About
Abraham Hyacinthe Anquetil-Duperron (1731-1805) was a French orientalist, a pioneer in the study of Oriental languages and religions. After studying theology, he devoted himself to Oriental languages and left for India in 1755. There he learned Avestan and Pahlavi from Parsi priests and made the first European translation of the Avesta, published in 1771. He also translated the Upanishads into Latin (Oupnek'hat, 1801-1802), a work that influenced Schopenhauer. His studies on Oriental legislations and India contributed to a better understanding of these civilizations in Europe.
* 1731-12-07 — † 1805-01-17
Major works
- Zend-Avesta, ouvrage de Zoroastre (1771)translation
- Législation orientale (1778)comparative study
- Recherches historiques et géographiques sur l'Inde (1786)historical and geographical study
- L'Inde en rapport avec l'Europe (1798)study
- Oupnek'hat (1801)translation
Key milestones
- 1755Sailed for India to find the sacred books of Zoroaster.
- 1771Published the first European translation of the Avesta.
- 1801Published Oupnek'hat, a Latin translation of 50 Upanishads.
Themes
orientalismZoroastrianismHinduismtranslationOriental civilizations
Sources: britannica.com · referenceworks.brillonline.com