CHAVANNES, Emanuel-Édouard. Lyon 5.10.1865 — Paris 29.1.1918. French Sinologist and Buddhist Scholar. Born in a Protestant family, son of Emile Ch. (1836–1909, an engineer) and Blanche Dapples (who died after his birth). Educated in Lausanne, Lyon and Paris (Lycée Louis-le-Grand). In 1885-88 studies at École normale supérieure. Now began Chinese…
BRÉAL, Michel-Jules-Alfred. Landau (Pfalz) 26.3.1832 — Paris 25.11.1915. French IE scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Auguste Bréal (d. 1839), a lawyer, and Caroline Worms. Educated in Wissembourg, Metz and Paris (Lycée Louis-le-Grand), then 1852-55 at École normale. Teacher in Strasbourg (1855) and Paris (Louis-le-Grand, 1856). Studied in 1857-60 Sanskrit…
BLOCHET, Gabriel Joseph Edgar. Bourges 12.12.1870 — Paris 5.9.1937. French Oriental (Arabic and Iranian) Scholar and Historian of Religions. After studies in Paris (i.al. ancient Iranian under Darmesteter at É.P.H.É. and Arabic at É.L.O.V.), from 1895 Assistant, then Librarian in Manuscript Department of Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, retired as conservateur-adjoint…
BLOCH, Jules. Paris 1.5.1880 — Sèvres (Seine-et-Oise) 29.11.1953. French Indologist and Linguist. Professor in Paris. Son of a Jewish merchant, Salomon Bloch and Caroline Bernheimer. After Lycée Charlemagne, studied in Paris (Fac. des lettres, etc.) under Lévi and Meillet (also Gauthiot, Foucher and M. Mauss). Licencié ès lettres 1900, 1903…
BENVENISTE, Émile (born Ezra B.). Aleppo, Syria 25.2. or 27.4.1902 — Paris 3.10.1976. French Iranian scholar and Linguist. Professor in Paris, naturalized as Frenchman in 1924. Son of Mathieu (Mathatias) B., of a well known Sephardim family of Turkey (originally of Spain), and Marie Malkenson, both teachers. Educated privately, in…
BARTHÉLEMY, Adrien Léon Nicolas. Paris 24.8.1859 — Emancé (Rambouillet) 18.12.1949. French Iranian and Arabic Scholar. Son of a confectioner, lost early his father. Studied at É.L.O.V. Arabic, Turkish, and Persian, at É.P.H.É. Sanskrit and Avestan (under Darmesteter), graduated 1884 with a thesis on the Pehlevi Gujastak Abalish. From 1884 served…
BAREAU, André. Saint Maudé (Seine) 31.12.1921 — Paris 2.3.1993. French Buddhologist. Professor in Paris. Son of an accountant. After undergraduate studies at E.N.S. worked as schoolteacher and now also began studies under Filliozat and Demiéville. Licence de philosophie 1946, diplom of É.P.H.É. Dr. ès lettres 1951. Worked at C.N.R.S.: 1942…
BACOT, Jacques. St.-Germain-en-Laye (Indre) 4.7.1877 — Paris 25.6.1965. French Traveller and Tibetologist. Born in a family of cloth merchants, son of Raymond B. and Marie Louise Bapterosses. With father and grandfather, who were experienced travellers, he himself made a journey round the world in 1904. In 1907 he conducted his…