Julius Klaproth | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Julius Klaproth | |
| Born | (1783-10-11)11 October 1783 Berlin |
| Died | 28 August 1835(1835-08-28) (aged 51) Paris |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Instrumental in turning East Asian Studies into scientific disciplines with critical methods |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Linguistics, history, ethnography, writing, Orientalism and exploration |
Heinrich Julius Klaproth (11 October 1783 – 28 August 1835) was a Germanlinguist, historian,ethnographer, author,orientalist and explorer.[1] As a scholar, he is credited along withJean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat, with being instrumental in turning East Asian Studies into scientific disciplines with critical methods.[2]
H.J. Klaproth was usually known asJulius orJulius von Klaproth. His name also erroneously appears as "Julius Heinrich Klaproth".
Klaproth was born inBerlin on 11 October 1783, the son of the chemistMartin Heinrich Klaproth, who is credited with the discovery of four elements includinguranium.[3]
Young Klaproth devoted his energies in quite early life to the study of Asiatic languages, and published in 1802 hisAsiatisches Magazin (Weimar 1802–1803). He was in consequence called toSaint Petersburg and given an appointment in the academy there. In 1805 he was a member of CountGolovkin's embassy to China. On his return he was despatched by the academy to theCaucasus on an ethnographical and linguistic exploration (1807–1808), and was afterwards employed for several years in connection with the academy's Oriental publications. In 1812 he moved to Berlin.[4][5]
In 1815 he settled in Paris, and in 1816 Humboldt procured him from the king ofPrussia the title and salary of professor of Asiatic languages and literature, with permission to remain in Paris as long as was requisite for the publication of his works.[4][5] He died in Paris on 28 August 1835.
Klaproth was an orientalist, or an "Asiatologist", in that he had a good command not only ofChinese, but alsoManchu,Mongolian,Sanskrit,Turkish,Arabic,Persian, and evenCaucasian languages. His wide range of interests encompassed the study of the development of individual countries in their Asian context, which contrast with the 21st century focus on specialization.[3]
Klaproth's 1812Dissertation on language and script of the Uighurs (Abhandlung über die Sprache und Schrift der Uiguren) was disputed byIsaak Jakob Schmidt, who is considered the founder of Mongolian Studies. Klaproth asserted that theUighur language was aTurkic language, which today is undisputed, while Schmidt was persuaded that Uighur should be classified as a "Tangut" language.[6]
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Klaproth's bibliography extends to more than 300 published items.
His great workAsia Polyglotta (Paris, 1823 and 1831, with Sprachatlas) not only served as a résumé of all that was known on the subject, but formed a new departure for the classification of the Eastern languages, especially those of the Russian Empire.[4]
TheItinerary of a Chinese Traveller (1821), a series of documents in the military archives of St. Petersburg purporting to be the travels of "George Ludwig von —", and a similar series obtained from him in the London foreign office, are all regarded as spurious.[4]
Klaproth's other works include:[4]
Klaproth was also the first to publish a translation ofTaika era Japanese poetry in the West.Donald Keene explained in a preface to the Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkōkai edition of theMan'yōshū:
Other works on Japan include:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Klaproth, Heinrich Julius".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 844.