LANGLÈS, Louis-Mathieu. Perenne (Welles-Pérennes) near St.Didier (Montdidier, Oise) 23.8.1763 — Paris 28.5.(28.1.?)1824. French Oriental (especially Persian) Scholar. Son of a farmer, according to his own claim, of local gentry. Joined the army, but was sickly and quitted after the disappointment of being not sent to India and went to Paris.…
STILL, John. Lambeth, London 1880 — Port Arthur, South Africa 9.9.1941. British Tea Planter Author, and Archaeologist in Sri Lanka. Son of Canon John Still and Anna Nitrill (or Nihill, 1853–1894), educated at Winchester College. In 1897 emigrated to Ceylon and became a tea planter near Dickoya. In 1.1.1902–31.12.1907 Assistant…
STIRLING, Andrew. 13.12.1794 — Calcutta 23.5.1830. British Civil Servant in India. Son of Vice-Admiral Charles Stirling of Woburn, Surrey and Charlotte Grote, educated at Haileybury, 1811-12. To India in 1813. After College of Fort William 1814 Assistant to Resident in Delhi, then Commissioner’s Secretary in Cuttack until 1828. “Persian Secretary…
STRZYGOWSKI, Josef. Biala, Austrian Silesia (now Bielsko-Biała in Poland) 7.3.1862 — Vienna 2.1.1941. Austrian Art Historian. Professor in Vienna. Son of a cloth manufacturer, and his wife Edle Trass von Friedenfelt, of minor nobility. In 1880 took apprenticeship in a weaving plant, but later abandoned this career. From 1882 studies…
SYKES, William Henry. near Bradford, Yorkshire 25.1.1790 — Kensington, London 16.6.1872. British Colonial Officer in India, with wide scholarly interests. Colonel. Son of Samuel Sykes, an estate owner. Entered as cadet in 1803, Lieutenant in Bombay Army 1805, participated in the siege of Bharatpur. Learned soon Hindī and Marāṭhī and…
SCHURHAMMER, Georg Otto. Unterglottertal, Südschwarzwald 25.9.1882 — Rome 2.11.1971. S.J. Father. German Historian of Catholic Missions in Asia, especially of Francisco Xavier. Educated in Durlach and Karlsruhe. From 1900 theological studies at Freiburg i. Br., joined the S.J. in 1903 and continued his studies in the Netherlands. In 1908 went…
SCOTT, Jonathan. Shrewsbury 1754 — Shrewsbury 11.2.1829. British Colonial Officer and Oriental (Arabic and Persian) Scholar in India. Son of Jonathan Scott (1721–1778) and Mary Sandford (d. 1766), brother of John Scott Waring (1747–1819), an officer in India, supporter of Warren Hastings and father of —> Edward Scott Waring. Educated…
STEIN, Otto. Saaz, Bohemia (now Žatec in Czech) 21.10.1893 — Łódz Ghetto ?.4.1942. Czechoslovakian (Bohemian Jew) Indologist. Professor in Prague. Son of hops dealer Alois Lazar Stein and Charlotte Gerstl. Studies of Indology, Classics and history at Prague German University under Winternitz, H. Svoboda, et al. Served in WW I…
SPRENGEL, Matthias Christian. Rostock 24.8.1746 — Halle 7.1.1803. German Historian and Geographer. Professor at Halle. Son of a merchant. After school in Rostock studied law at Rostock and Bützow, then English and history at Göttingen (under A. L. von Schlözer). From 1778 ao. Professor für Geschichte at Göttigen, from 1779…
SPEAR, Thomas George Percival. Bath, Somerset 2.11.1901 — Cambridge 16.12.1982. British Historian of India. Educated at Monkton Combe School, studies at St.Catharine’s College, Cambridge. Ph.D. 1931. In 1924-40 taught European and English History at St.Stephen’s College in Delhi, a modern school supporting Gandhi and Tagore. During the war at Information Department of…