeated money difficulties. In 1859 he finally fled to New York using the pseudonym of Siddons. During the U.S. civil war returned to the U.K., but life was not easier in London and briefly in Ireland, from 1875 again some time in the U.S.A. Last years in England. He was highly interested in theatre and an amateur actor. Married 1828 Jane Anne Spencer (d. 1870), two sons, then separated, and 1844 Eliza Wilson Pepper (although not formally divorced), four children. In addition he had three children from an affair with Mrs Louise Wardroper and further three with Mary Agnes Cameron, whom he married 1870 or 1875.

Publications: Fifteen Months Pilgrimage through Untrodden Tracts in Khuzistan and Persia. 1-2. L. 1832.

– Memorials of Affghanistan: being state papers, official documents, dispatches, authentic narratives, etc., illustrative of the British expedition to, and occupation of, Affghanistan and Scinde, between the Years 1838 and 1842. 8+304+142 p. Calcutta 1843.

– The Handbook of India, A guide to the Stranger and the Traveller, and a Companion to the Resident. 7+600 p. L. 1844.

– The Oriental Interpreter and Treasury of East India Knowledge: companion to The Handbook of British India. 304 p. L. 1848.

– India: its history, climate, productions, and field sports; with notices of European life and manners, and of the various travelling routes. 7+207 p. L. 1853.

– The True Causes of the Revolt of the Bengal army. L. 1858.

Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; *A.T. Carpenter, A Resourceful Rogue: J.H.St. (1801–1886). 2018; E.M.L[loyd], D.N.B. 54, 1898, 395f.; alchetron.com; Wikipedia with three drawings.

ST.GEORGE, Harry Hemersley (hardly Hamersley). Ardersier, Inverness 11.12.1845 — 18.2.1897.  British Colonial Officer in Sri Lanka. Lieutenant-Colonel. Son James Dorrington Nibbett St.George (1815–1882) and Matilda Cohen (1815–1901). Spent many years in Ceylon, in 1885 participated in Sudan campaign. Last years in Edinburgh. Also an artist who painted landscapes and archaeological objects. Married, children.

Publications: “The Rebellion of Ceylon, and the Progress of its Conquest under the Government of Constantino de Sá y Noroña”, JRAS-CB 11:41, 1890, 427-608 (transl. from Spanish of Rebelion de Ceylan. Printed Lisbon 1681).

Sources: www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG14467; parents and birth date in WikiTree.