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…
COXE, William Henry. 1840 — 18.12.1869, when 29. British Classical Scholar. The eldest son of Henry Octavius Coxe (1811–1881), the Librarian of Bodleiana, and Charlotte Esther Turner (1804–1895). From 1858 studies of Classics and Sanskrit at Balliol College, Oxford. Characterised as a Sanskrit scholar, but from 1861 worked in British…
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…
CORDIER, Palmyr Uldéric Alexis. Amancey near Besançon (Doubs) 18.2.1871 — Besançon 5.9.1914. French Physician and Indologist, an early specialist of the Āyurveda. Born in a modest family, son of insurance manager Palmyr Uldéric Cordier and Marthe Hermine Maréchal, educated in Besançon. Studied medicine in Toulon and Bordeaux, at Marine medical…
CONIO, Caterina. Santo Stefano al Mare (Liguria) 1929 — Milano 1996. Italian Indologist. Daughter of a bank director, grew up in Florence. Graduated 1964 from Catholic University of Milano. Further studies at Banaras Hindu University (T. R. V. Murthy) and Münster (Hacker). From 1974 until death taught Indian religion and…
CONGER, George Perrigo. Genoa, N.Y. 18.5.1884 — Minneapolis 14.8.1960. U.S. Scholar of Indian Philosophy. Professor in Minneapolis. Son of Willis Nathaniel Conger and Mary Estelle Perrigo. Educated at Cornell University (A.B. 1907) and Union Theological Seminar (B.D. 1910). Further studies at Berlin, Jena, Heidelberg and Sorbonne. Ordained as Presbyterian priest…
COMBAZ, Gisbert-Corneille-Henri-Paul. Antwerp 23.9.1869 — Saint-Gilles (Brussels) 18.1.1941. Belgian Painter, Art Historian and Archaeologist. Professor in Brussels. Son of engineer major Paul Combaz and Marie-Amélie Vanden Eynde. Studies of law at Université libre in Brussels (dr. of law 1891) and worked briefly as lawyer. In 1893 turned to art study.…
COLINET, Philémon. Alost (Aalst) 2.3.1853 — Sleydingen 3.12.1917. Belgian Indologist, Linguist and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Louvain (Leuven). Son of Felix Joannes Colinet, a smith, and Maria Theresia Jolie. In 1877-82 student at Seminary of Ghent, in 1882 ordained as priest. In 1881-84 studied Oriental languages at Louvain under…
COLEBROOKE, Henry Thomas. London 15.6.1765 — London 10.12.(or 10.3. or 18.3. or 10.4.)1837. British Pioneer of Indology, Lawyer and Mathematician. 1782-1814 in India. Third son of Sir George Colebrooke (1729–1809), 2nd Bart., a banker and later the chairman of the E.I.C.’s directors (in 1769), and Mary Gaynor. Privately educated at…
CODRINGTON, Kenneth de Burgh. Murree, Punjab 5.6.1899 — Appledore, Devon 1.1.1986. British Archaeologist and Art Historian of India. Son of Lieutenant (then Major-General) Harry de Burgh Codrington of Indian army and Helen Maud Vaughan, grew up in the North-West Frontier. Educated at Sherborne School and Cadet College, Wellington, South India. Studies…