Annette Schmiedchen is a German author, scholar of Sanskrit epigraphy,

indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is ...

, a researcher at the

Humboldt University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

and a member of faculty of

Indology Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is ...

Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public university, public research university in the cities of Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German State o ...

. She is the author of several articles on Indian heritage and Culture and the book, ''Herrschergenealogie und Religioses Patronat: Die Inschriftenkultur der Rastrakutas, Silaharas und Yadavas'', the 17th book released under the series, Gonda Indological Studies by

Brill Publishers Brill Academic Publishers () is a Dutch international academic publisher of books, academic journals, and Bibliographic database, databases founded in 1683, making it one of the oldest publishing houses in the Netherlands. Founded in the South ...

. The

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

honoured her in 2015 with the award of

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

Biography

Annette Schmiedchen, born in Germany in 1966, did her studies on Indian History and Indology at the

and later at the

. She obtained her doctoral degree from

in 1994 on the thesis, ''Grants of Villages, Land, and Money in Favour of Buddhist Monasteries in Northern India from the 5th to the 8th Centuries'' after which she submitted a

Habilitation thesis Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellen ...

on ''Epigraphical Culture and Regional Tradition in Early Medieval Maharashtra: Legitimizing Political Power and Official Religious Patronage under the Royal Dynasties of the Rastrakutas, Silaharas, and Yadavas from the 8th to the 13th Centuries'' to

in 2008 to secure a

Habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

degree a year later. She works as a member of faculty of the Martin Luther University and pursues research on a

European Research Council The European Research Council (ERC) is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union (EU). Established by the European Commission in 2007, the ERC is composed of an independent Scientific ...

funded project on ''Medieval Foundations and Endowments'' at Humboldt University. Schmiedchen is a regular visiter to India since 1992 for her researches and has written several articles, in German and English, on Indian culture and Sanskrit epigraphy. Her maiden book, ''Herrschergenealogie und religiöses Patronat. Die Inschriftenkultur der Rastrakutas, Silaharas und Yadavas'', was released in 2014. She is an honorary Research Fellow of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies and is associated with

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU; ISO: Javāharalāla Neharū Viśvavidyālaya) is a public research university located in Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university ...

and the

Indian Council for Cultural Relations The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India's global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their people. It was founded on 9 April ...

who funded her first project in India. She is married to Rainer Schmiedchen who is the Consul General of Germany in Kolkata. The

included her in the 66th Republic Day honours list, in 2015, for the civilian award of

for her contributions to

Sanskrit language Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

and

Biography

See also

References

Further reading