Mohl, Julius Von

Mohl, Julius Von an eminent German Oriental scholar, was born at Stuttgard in 1800. After having studied at the gymnasium in that city, he entered the Protestant seminary in the University of Tubingen in 1818, received his diploma as doctor of philosophy in 1820, and won the prize in theology in 1822. His taste for Oriental languages, which he had pursued diligently amid all the duties of his college life, induced him to remove to Paris, where he studied under Sylvestre de Sacy and Remusat. In 1826 he was appointed professor of Oriental literature at Tubingen, but he never occupied that chair, preferring to continue his studies, which he pursued in 1826-7 and 1830-1 at London and Oxford. In 1840 he became assistant secretary of the Asiatic Society; in 1844 succeeded Burnouf, sen., as a member of the Academy of Inscriptions; the same year was installed professor of the Persian language and literature at the College of France; and in 1852 succeeded Burnouf, jun., as inspector of Oriental typography at the imperial printing-house. He died in 1874. Mohl constantly sought to improve the standard of Oriental philology. His philosophic views on the subject, together with his warm enthusiasm, have contributed not a little to facilitate and extend recent investigations in that science. His principal works are: Fragments relatis a la religion de Zoroaster (Paris, 1829, 8vo), published anonymously: — Confucii Chi-King, ex Latino P. Lacharme interpret. (Stuttgard, 1830, 8vo): — Y.-King, antiquissimus Sinarum liber, ex Latina interpret. P. Regis (ibid. 1834-9, 2 volumes, 8vo): — Livre des Rois, par Abdoul Kasim Firdousi (Paris, 1836-55, fol.): — Firdousi's Schahnameh (ib. 1838-66, 5 volumes, 8vo); and many contributions of great value to different Oriental societies in France, England, and Germany, of which he had the honor to be a member. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 35, s.v.;

Brockhaus, Conversations Lexikon, s.v.; Vapereau, Diet. des Contemporains, s.v. (J.H.W.)