ROBERTSON, William. Borthwick, Midlothian 19.9.1721 — Edinburgh 11.6.1793. British (Scottish) Historian. The eldest son of Rev. William Robertson (1686–1745) and Eleanor Pitcairn (d. 1745), educated at Borthwick Parish School and Dalkeith Grammar School. He studied theology at Edinburgh, 1733-41. In 1743-59 minister at Gladsmuir in East Lothian, then in Edinburgh.…
RIVETT-CARNAC, John Henry (Harry). Marylebone, London 16.9.1838 — Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland 11.5.1923. British Colonial Officer and Scholar of Indian Prehistory. Colonel. Born in a family with long tradition of Indian service, son of Admiral John Edward Rivett-Carnac (1796–1869) and Maria Jane Davis. In 1858-94 worked in Bengal Civil Service (i.a.…
RIVARA, Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha. Arraiolos, Évora dt. 23.6.1809 — Évora 20.2.1879. Portuguese Physician, Colonial Civil Servant and Oriental Scholar, Specialist of Konkani and Marathi. Son of Italian father, Dr. António Francisco Rivara and and Maria Isabel da Cunha Feio Castelo Branco, of Spanish origin. Educated in Évora, then from…
RITTER, Pavlo Grigorovič (Hryhorovyč, Russian Pavel Grigor’evič Ritter). Čutovo, Poltava obl. 5.4.1872 — 17.4.1939. Ukrainian Indologist, Literary Historian, Critic, etc. Professor in Harkiv (Kharkiv). Son of the manager of a landed estate. Studies at Harkiv under Ovsjaniko-Kulikovskij, mainly Slavic, but also Sanskrit. Graduated 1894. Further studies of Sanskrit in 1895-96…
RICHARDSON, Hugh Edward. St.Andrews 22.12.1905 — St.Andrews 3.12.2000. British (Scottish) Civil Servant, Diplomat and Tibetologist. Son of an army medical officer, Colonel Hugh Richardson, and grandson of an I.C.S. officer (Henry Cockburn R.), his mother was Elizabeth McClean. After Salvator’ School in St.Andrews and Trinity College in Glenalmond studied classics…
RICE, Stanley Pitcairn. 10.12.1869 — 18.11.1944. British Civil Servant in India, interested in Sanskrit. Served from 1890 in Madras, retired1918 and became member of State Council of Baroda. Married 1900 Veronica Florence Crossman (1864–1941), one daughter. Publications: Occasional essays on native South Indian life. 6+223 p. L. 1901. – Translated:…
RIBEIRO, João. Baptized Lisbon 17.5.1622 — ?.11.1693. Portuguese Officer in South Asia. Son of a cap-maker. Left for India as private soldier in 1640 and was sent from Goa to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Participated in the war between Portugal and the Netherlands, wounded several times. In 1658 caught by the…
RHYS DAVIDS, Thomas William. Colchester, Essex 12.5.1843 — Chipstead, Surrey 27.12.1922. British Indologist, Pāli and Buddhist Scholar. Professor in Manchester, Founder and President of the Pāli Text Society. Married with —> C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1858–1942). Son of Rev. Thomas William Davids (1816–1881), a minister and ecclesiastic historian of…
RENNEL, James. Chudleigh, Devonshire 3.12.1742 — London 29.3.1830. British Colonial Officer and Geographer in India. Son of Captain John Rennel (of artillery), who died in action in 1747, and Anne Clarke. After mother’s new marriage brought up by Rev. Gilbert Burrington. Educated at Chudleigh (and as a schoolboy draw a…
REINAUD, Joseph-Toussaint. Lambesc (Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence) 4.12.1795 — Paris 14.5.1867. Abbé. French Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar and Historian. Professor in Paris. After seminary in Aix-en-Provence studied theology from 1814 in Paris, where he soon became student of Silvestre de Sacy. As secretary of diplomat de Portalis he continued his studies…