ERSKINE, William. Edinburgh 8.11.1773 — Edinburgh 20.5.1852. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Lawyer. 1804-23 in India. Son of David Erskine (1739?–1791), a lawyer, and Jean Melvin (1753?–1780?). Educated at Royal High School and Edinburgh University (dr. iuris). He “was a lawyer’s apprentice, 1792-9, went to India in 1803-4 with Sir…
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 Darmesteter, a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène Darmesteter (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
CUMONT, Franz Valéry Marie. Aalst 3.1.1868 — Brussels 20.8.1947. Belgian Scholar of Ancient Religions, History and Archaeology. Son of Florent Cumont (1830–1912), a textile factory owner, and Augustine Faider (1837–1890), educated in Brussels. Studies at Ghent, Ph.D. 1887. Then further studies at Bonn, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. From 1892 taught,…
CORBIN, Henry (born Henri Eugène Corbin). Paris 14.4.1903 — Paris 7.10.1978. French Philosopher, Theologian and Scholar of Iranian Religion and Islam. Son of Henri Arthur Corbin and Eugénie Fournier (d. 1903), grew up with an aunt. Born in a Protestant family, but had catholic education. Studied philosophy in Paris (degree…
CLOSS, Alois. Neumarkt in Steiermark 27.10.1893 — Graz 10.1.1984. Austrian Iranian Scholar. Librarian in Graz. Son of Alois Closs, a court official, and Rosa Halm, elder brother of the Germanist August Closs (1898–1990). Educated in Graz, 1911-15 studies of theology at Graz (Dr.theol.), ordained priest 1916. In 1916-21 minister and…
CHRISTENSEN, Arthur Emanuel. Copenhagen 9.1.1875 — Copenhagen 31.3.1945. Danish Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of post official Vilhelm Christensen (1847–1921) and Dorothea Kjerstine Marcussen. Matriculated in Copenhagen 1893. Studied languages, mainly French and Latin, at Copenhagen, mag. 1900. He had early become interested in the East and studied also…
CASARTELLI, Louis Charles. Manchester 14.11.1852 — Salford near Manchester 18.1.1925. Right Rev. British (of Italian origin) Iranian Scholar and Catholic Bishop. Son of an Italian exile from Como, North Italy, Joseph Louis Casartelli, working as optician in Manchester, and Jane Henrietta Ronchetti, educated at Salford Catholic Grammar School. Studies at…
CARNOY, Albert Joseph. Louvain (Leuven) 7.11.1878 — Louvain 12.1.1961. Belgian Linguist. Professor in Louvain. Son of Joseph Antoine Carnoy, Professor of Philosophy at Louvain. Studied at Louvain Romance and classical philology, wrote dr. dissertations in both (in 1901 and 1902). From 1902 Docent, from 1904 eo. Professor and from 1908…
BRIGGS, Henry George. Bombay 20.10.1824 — Bombay 4.7.1872. British Merchant, Traveller, and Orientalist. Son of Henry Briggs. In 1843 travelled in South Africa, in 1845 in China. In 1846 settled at the office of Briggs & Co. in Bombay. For a while lived in Karachi (1854/55), then from 1856 Assistant…
BLOCHET, Gabriel Joseph Edgar. Bourges (Cher) 12.12.1870 — Paris 5.9.1937. French Oriental (Arabic and Iranian) Scholar and Historian of Religions. Son of a cavalry officer. After studies in Paris (i.al. ancient Iranian under Darmesteter at É.P.H.É. and Arabic (diploma), Persian, Turkish and Urdu at É.L.O.V.), from 1895 Assistant, then Librarian…