DESIDERI, Ippolito. Pistoia 21.12.1684 — Rome 14.8.1733. S.J. Italian Missionary and a Pioneer of Tibetology, in Tibet in 1715-21, in India 1714-15, 1721-27, last years in Rome. Son of Iacopo D. and Maria Maddalena Cappellini, a patrician family. Joined Jesuits in 1700 and studied in Rome, from 1706 taught literature…
DESGODINS, Auguste. Manheulles (Meuse) 16.10.1826 — Padang (Pedong) near Darjeeling 14.3.1913. Father. French Missionary and Tibetan Scholar. Son of Charles Michel François D. and Marie Joséphine de Roton. Studied theology in Verdun and Saint-Sulpice, ordained priest in 1850. After a few years as priest in Verdun he joined Missions étrangères…
DE FOREST (DeForest), Lockwood. New York City 23.6.1850 — Santa Barbara, Cal. 3.4.1932. U.S. Artist and Designer interested in Indian and Tibetan Art. Grew up in a wealthy family in New York, son of Henry Grant de Forest and Julia Mary Weeks. After studies in Rome he travelled in 1875-78…
DEASY, Henry Hugh Peter. Dublin 29.6.1866 — Carrigahorig, Co. Tipperary 24.1.1947. British (Irish) Officer and Traveller in Central Asia. Captain. “Son of Right Hon. Richard Deasy, Lord Justice of Appeal (Ireland),” and Monica O’Connor. He was “educated at Bournemouth and Dublin. Joined the 16th Lancers, 1888, and resigned his commission,…
DAVID-NÉEL, Alexandra (née Louise Eugènie Alexandrine Marie David). St.Mandé (Seine) 24.10.1868 — Digne (Basses-Alpes) 8.9.1969. French Bauddha and Traveller. The only child of Louis Pierre David, a huguenot freemason and ardent republican, also journalist and teacher , and Alexandra Borleman, a Catholic Belgian. From 1873 grew up in Belgium. At…
DANDARON, Bidija Dandarovič. Kižinga, Buryatia 15.12.1914 — Vydrino, Buryatia 26.10.1974. Russian Buryat Lama, Tibetologist and Buddhist Scholar. Son of Dorji Badmaev, a Tantric practitioner. In 1921 he was declared the heir of Lobsang Samdan and in 1924 succeeded him as formal head of the Vajrayānic Balagat movement. In 1934 he…
CYBIKOV, Gombožab Cebekovič. Urdo-Aga, district Čita, Transbaikalia 20.4.1873 — Aginskoe, Burjatia 20.9.1930. Russian Buryat Scholar of Buddhism. Son of Cebek Montujev, a literate and well-to-do Buryat. After gymnasium in Čita (one of the first four Buryat students admitted) studies of medicine at Tomsk, but after a visit to Urga switched…
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…
CORDIER, Palmyr Uldéric Alexis. Amancey (Doubs) 18.2.1871 — Besançon 5.9.1914. French Physician and Indologist, an early specialist of the Āyurveda. Born in a modest family, educated in Besançon. Studied medicine in Toulon and Bordeaux, at Marine medical school. Became friend with —> Liétard and began the study of Sanskrit. Dr.med.…
CONRADY, August. Wiesbaden 28.4.1864 — Leipzig 3/4.6.1925. German Indologist and Sinologist. Professor in Leipzig. Son of the priest and church historian Ludwig C. (1833–1907) and Babette, the daughter of —> P. von Bohlen, nephew of archaeologist Wilhelm C. Educated at Wiesbaden Gymnasium, then studies of Sanskrit, comparative IE and classical…