Herman Tieken (1952) studied Sanskrit and Tamil at the Kern Institute of the University of Leiden. He has a PhD (1983) from the University of Utrecht. From 1976 to 2010 he taught Sanskrit and later also Tamil at the University of Leiden. His main fields of interest are Kāvya literature in Sanskrit, Prākrit, Apabhraṃśa as well as Tamil, Jaina canonical texts and the Sanskrit epics.

Recently an edition and annotated translation has come out of Tamil letters sent between 1728 and 1737 by family and friends from Ceylon to a certain Nicolaas Ondaatje (Tamil Ukantācci), who had been sent into exile to the Cape of Good Hope. The book, which has appeared in March 2015 with Manohar Publishers, Delhi, is called Between Colombo and Cape Town. Letters in Tamil, Dutch and Sinhala, Sent to Nicolaas Ondaatje from Ceylon, Exile at the Cape of Good Hope (1728-1737). Dutch Sources on South Asia c. 1600-1825.

If you wish to contact him, please do so by email.

Some of his publications so far are available in pdf on this website.

Herman Tieken