Van der Lith — Professor Van der Lith, P. A. van der Lith — was the Dutch orientalist, professor at Leiden, who promised [[C. Snouck Hurgronje|Snouck Hurgronje] his help for the journey to Arabië — by taking over Snouck Hurgronje’s courses at the Leiden [[Indische Instelling|Indische Instelling] during his absence — and so enabled the Mekka journey of 1884–1885. Van der Lith’s promise of help was, with the help of the consul Kruijt and the permission of the minister, one of the three principal enabling conditions of Snouck Hurgronje’s Mekka journey.
The Promise of Help
When Snouck Hurgronje, having resolved to study Islam at its source, inquired of the secretary-general of foreign affairs at The Hague whether he might be attached to the consulate at [[Djidda|Djidda], he was refused: in The Hague they had no ears for that. Then Snouck went to the consul Kruijt from Djidda, when that official was on leave at ‘s-Gravenhage; and that visit was a success: Kruijt would help the young scholar; he would introduce him at Djidda. Also Professor Van der Lith at Leiden promised his help: he would, during Snouck’s absence in Arabië, take over his courses at the Indische Instelling. The required leave was requested and obtained; and when the heer Kruijt returned to his unhealthy station, Snouck Hurgronje travelled with him.
Significance
Van der Lith is the Leiden professor whose promise of help — to take over Snouck Hurgronje’s courses at the Indische Instelling during his absence in Arabië — was, with the help of the consul Kruijt and the permission of the minister, one of the three principal enabling conditions of Snouck Hurgronje’s Mekka journey of 1884–1885. The promise removed one of the principal obstacles to the journey — the competition between the Leiden Indische Instelling and the similar institution at Delft, which had been one of De Goeje’s principal objections to Snouck Hurgronje’s absence.
See Also
- C. Snouck Hurgronje
- Snouck Hurgronje’s Mekka journey (1884-1885)
- De Goeje
- J. A. Kruijt (consul)
- Indische Instelling
- Leiden University
- Djidda
- 1884
- 1885
Source
Drie Atjeh-mannen: Snouck Hurgronje — Van Heutsz — Van Daalen, door H. T. Damsté (September 1936). OCR-filename: 20260718_105749_DLP-111-Drie_Atjeh_mannen_Nemotron-OCR-v2_OCR.txt, p. 5.