Dictionary of Indian Biography/Burnouf, Eugene
BURNOUF, EUGENE (1801–1852)
Born at Paris, Aug. 12, 1801: son of Jean Louis Burnouf, grammarian: a pupil of Chezy: studied at the College of Louis-le-Grand: scholar: gave up his profession, the law, and took to Oriental languages: gave instruction in Sanskrit, 1824: published in 1826, with Lassen of Bonn, the Essai sur le Pali: appointed Professor of General and Comparative Grammar in the Normal School at Paris, 1829–33: and of Indian Languages and Literature at the College de France, 1832: a founder of the Societe Asiatique in Paris: published, 1833, a commentary on the Yacna, dealing with the language, literature, and history of the Parsis: brought out his Etudes sur la langue et les textes Zendes, 1840–50: the earliest to study Zend MSS. at first hand, giving a great impulse to the study of that language, and assistance in the decipherment of the old Persian cuneiform inscriptions: wrote 3 vols, of his work on the text and translation of the Bhagavat Purana, 1840–4: and began an introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism, 1844: translated a Sanskrit work on Le Lotus de la Bonne Loi, 1852, and the Vendidad Sade, 1829: and wrote on the Buddhist inscriptions on pillars and rocks: left other Zend works and a Pali grammar and dictionary nearly complete: Permanent 'Secretary of the Academy of Inscriptions : Member of the Institute of France since 1832 : a great European Orientalist : died May 28, 1852.