Aloys Sprenger
Encyclopedia
Aloys Sprenger was an Austria
n orientalist.
Sprenger studied medicine
, natural sciences as well as oriental languages at the University of Vienna
. In 1836 he moved to London
, where he worked with the Graf von Münster on the latter's „Geschichte der Kriegswissenschaften bei den mohammedanischen Völkern“, ‘History of Military Science among the Muslim Peoples’, and thence in 1843 to Calcutta, where he became principal of Delhi College
. In this capacity he had many textbooks translated into Hindustani
from European languages.
In 1848 he was sent to Lucknow
, to prepare a catalogue of the royal library there, the first volume of which appeared in Calcutta in 1854. This book, with its lists of Persian poets, its careful description of all the chief works of Persian poetry and its valuable biographical material, became a worthy guide for the exploration of Persian literature
.
In 1850 Sprenger was named examiner, official government interpreter, and secretary of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. He published many works while holding this latter position, among them “Dictionary of the Technical terms used in the sciences of the Musulmans” (1854) and “Ibn Hajar's
biographical dictionary of persons who knew Mohammed” (1856).
Sprenger took a position as professor of oriental languages at the University of Bern in 1857, moving in 1881 to Heidelberg
. His voluminous collection of Arabic, Persian, Hindustani and other manuscripts and printed material was eventually acquired by the Royal Library in Berlin.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n orientalist.
Sprenger studied medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, natural sciences as well as oriental languages at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. In 1836 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he worked with the Graf von Münster on the latter's „Geschichte der Kriegswissenschaften bei den mohammedanischen Völkern“, ‘History of Military Science among the Muslim Peoples’, and thence in 1843 to Calcutta, where he became principal of Delhi College
The Delhi College
Zakir Husain College , formerly known as the Delhi College founded in 1792, is the existing oldest educational institution in Delhi, and part of the University of Delhi , offering undergraduate and post graduate courses, in Arts, Commerce, Sciences...
. In this capacity he had many textbooks translated into Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
from European languages.
In 1848 he was sent to Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, to prepare a catalogue of the royal library there, the first volume of which appeared in Calcutta in 1854. This book, with its lists of Persian poets, its careful description of all the chief works of Persian poetry and its valuable biographical material, became a worthy guide for the exploration of Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
.
In 1850 Sprenger was named examiner, official government interpreter, and secretary of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. He published many works while holding this latter position, among them “Dictionary of the Technical terms used in the sciences of the Musulmans” (1854) and “Ibn Hajar's
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
Al-Haafidh Shihabuddin Abu'l-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad, better known as Ibn Hajar due to the fame of his forefathers, al-Asqalani due to his family origin , was a medieval Shafiite Sunni scholar of Islam who represents the entire realm of the Sunni world in the field of Hadith...
biographical dictionary of persons who knew Mohammed” (1856).
Sprenger took a position as professor of oriental languages at the University of Bern in 1857, moving in 1881 to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. His voluminous collection of Arabic, Persian, Hindustani and other manuscripts and printed material was eventually acquired by the Royal Library in Berlin.
Literature
- Norbert Mantl (Editor): Aloys Sprenger, der Orientalist und Islamhistoriker aus Nassereith in Tirol. Selbstverlag der Gemeinde (self-published by the municipality), Nassereith 1993
- Meyers Konversationslexikon, public-domain encyclopaedia entry on Aloys Sprenger, on which this article (and its German-language counterpart) is based.