Hermann Jacobi
Encyclopedia
Hermann Georg Jacobi was an eminent German Indologist.
(Cologne) on 11 February 1850. He was educated in the gymnasium
of Cologne and then went to the University of Berlin, where initially he studied mathematics, but later, probably under the influence of Albrecht Weber
, switched to Sanskrit
and comparative linguistics, which he studied under Weber and Johann Gildemeister
. He obtained his doctorate
from the University of Bonn
. The subject of his thesis, written in 1872, was the origin of the term "hora"
in Indian astrology.
Jacobi was able to visit London for a year, 1872-1873, where he examined the Indian manuscripts available there. The next year, with Georg Buehler, he visited Rajasthan
, India
, where manuscripts were being collected. At Jaisalmer Library, he came across Jain Manuscripts, which were of abiding interest to him for the rest of his life. He later edited and translated many of them, both into German and English, including those for Max Mueller's Sacred Books of the East
.
extraordinarius of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology at Münster
, Westphalia; in 1885 was made professor ordinarius of Sanskrit at Kiel
; and in 1889 was appointed professor of Sanskrit at Bonn. He served as professor in Bonn until his retirement in 1922. After his retirement, Jacobi remained active, lecturing and writing till his death in 1937.
, he tried to establish the date of their composition. Like Alexander Cunningham
before him he tried to systematise how, from the evidence available in inscriptions, a true local time could be arrived at.
Jacobi's studies in astronomy have regained importance today in the context of the Out of India theory
, because his calculations led him to believe that the hymns of the Rigveda
were to be dated as early as 4500 B.C. Thus he is the only renowned Western Indologist whose research supports the claim of the proponents of the theory that the Vedas are to be dated back much earlier than the first half of the second millennium B.C. According to mainstream Indology, the Indo-Aryan Migration
took place during this period of time and the Vedas were only composed after the migration. When Jacobi published his views in an article on the origin of Vedic culture in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1908), he therefore triggered off a major controversy in Indology.
In his later life, Jacobi interested himself in Poetry, Epics and Philosophy, particularly the school of Nyaya-Vaisheshika.
It is said that Jacobi was greatly influenced by Jain Philosophy and wished to be a Jain in his next life.
where he had gone in the winter of 1913-14 to lecture on poetics, while the Jain community conferred the title JAINA DARSANA DIVAKAR — Sun of the Jain doctrine — upon him.
Education
Jacobi was born in KölnKOLN
KOLN, digital channel 10, is the CBS affiliate in Lincoln, Nebraska. It operates a satellite station, KGIN, on digital channel 11 in Grand Island. KGIN repeats all KOLN programming, but airs separate commercials...
(Cologne) on 11 February 1850. He was educated in the gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
of Cologne and then went to the University of Berlin, where initially he studied mathematics, but later, probably under the influence of Albrecht Weber
Albrecht Weber
Albrecht Friedrich Weber was a German Indologist and historian.He was born in Breslau, where his father was a Professor of Political Economy. He studied in that town, Bonn, and in Berlin, 1842-1845, busying himself especially with literature and Sanskrit archaeology. He received a doctor's degree...
, switched to Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and comparative linguistics, which he studied under Weber and Johann Gildemeister
Johann Gildemeister
Johann Gildemeister was a German Orientalist who was a native of Kröpelin.-Biography:He studied Oriental languages and theology at the Universities of Göttingen and Bonn, graduating from the latter in 1838...
. He obtained his doctorate
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. The subject of his thesis, written in 1872, was the origin of the term "hora"
Hora (astrology)
Horā is a branch of the traditional Indian system of astrology known as . It deals with the finer points of predictive methods, as distinct from Siddhānta and ....
in Indian astrology.
Jacobi was able to visit London for a year, 1872-1873, where he examined the Indian manuscripts available there. The next year, with Georg Buehler, he visited Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where manuscripts were being collected. At Jaisalmer Library, he came across Jain Manuscripts, which were of abiding interest to him for the rest of his life. He later edited and translated many of them, both into German and English, including those for Max Mueller's Sacred Books of the East
Sacred Books of the East
The Sacred Books of the East is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious writings, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910...
.
Academic appointments
In 1875 he became a docent in Sanskrit at Bonn; from 1876-85 was professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
extraordinarius of Sanskrit and Comparative Philology at Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
, Westphalia; in 1885 was made professor ordinarius of Sanskrit at Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
; and in 1889 was appointed professor of Sanskrit at Bonn. He served as professor in Bonn until his retirement in 1922. After his retirement, Jacobi remained active, lecturing and writing till his death in 1937.
Work
Apart from Jaina studies, Jacobi was interested in Indian mathematics, astrology and the natural sciences, and using astronomical information available in the VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, he tried to establish the date of their composition. Like Alexander Cunningham
Alexander Cunningham
Sir Alexander Cunningham KCIE CSI was a British archaeologist and army engineer, known as the father of the Archaeological Survey of India...
before him he tried to systematise how, from the evidence available in inscriptions, a true local time could be arrived at.
Jacobi's studies in astronomy have regained importance today in the context of the Out of India theory
Out of India theory
The Out of India theory is the proposition that the Indo-European language family originated in the Indian subcontinent and spread to the remainder of the Indo-European region through a series of migrations...
, because his calculations led him to believe that the hymns of the Rigveda
Rigveda
The Rigveda is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns...
were to be dated as early as 4500 B.C. Thus he is the only renowned Western Indologist whose research supports the claim of the proponents of the theory that the Vedas are to be dated back much earlier than the first half of the second millennium B.C. According to mainstream Indology, the Indo-Aryan Migration
Indo-Aryan migration
Models of the Indo-Aryan migration discuss scenarios of prehistoric migrations of the proto-Indo-Aryans to their historically attested areas of settlement in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent...
took place during this period of time and the Vedas were only composed after the migration. When Jacobi published his views in an article on the origin of Vedic culture in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1908), he therefore triggered off a major controversy in Indology.
In his later life, Jacobi interested himself in Poetry, Epics and Philosophy, particularly the school of Nyaya-Vaisheshika.
It is said that Jacobi was greatly influenced by Jain Philosophy and wished to be a Jain in his next life.
Honors
Among the honours he received were a doctorate from the University of CalcuttaUniversity of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
where he had gone in the winter of 1913-14 to lecture on poetics, while the Jain community conferred the title JAINA DARSANA DIVAKAR — Sun of the Jain doctrine — upon him.