Theodor Gaster was a British-born American Biblical scholar working in the field of comparative religions. He was the son of Moses Gaster, the folklorist, and he was educated and received his first degree in London, before moving to America to pursue his doctorate, and where he pursued the majority of his academic career.
Sir Richard Winstedt was an orientalist and colonial administrator in Malaya. On his return to England he was actively involved in the Royal Asiatic Society serving as both President and Director.
Sir William Foster was a British historiographer and civil servant who was Registrar and Superintendent of Records in the India Office.
Henry Helsham-Jones grew up in Suffolk and joined the Royal Engineers in 1855. After two years in Gibraltar, Helsham-Jones was posted to India in 1867, where he remained, despite the death of his first wife, until 1878. After four years in England, he was posted to Egypt. He returned to England later that year and was based at Aldershot before a final posting to Malta in 1888. He retired in 1889 and settled in Surrey.
Karl Hugo Hahn was a Baltic German missionary and linguist who worked in South Africa and South-West Africa for most of his life. Together with Franz Heinrich Kleinschmidt, he set up the first Rhenish mission station to the Herero people in Gross Barmen. Hahn is known for his scientific work on the Herero language.
John Wilson was a Scottish missionary, orientalist and educator. In 1829, he moved with his wife to Bombay and spent most of his life there. He founded Wilson College, Mumbai, and Bombay University. He was also the president of the Asiatic Society of Bombay from 1835 to 1842; and was elected Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in 1870.
Nana Fadnavis (Furnewees) was an influential minister and statesman of the Maratha Empire during the Peshwa administration in Pune, India. He was born in Satara in 1742. Nana was the grandson of Balaji Mahadji Bhanu, an administrator at the Peshwa court, and inherited his grandfather's name. He was educated at the court and also worked there under Madhu Rao Narayan. Nana's administrative, diplomatic, and financial skills brought prosperity to the Maratha Empire and his management of external affairs kept the Maratha Empire away from the thrust of the British East India Company. He displayed his best warfare skills in various battles won by Maratha forces against the Nizam of Hyderabad, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and the English Army. After the assassination of Peshwa Narayanrao in 1773, Nana Fadnavis managed the affairs of the state with the help of a twelve-member regency council known as the Barabhai council. The council was Nana's mastermind plan to protect Madhavrao II, son of Narayanrao, born posthumously to Gangabai, the widow of Narayanrao, from the Peshwa family's internal conflicts. The Barabhai Council was an alliance of influential Sardars (generals) led by Nana. Other members of the council were Haripant Phadke, Moroba Phadnis, Sakaram Bapu Bokil, Trimbakraomama Pethe, Mahadji Shinde, Tukojirao Holkar, Phaltankar, Bhagwanrao Pratinidhi, Maloji Ghorpade, Sardar Raste, and Babuji Naik. While visiting Daulatrao Scindia's camp one day in 1798, Nana was suddenly imprisoned, leading to unprecedented looting and anarchy in Pune. He was released a few months later. After a short illness, Nana died at Pune on the 13th of March, 1800.