Page:Dictionary of Indian Biography.djvu/62

 BLAVATSKY, HELENA PETROVNA (1831–1891)

Born at Ekaterinoslav: daughter of Colonel Peter Hahn, of a noble family of Mechlenburg, settled in Russia: married at 17 a husband of 60, but they soon separated: she travelled widely, in rope, America and Asia, round the Cape to Bombay: after an unsuccessful attempt to enter Tibet, via Nipal, she entered it in' disguise in 1855, via Kashmir, was lost in the desert and brought back to the frontier: after numerous adventures and further travels in India, she was in the United States in 1873 and for 6 years in N. York, becoming a naturalized American: she studied spiritualism, and in 1875 founded, with Colonel Olcott, the Theosophical Society: wrote books and pamphlets in support of her theories: settled in London, 1887: brought out a magazine, Lucifer, the Light-bringer: wrote The Secret Doctrine, .the Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy, 1888, and The Key of Philosophy, 1889: died in London, May 8, 1891.

BLISS, SIR HENRY WILLIAM (1840–)

I.C.S.: son of Rev. James Bliss: born 1840: educated at Merton, Oxford, B.A. joined the Madras Civil Service, 1863: after holding subordinate appointments, was Commissioner of Salt Revenue and Abkari Revenue, 1878: on special duty on these subjects: Fellow of the Madras University, 1882: Member of the Finance Committee, 1886: Member of the Board of Revenue, 1887: first Member, 1889: C.I.E., 1889: Member of the Governor-General's Legislative Council, 1890–2: Member of Council, Madras, 1893–8: K.C.I.E., 1897: retired, 1898: Member of the London County Council for the Holborn Division, 1901.

BLOCHMANN, HENRY FERDINAND (1838–1878)

Linguistic scholar: born at Dresden Jan. 8, 1838, the son of a printer: educated there, at Leipzig, and Paris: entered the English Army in 1858 to get out to India, left the Army, and joined the P. and O. Co.'s service as interpreter: in 1860 was made Assistant Professor of Urdu and Persian at the Calcutta Madrasa: graduated at the Calcutta University, 1861: after 3 years at the Doveton College, removed to the Madrasa, 1865, and became its President until his death: he was philological Secretary to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and contributed many learned papers: translated Abul-Fazl's Ain-i-Akbari, the first volume, and wrote The Prosody of the Persians: he had a profound knowledge of Persian and Arabic: died July 13, 1878.

BLOSSET, SIR ROBERT HENRY (1776–1823)

Son of the Rev. Dr. Henry Peckwell, an eminent preacher: he took his mother's name of Blosset: educated at Oxford: was Recorder of Cambridge: was appointed Chief Justice of Bengal in 1821: died Feb. 1, 1823. There are a monument and hatchment to his memory at St. John's Church, Calcutta.  BLUNT, CHARLES HARRIS (1824–1900)

Maj-General: entered the Army, 1842: was in the Bengal Horse Artillery: was in the Satlaj campaign, 1846, at Sobraon: also in the Panjab campaign: in the mutiny, raised "Blunt's Horse," was at the siege of Delhi, battle of Najafghar, action at Agra, (Lord Clyde's) relief of Lucknow, where he was the hero of a very dashing performance with the guns at the Sikandarbagh, at the action of Shamsabad, the capture of the fort and town of Kalpi: Brevets of Major and Colonel: C.B: Lord Roberts refers to his splendid courage in leading his guns in the advance on Lucknow: his troops suffered severely at Delhi and Agra, "seldom, if ever, has a battery and its commander had a grander record to show": died. Aug 15, 1900.

BLUNT, SIR CHARLES WILLIAM, BARONET (1731–1802)

Of Cleery, Hants: born 1731: son of Sir Henry Blunt, second Baronet, whom he succeeded in 1759: lived in Great Ormonde St. till about 1767: at Odiham, Hants, till about 1775: at Blunt House, Croydon, to about 1780: went out as a writer in the E. I. Co.'s service to India, 20 years before his death: obtained a lucrative appointment in the bullock contract, besides a share in the Post-office: formed honourable and advantageous connexions: died Sep, 27, 1802, at Pulta, near Calcutta, leaving £100,000, three-fourths of it. to his eldest son,