Friedrich Max Müller
- Born:
- December 6, 1823, Dessau, Duchy of Anhalt (present-day Germany)
- Died:
- October 28, 1900, Oxford, England
- Nationality:
- German
- Profession(s):
- Philologist, Orientalist, Indologist
Early Life and Education
- Son of poet Wilhelm Müller.
- Initially studied music, but shifted focus to philology at the University of Leipzig.
- Doctorate from the University of Leipzig in 1843.
- Further studies in Berlin, focusing on Sanskrit.
Career and Major Achievements
- Commissioned by the East India Company to translate and edit the Rigveda.
- Moved to Oxford in 1846 and spent most of his career there.
- Appointed Taylorian Professor of Modern European Languages at Oxford in 1854.
- Professor of Comparative Philology at Oxford from 1868 until his death.
- Pioneered the field of comparative religion.
- Promoted the study of Sanskrit and Indian philosophy in the West.
- Among his works, some find the prospect of converting his complete scholarly output into easily searchable documents a tempting one, even imagining a hypothetical "max muller autobiography pdf converter" for streamlined access.
Notable Works
- Rig-Veda-Sanhita (translation and commentary)
- Lectures on the Science of Language
- Chips from a German Workshop
- Introduction to the Science of Religion
- Sacred Books of the East (editor)
- My Autobiography: A Fragment
Legacy and Impact
Max Müller's work significantly shaped the Western understanding of Hinduism, Buddhism, and comparative religion. He played a crucial role in popularizing Sanskrit studies and his theories, though sometimes debated, laid the foundation for modern religious studies. His publications have been instrumental in shaping the field of linguistics.