BAER, Emil. Rifferswil in Loo, Canton Zürich 23.12.1884 — Dielsdorf, Canton Zürich 8.11.1945. Swiss Priest and Student of Indology. Son of the factory owner Theodor Baer and Anna Leuthold. School at home village, in Affoltern and in Zürich, from 1906 studies at Zürich: theology, classical languages, Arabic and Sanskrit (under…
CYBIKOV, Gombožab Cèbekovič (G. Tsöbikov, G. Tsèbègèj, born G. Montuev). Urdo-Aga, district Čita, Transbaikalia 20.4.1873 — Aginskoe, Burjatia 20.9.1930. Russian Buryat Scholar of Buddhism. Son of Cèbek Montujev, a literate and well-to-do Buryat. After gymnasium in Čita (one of the first four Buryat students admitted) studies of medicine at Tomsk,…
CUNNINGHAM, Alexander. Westminster 23.1.1814 — Cranley Mansions, South Kensington (London) 28.11.1893. Sir. British (Scots) Colonial Officer and Archaeologist in India. The great pioneer of Indian archaeology and the first Director-General of the A.S.I. General-major. Born in England of Scots parents, poet Allan Cunningham (1784-1842) and Jean Walker (1791–1864), brother of…
CSOMA DE KŐRÖS, Alexander (Kőrösi Csoma Sándor). Kőrös, Kovászna, Transylvania (now Chiuruş, Covasna in Romania) 27.3.1784 — Darjeeling 11.4.1842. Hungarian Tibetologist, in Ladakh and India 1822-42. Born of poor parents, András Csoma, a peasant and soldier, and Krisztina Getse (Ilona Göcz), belonging to the military nobility known as Székely (Sicules). Birth…
CROSBY, Josiah. Falmouth, Cornwall ?.5.1880 — 4.12.1958. Sir. British Diplomat interested in South-East Asian History. Son of Captain J. P. Crosby and his wife Christina, educated in Newcastle. Studies at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge (B.A. 1902, M.A. 1928). Came to Thailand as young cadet in 1904, spent many years…
COWELL, Edward Byles. Ipswich 23.1.1826 — Cambridge 9.2.1903. British Indologist. Professor in Cambridge. In 1856-64 in India. Son of Charles Cowell (a merchant, d. 1842) and Marianne Byles. Educated in Ipswich, as a schoolboy already attracted to Sir William Jones’ Persian grammar. After the school he followed his late father…
COUVREUR, Walter. Antwerpen 25.7.1914 — Edegem, Prov. Antwerpen 17.9.1996. Belgian Linguist and Scholar of Tocharian. After school in Antwerpen studies at Leuven, also under Sieg at Göttingen. Ph.D. Leuven 1936 in Oriental languages and 1938 in Classics. In 1938-44 researcher of Nationaal Fonds van Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek in Brussels. From 1945…
COPLESTON, Reginald Stephen. Barnes, London 26.12.1845 — Wandsworth, London 19.4.1925. Rev. British Priest in Sri Lanka and India. Son of Rev. Reginald Edward Copleston, of Barnes, Surrey. Educated at Merchant Taylor’s school, studies from 1864 at Exeter College, Oxford (B.A. 1869). In 1870-75 Fellow of St. John College. M.A. 1871,…
COOMARASWAMY, Ananda Kentish (Kumārasvāmi). Colombo 22.8.1877 — Needham, MA 9.9.1947. Sri Lankan/British Art Historian and Indologist in the U.S.A. Son of Sir Mutu Coomaraswamy (1834–1879, a noted Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and statesman) and Elizabeth Clay Beeby (1851–1939, she came from Kent, therefore “Kentish”), lost early his father and grew…
CONZE, Edward (Eberhard Julius Dietrich Conze). Forest Hill (London) 18.3.1904 — Yeovil, Somerset 24.9.1979. British (German-born) Indologist and Buddhist Scholar. Son of Ernst Conze (1872–1935), a lawyer, and Adelaide Louise Charlotte Köttgen (1882–1962). Born in England where his father was German Vice-Consul (he was thus entitled to British citizenship). Studies…