J. W. de Groot

Born in 1854, this Dutch sinologist and historian of religion is best known for his deep study of Chinese culture and belief. He taught at Leiden University and later at the University of Berlin, building a reputation as one of the major Western scholars of China in his era.

His most famous achievement is the large, multi-volume work The Religious System of China, an expansive study of religion, ritual, manners, and social institutions. That project helped introduce many readers in Europe to Chinese religious life through close observation and wide-ranging historical research.

He died in 1921, but his books remain notable as part of the early history of Sinology. Readers who pick up his work today will find both a product of its time and an ambitious attempt to understand China on its own terms.