Jan Gonda

Jan Gonda (14 April 1905 – 28 July 1991) was a Dutch Indologist and the first Utrecht professor of Sanskrit. He studied with Willem Caland at Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht (since 1990 ) and from 1932 held positions at Utrecht and Leiden. He held the positions of Chair of Sanskrit succeeding Caland from 1929, as well as of Indology from 1932.

Gonda left a bequest to Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, of which he was member since 1957, and in 1992 the Gonda Foundation was set up in his name. The foundation offers publication subsidies and grants to projects relating to Indology, the size of the grants and scope of activities being determined by the return on invested capital. The Gonda Lectures and Gonda Indological Series are also named in his honour.

Gonda died suddenly on 28 July 1991. Along with Kuiper, Gonda has been credited with helping elevate Dutch Indology and its related disciplines internationally.

Publications Gonda produced a substantial number of books and articles during his long career. The most useful starting point is Jan Gonda, Selected Studies, 6 vols. (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1975–1991). These volumes contain most of his key articles.