ARCHER, William George (“Bill”). 11.2.1907 — Islington, London 6.3.1979. British Ethnologist and Art Historian of India. In India 1931-48, then in Victoria and Albert Museum. Son of William Archer, educated at Strand School. Studied history at Cambridge (Emmanuel College) and aspired for a good position in Whitehall, but poor success…
ARCHER, John Clark. Wilma, Maryland 23.12.1881 — Hamden, Conn. 7.7.1957. U.S. Missionary and Scholar of Comparative Religion. Son of John Archer and Virginia Augusta Clark. Father died early and in 1891 his mother married —> G. W. Brown (he is thus half-brother of W. N. Brown). Educated at Hiram College,…
ARBMAN, Ernst Gottfrid. Sundsvall 12.4.1891 — Stockholm 16.11.1959. Swedish Scholar of Indology and Comparative Religion. Son of Olof Emanuel Arbman (1817–1921), vicar in Borgsjö, and Maria Hasselberg, educated in Östersund. Studies at Uppsala: Cand.Theol. 1914, Cand. Philos. 1917, Lic. Philos. 1920. Ph.D. 1922 and Docent at Uppsala University (if indisk…
ANTOINE, Robert. Dolhain, Limbourg 11.8.1914 — Calcutta 17.10.1981. Father. S.J. Belgian Missionary, Indologist and Scholar of Comparative Literature in India. Indian citizen (1950). At the age of 18, in 1932, he joined the S.J. After studies of classical languages and philosophy he came to India at the age of 25…
ANQUETIL-DUPERRON, Abraham Hyacinthe. Paris 7.12.1731 — Paris 18.1.1805. French Orientalist, Pioneer of Iranian and Indian Studies. Travelled in India 1755-61, then member of the A.I.B.L. in Paris. He was the son of a spice merchant from Paris, Pierre Anquetil, and Angélique Coignard, and brother of historian Louis-Pierre Anquetil (1723-1806). He…
ALSDORF, Ludwig Wilhelm. Laufersweiler near Kirchberg in Hunsrück 8.8.1904 — Buchholz-Sprötze, Kr. Harburg 25.3.1978. German Indologist. Professor in Hamburg. Son of a minister, Hermann Alsdorf and Emilie Chelius. In 1911 the family moved to Scheidt in Saarland. He went to school in Saarbrücken (Ludwigs-Gymnasium). Began his studies in 1922 at…
AALTO, Pentti. Pori 22.7.1917 — Helsinki 30.11.1998. Finnish Classical Scholar, Linguist, Altaist and Indologist. Son of shop assistant Martti Johannes Aalto and Martta Elisabeth Lindroos. Matriculation from Porin lyseo in 1935, then studies of comparative, oriental and classical philology at Helsinki University: M.A. 1939, Lic. Phil. 1949, Ph.D. 1949. During…