Finding Biographical Information

Indexes

Scholberg, Henry. South Asia biographical dictionary index. Bibliotheca Asiatica; 19. Zug, Switzerland: IDC, c1987. LOCATION: Widener: RR 1646.10 Library has: 2 v.
--Indexes about 43,000 persons in about 100 biographical series and dictionaries.  Names only partially standardized, so one must look under all possible forms.  NIS 

Collective Biography

Encyclopaedia of Muslim biography: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, ed. by Nagendra Kr. Singh. New Delhi : A.P.H. Pub. Corp., 2001. 5 v.
HOLLIS Record
--Covers about 4000 living and deceased persons, Medieval era to present.  Articles mainly one column to two pages with source lists.

The Treasury of lives: A biographical encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia, and the Himalayan region. 

Afghanistan

Collective Biography

Adamec, Ludwig W. Historical and political who's who of Afghanistan / by Ludwig W. Adamec. Graz : Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1975. ix, 385 p., [60] leaves : geneal. tables ;
Widener | WID-LC | DS355 .A3   NIS
--Offers concise biographical information on about 1,500 persons. In four parts: Who is who, 1945-1974; Who was who, 1747-1945; Afghan government positions, 1901-1974; Genealogies of important Afghan families in 92 tables. First Supplement 229701 1979 includes who's who section, followed by diplomatic list, corrections to the first edition, addenda, and a list of "Afghan government positions, 1978-1979."

Adamec’s  A biographical dictionary of contemporary Afghanistan 141622 includes about 1600 biographies of government, military, religious, professional, academic, artistic/literary persons, living and deceased, active since 1945.  Persons in his earlier books are included only for additions or corrections.  Includes lists of government ministers and their deputies (1919- ) and of Afghan diplomats and foreign diplomats in Kabul.  Glossary of Afghan terms and 384 photos of biographees. 

Adamec, Ludwig W. A biographical dictionary of contemporary Afghanistan. Austria : Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, 1987, 252 p.
Widener | WID-LC | DS371.A2 A33 1987   NIS

Biographies of Afghan Personalities of Yesterday and Today  http://www.afghan-web.com/bios/

The biographical dictionary of greater India / edited by Henry Scholberg. New Delhi : Promilla & Co., 1998. 406 p.
Widener | WID-LC | DS434 .B56 1998 
--Covers 157 persons over whole history of South Asia, stressing India but including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Entries alphabetical within chapters on major periods (ancient India through the 20th century) or topics (Great Rebellion, scholars, etc.). Some non-South Asians included. Entries have references.  Name/title index.   NIS 

Armenia

Collective Biography

Mouradian, George.   Armenian infotext / by George Mouradian.   1st ed.   Southgate, Mich. : Bookshelf Publishers, c1995.   x, 342 p. 
Widener | WID-LC | CT1919.A758 M686 1995 
Largely a biographical dictionary of roughly 600 living and deceased persons. Includes people important in Armenian history as well as Armenians in and out of Armenia.  Appendices: lists of Armenians in the U.S., former Soviet Union, Byzantine Empire, sports, etc. Short terminal annotated bibliography.  NIS  OK  

Bangladesh

Collective Biography

Indian biographical archive

Who's who in Bangladesh art, culture, literature, 1901-1991 / [compiled & edited by] Abul Fazal Shamsuzzaman. Dhaka : Tribhuj Prakashani, 1992. 303 p. Widener | WID-LC | NX576.8.B3 W47 1992   NIS
--Short biographical sketches on 573 notables of whom 198 are deceased. Many with photos. Predominantly literary figures. Index by art form, e.g., singer, writer, actor. 

Contemporary

Islam, Manu,  Who's who in Bangladesh 2000. Dhaka: Centre for Bangladesh Culture, 2001, 192 p.
--Entries on 374 cultural figures, with photographs.

Who's who in Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh : Times Publications, HD DS 393.w46x Holdings : 1982, 1984     NIS
--Gives short career outlines on some 400 living Bangladeshis, arranged in chapters by category of distinction. Lacks a name index.  Apparently only two eds. (1982, 1984) were published. 

India

Sharma’s Indian reference sources: an annotated guide to Indian reference material

Sharma, H. D. Indian reference sources: an annotated guide to Indian reference material / H.D. Sharma. 2nd ed. Varanasi : Indian Bibliographic Centre, 1988-1989. 2 v.  
Widener | WID-LC | DS407.Z99 S519 x 1988 
-- Lists many additional sources in English and in Indian languages.

Bibliography

Kalia, D. R., 1921- Eminent Indians : a bibliography of biographies / D. R. Kalia, M. K. Jain. New Delhi: Marwah Publications, 1977 [i.e. 1976] i, 200 p. ; 
Widener | WID-LC | DS434.Z99 K34 x
--Lists 1377 biographies and autobiographies and 166 works of collective biography, all in English.  Index of authors, editors, compilers.  Terminal list of alternative name spellings. NIS

Collective Biography

The biographical dictionary of greater India. New Delhi: Promilla & Co., 1998.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC DS434.B56 1998

Dictionary of Indian biography / compiled and edited by IBC Research Wing. Varanasi : Indian Bibliographic Centre, 2000. xxvii, 477 p.
Widener | RR 3925.32   NIS
--Includes about 1000 deceased persons from the last 150 years. About half are political leaders.  Scholars are well-represented; other occupations receive less coverage..

Eminent Indians who was who, 1900-1980, also annual diary of events. 1st ed. New Delhi : Durga Das Pvt. Ltd., 1985, 420 p.
Widener | WID-LC | CT1502 .E54 1985
--Short biographies of Indians prominent in a broad range of activity, many of whom are not found in Siba Pada Sen's Dictionary of national biography. Full text in Indian biographical archive.  283526

Indian biographical archive

Riddick, John F. Who was who in British India. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998.
LOCATION: Widener: WID-LC CT1503.R53 1998 NIS
--Covers about 3500 non-Indians, largely British, concerned with India from late 16th century to 1947. Entries list the biographee’s books. Terminal bibliography of collective biographical works.  Index by occupation.  Indexed in Biography and genealogy master index.

Saxena, T. P. Women in Indian history : a biographical dictionary / T. P. Saxena. New Delhi : Kalyani Publishers, 1979. 114 p.
Widener | WID-LC | CT3720 .S28
--About 400 women, living and deceased, from all occupations. Name index.

Sen, Siba Pada. Dictionary of national biography. Edited by S. P. Sen. Calcutta, Institute of Historical Studies, 1972-74. 4 v.
Widener | Ind 2200.89    Not in Saur
--Approximately 1,400 signed articles, on persons, both native and foreign, who played a prominent role during 1800-1947. Includes those living at the time of publication. Entries are typically one or two pages and include source lists. 
--Coverage updated and expanded by Dictionary of national biography. Supplement, 244208. Athletes and figures in the performing arts, generally omitted from the main work, are to be included here. Vols. l (A-D) and 2 (E-L) have been published.  Four volumes, with some 1,400 entries, are planned. 

Buckland, Charles Edward. Dictionary of Indian biography; by C. E. Buckland. London, S. Sonnenschein, 1906. xii, 494 p.
Widener | Ind 1100.36
Contains about 2,600 concise biographies of persons noteworthy in the history, service, or literature of India since 1750. Most biographees are English, but Indian and other nationalities are included. Several reprints. Indexed in BIOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY MASTER INDEX.  Full Text in Indian biographical archive. 

Contemporary

India who's who. New Delhi : INFA Publications, 1969-2006  eds. 1-29
Widener | RR 1646.15 Latest Widener | Ind 2200.29 Earlier    
--About 5000 entries (2006 ed.) arranged by governmental division or profession.  Terminal name index.  

Other biographical directories include:

Famous India; nation's who's who, 1975-1980. 4 v. Full text (2nd. Ed. 1976?) in Indian biographical archive.

Who's who in India, 1973-?.

Who's who, Indian personages, 1986 (only?) which contains short biographies of more than 1,000 subjects in an alphabetic arrangement. Most are academics or physicians; the balance are business people. Future volumes are intended to expand coverage rather than update existing entries.

Who's who in India (New Delhi, 1967).

Who's who in India (Bombay, 1985-86?).

Who's who of Indian women, international, 1977 (only?)

Who's Who in India, Burma and Ceylon NaH 1930-1941? Full text (9th. Ed. 1938) in Indian biographical archive.

Famous India; nation's who's who. New Delhi, Famous India Publications 1975-1980. 4 v.
Widener | WID-LC | CT1506 .F35x

Kothari, Hemraj. Who's who in India. Edited in H. Kothari. Calcutta, Kothari Publications, 1973-?, 464 p. 
Widener | Ind 1107.5.1415     NIS

Who's who, Indian personages / [compiled and edited by P. Chavda and H.L. Sagar]. New Delhi : Crystal Ship Pub., 1986- v. : ports. 
Widener | WID-LC | CT1502 .W48 1986    NIS

Who's who in India (New Delhi, India) Who's who in India. New Delhi, Guide Publications. 1967.  ports.
Widener | Ind 2200.16

Who's who in India (Bombay, India)   Who's who in India.   1985-1986?   Bombay, India : Business Press Private Ltd., 1985- 
Widener | Harvard Depository | CT1500 .W56x

Who's who of Indian women, international / editor-in chief, Amal. 1st ed. Madras : National Biographical Centre, 1977 (only?) 
Widener | WID-LC | CT3720 .W45  Holdings v. 1.   NIS

Who's Who in India, Burma and Ceylon NaH 1930-1941?

Indians in news : an annual biographical dictionary. Ludhiana : Medallion Press,  2002-  NaH  

Nepal

Contemporary

Nepal who's who.   Kathmandu : Research Centre for Communication and  Development, 1996-     ist. ed 1997. 
Widener | WID-LC | CT1529 .N36x have 1997   (all published ???)   NIS
--About 2150 entries.  Main sequence and addendum included in index, but obituary section for persons dying since last ed. is not.  Index of professions and specialties.  Also indexes of theses and dissertations by title (initial articles indexed) and of field of training.  Section on general information, lists of government officials, and of former rulers and prime ministers. 1st ed. 1997.   See also Who's who-Nepal (1992, 2000 eds)    

Aryal, Deepak Kumar. SAARC women : Nepal, 1988-1990 / compiled, edited, and text by Deepak Aryal. 1st ed. Kathmandu, Nepal : Research Centre for Communication and Development, 1990.
Widener | WID-LC | CT3739 .A79 1990

Pakistan

Sri Lanka is included in Indian biographical archive and Who's who in U.A.R. and the Near East (1954-59).

Contemporary

Biographical encyclopedia of Pakistan. [Lahore], Biographical Research Institute, Pakistan. ports., maps.
Widener | RR 1647.30 Latest Widener | WID-LC | DS381 .B5 Earlier
--Current ed. (2000/2001) has over 900 entries, most with photographs. Arranged by occupation, with terminal alphabetical list. Earlier eds.: 1955/56, 1960/62, 1965/66, 1969/70, 1971/72, 1984/85, 1992/93, 1996/97.   OCLC1774840

Persons who shape our destiny : a compendium of bio-datas of those persons who are rendering important services in various fields of national activity / compiled and edited by S. Mohammad Reza. Karachi : Dar Publications, 1990- v. : ports. ;
Widener | RR 1647.20
--Sketches of very variable length on 448 persons, arranged by occupation, with alphabetical list at the front.  Many of the people included are so old as to almost certainly deceased. Apparently only 1990 ed. published. 

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Sri Lanka is included in Indian biographical archive and Who's who in U.A.R. and the Near East (1954-59).

Collective Biography

Personalities, Sri Lanka : a biographical study (15th-20th century), 1490-1990 A.D., A-Z / compiled by K.D.G. Wimalaratne. Colombo, Sri Lanka : Ceylon Business Appliances Ltd., 1994. xxxix, 149 p. 
Widener | WID-LC | CT1522 .W56 1994 NIS
--Brief who’s who type entries on 834 persons of all ethnic groups dying before 1991.