Paul Pelliot

Paul Pelliot (May 28, 1878–October 26, 1945) was a French sinologist and explorer of Central Asia. A pupil of Sylvain Levi, Pelliot conducted only one archaeological expedition into Central Asia.

The Return and Later Years

Pelliot returned to Paris on October 24, 1909, to a vicious smear campaign mounted against himself, Edouard Chavannes (a fellow sinologist) and the staff of the Ecole. Pelliot was accused of wasting public money and returning with forged manuscripts. This campaign came to a head with a December 1910 article in La Revue Indigène by M. Fernand Farjenel. These charges were not proved false until Sir Aurel Stein's book, Ruins of Desert Cathay, appeared in 1912. In his book, Stein made it clear that he had left manuscripts behind in Tun-huang. Stein's book vindicated Pelliot and silenced Pelliot's critics.

Related Topics:
1909 - Edouard Chavannes - 1910 - Ruins of Desert Cathay - 1912

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pelliot later served as French military attaché in Peking during World War I. He died of cancer in 1945. Upon his death, it was said that "Without him, sinology is left like an orphan."

Related Topics:
World War I - Cancer - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Musée Guimet in Paris has a gallery named after him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~