GUYARD, Stanislas. Frottey-lès-Vesoul (Haute-Saône) 27.9.1846 — Paris 7.9.1884. French Oriental, especially Semitic scholar, but with wide interests, including Indology. Son of Auguste Guyard (1808–1882), a radical idealist who wanted to introduce a universal religion and homeopathy. Spent three years in Russia, came to Paris in 1861 in the age of…
GUÉNON, René Jean Marie Joseph. Blois 15.11.1886 — Cairo 7.1.1951. French Philosopher and Author interested in Indian philosophy, rather uncritical admirer of the East. Son of Jean-Baptiste G., an architect, and Anna-Léontine Jolly. Grew up in a Catholic home, school in Blois. He studied mathematics at École polytechnique in Paris,…
GOLDZIHER, Ignász (Ignác, Ignaz G. Yitzhak Yehuda G.). Székesfehérvár 22.6.1850 — Budapest 13.11.1921. Hungarian Oriental (Hebrew and Arabic) Scholar. Professor in Budapest. Born in a Sephardic Jewish family, son of Adolf G. Obtained both gymnasial and Talmudic education. From 1865 studies at Pest (Vámbéry), Berlin (Rödiger) and Leipzig (Fleischer). Ph.D.…
GILCHRIST, John Borthwick (born John Hay G.). Edinburgh 19.6.1759 — Paris 9.1.1841. British (Scottish) Indologist, a Pioneer of Hindi-Urdu Studies. Son of merchant Walter G. and Henrietta Farquharson, lost his father at the age of one. After school in Edinburgh studies of medicine at George Heriot’s Hospital, Edinburgh. Joined the…
GARCIN DE TASSY, Joseph-Héliodore-Sagesse-Vertu. Marseille 20.1.1794 — Paris 2.9.1878. French Indologist (Hindi-Urdu) and Oriental Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Joseph Jacques Garcin, a stockbroker, and Claire Virginie Tassy. Educated in Marseille, where he also learned spoken Arabic. From 1817 studies of law in Paris, at the same time Persian…
EILERS, Wilhelm Max J. Leipzig 27.9.1906 — Würzburg 3.7.1989. German Oriental (Semitic) and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Würzburg. Son of a Gymnasium Professor, matriculated from Zwickau. Studies of musicology, law and Assyriology at Freiburg, Munich and Leipzig (Dr.iuris 1931 Leipzig, with a diss. on ancient Babylonian laws), then Oriental languages…
EHRENFELS, Umar Rolf, Baron von (born as Rolf Werner Leopold von E.). Prague 28.4.1901 — Neckargemünd 7.2.1980. Austrian (Czech) Anthropologist in India and Germany, converted Muslim (originally Catholic). Son of Christian von E. (1859–1932), Professor of Philosophy, and Emma André. In the twenties lived in Berlin trying to make a…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Calmann D., a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène D. (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
CORBIN, Henry. Paris 14.4.1903 — Paris 7.10.1978. French Philosopher, Theologian and Scholar of Iranian Religion and Islam. Son of Henri Arthur C. and Eugénie Fournier. Born in a Protestant family, but had catholic education. Studied philosophy in Paris (degree 1925), in 1928 led by Massignon to Suhrawardi. Now also studied…
CONTI, Niccolò (De’ C., Niccolò di Giovanni Conti di Chioggia). Chioggia near Venice c. 1395 — Chioggia (?) Summer 1469. Italian (Venetian) Traveller in India. He spent twentyfive years travelling and trading in the East, accepted Islam and was thus capable of visiting many countries. In 1414 (or 1419) he…