Mary Boyce

Mary Boyce was a renowned Iranologist and Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of London, known for her extensive research on Zoroastrianism and Ancient Iran. Her work was heavily influenced by Arthur Christensen, a prominent Danish Iranologist, and Walter Bruno Henning, a German Iranologist and Professor at the University of London. Boyce's research also drew from the works of James Darmesteter, a French Iranologist, and Christian Bartholomae, a German Linguist and Iranologist. Her studies were further informed by the Avesta, the Gathas, and the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi.

● Early Life and Education

Mary Boyce was born in Darjeeling, British India, to a family of British Colonial administrators. She spent her early years in India and later moved to England to pursue her education. Boyce studied at the University of Cambridge, where she was influenced by the works of Harold Walter Bailey, a British Linguist and Iranologist, and Henri Maspéro, a French Sinologist and Iranologist. She also drew inspiration from the research of Vladimir Minorsky, a Russian Orientalist and Iranologist, and André Godard, a French Archaeologist and Iranologist.

● Career

Boyce began her academic career as a Lecturer at the University of London, where she taught Persian language and Iranian Studies. She later became a Professor of Iranian Studies and served as the Chair of the Department of Iranian Studies at the University of London. Boyce's research focused on Zoroastrianism, Ancient Iran, and the Sasanian Empire, and she was particularly interested in the works of Mani, the founder of Manichaeism. Her research also explored the connections between Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, as well as the influence of Zoroastrianism on Islam. Boyce collaborated with scholars such as Richard Nelson Frye, an American Iranologist, and Oleg Grabar, a French-American Art historian and Archaeologist.

● Research and Publications

Boyce's research and publications had a significant impact on the field of Iranian Studies. Her book, A History of Zoroastrianism, is considered a seminal work on the subject and draws from the research of Martin Haug, a German Orientalist and Iranologist, and James Hope Moulton, a British Linguist and Iranologist. Boyce also published numerous articles and chapters on Zoroastrianism, Ancient Iran, and the Sasanian Empire, and her work was influenced by the research of Roman Ghirshman, a Russian-French Archaeologist and Iranologist, and George Cameron, an American Assyriologist and Iranologist. Her studies on the Avesta and the Gathas were informed by the work of Hermann Oldenberg, a German Indologist and Iranologist, and Louis Gray, an American Linguist and Iranologist.

● Awards and Honors

Boyce received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to the field of Iranian Studies. She was elected a Fellow of the British Academy and received the Gold Medal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Boyce was also awarded the Sir Percy Sykes Memorial Medal by the Royal Geographical Society and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award for her contributions to the study of Zoroastrianism and Interfaith dialogue. Her work was recognized by the International Society for Iranian Studies, the Society for Iranian Studies, and the Institute of Ismaili Studies.

● Personal Life

Boyce was known for her dedication to her research and her passion for Zoroastrianism and Iranian culture. She was a member of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe and worked closely with the World Zoroastrian Organisation to promote the study and preservation of Zoroastrianism. Boyce's personal library, which included rare books and manuscripts on Zoroastrianism and Iranian Studies, was donated to the University of London after her death. Her legacy continues to inspire scholars of Iranian Studies, including Touraj Daryaee, an Iranian-American Historian and Iranologist, and Khodadad Rezakhani, an Iranian-American Historian and Iranologist. Category:British Iranologists