www.lejugeti.com  -  www.judge-dee.com

In preamble of this biographical page, I invite the reader who would be interested by the life of the author, to read Carl D. Barkman and Helena De Vries - Van Der Hoeven's remarkable work " The three Robert Van Gulik's lives ", the most complete biography which is, written by two authors who knew R.H Van Gulik personally. French Edition Christian Bourgois, ISBN 2-267-01375-4.

This page is consequently devoted to Carl Dietrich Barkman, who honoured me to be interested in the site of the Judge TI, and authorized me to use elements of his book to fill the space which was my first version of the biography of R.H. Van Gulik. Carl Barkman left us in October, 2006, shortly after his spouse. That they both rest in peace.


Robert Hans Van Gulik was not a "simple" novelist. when I created this site, I been besides strong far from suspecting the extraordinary career which should be his. It is according to reading, information were brought by internauts that these some pages evolved. Until the day when Carl Barkman wrote me. " The three Robert Van Gulik's lives - a biography " and other information are, by his work which it brought me, the most important source, the richest in this site, which owes to him a lot.

The attachment of Robert Van Gulik to India is a product of a family tradition: His grandfather, Willem Jacobus Van Gulik, born in 1834 and died in 1910 should be the first to have a passion for this region of the world. His elder son, also named Willem Jacobus was born on January 10th, 1897 in Batavia. Doctor serviceman, he made a bright career, in the course of which was born Robert Hans, on August 9th, 1910 in Zutphen.

Robert crosses his small childhood in Holland; he joins his father in Java, in 1915, with his mother. There, he goes to the primary school and has a passion for the shows of games of shades with puppets: Wayang golek. He has several puppets, accomplishes shows and writes a manuscript on the subject "De Wayangs" which proves to be very complete and scientifically structured, while he is only eleven years old. It is already bilingual Dutch - Javanais. This period in India stops in 1923, his father having attained the age of retirement; they go back to Holland.

He is going to be studying from 1923 till 1930 at the secondary school in Nimègue, where he learns Chinese and Sanskrit at the same time as his studies. Of his meeting with C.C. Uhlenbeck is going to be born an English - Blackfoot dictionnary, then Blackfoot - English, published by the Royal Academy. In this epoch, Robert learns Latin, Greek, Sanskrit and Russian. It is however from this period the Chinese name dates that he will keep all his life: Kao lo-p'ei. He follows his studies in Leyde from 1930 till 1935, meet a French girl who brings up her child: Nellie Remouchamps and becomes blow head of the family. He crosses in 1932 a certificate of sinology, including Japanese in minor subject as well as a certificate of Right of India Dutches. Faithful to what will be his line of conduct during all his life, he studies Thibétain, in parallel, and translates Urvaçi into Dutch, which will be its first personal publication. On April 21st, 1934, he is awarded a diploma on Oriental Letters, with mention "Very well ". At the advice of Nellie, he inserts the service of the interpreters of the diplomatic corps. Having acquired Doctorate ès letters and philosophy by supporting his thesis on the worship of the horses (Hayagriva, the Mantrayanic aspect of horse-cult in Bargain-hunted and japan, Leyde 1935), he leaves his country and Nellie, to take up his posts.

His first trip in Japan dates therefore from 1935; he joins his post by way of China. It is going to make the most of these years to improve its Japanese, deepen the Chinese, acquire the Korean, the Mongolian and Hindi. But especially, he is going to immerse himself in these cultures, to assimilate them to the point where he will end up being accepted by Japanese and Chinese, otherwise as one of theirs, at least as very close. He writes "The hot spring of Odawara" in Diplomatieke Koerier (Amsterdam, 1936), whose extract is given at the end of this page. It is as for this period as he buys a Chinese seven ropes lute (Ch' In) and begins exploring the world of Ch' in both on musical plan and technology. The war having burst in Europe, Japan getting involved in conflict after a long period of occupation of China, Robert leaves the country with the different deputations.

He is then unconcerned in allied secret services, in Africa, where his big knowledge on Asia is going to serve military information, and to prepare the psychological warfare applied in Japanese. From August, 1942 till January, 1943, it evolves in military circles. While learning the Swahili, then the Arab! Then he is affected in China, in Tchong-king, where he will stay until 1946. It is there that it meets Shui Shih-fang, that he marries December 18th, 1943. Their marital trip takes place in India, while assuring a mission for information. September 30th, 1944 is born Willem Robert, their 1st son. During this period, Robert reads a small work which he had taken during the departure of Japan. This book, " Wu tse-t' ien sse-ta-ch ' in ", a Chinese police novel, speaks about a certain judge Dee. Then it forgets it, taken by its numerous activities, of whom, between others the publication of a work on the monk Tung-kao (Ming-ch' ao i-sêng tung-kao-ch ' year-shih chi-k ' year, Commercial Press, Tchong-king, 1945). It is in 1946 when Carl Barkman, future author of his biography, is taken on him to the deputation.

He goes back to Holland from 1946 till 1947. Peter Anton, his second son, comes into the world on December 10th, 1946. Robert learns the Spanish, hoping for a post in South America. It is in fact to Washington where he is sent, from 1947 till 1948. It is at this instant there that he translates " Dee Goong an ": "Three criminal cases solved by the judge Dee".
It is only in 1948 that he turns in Japan, where he will stay until 1951. Pauline, her first daughter, is born on February 28th, 1951. It is also the opportunity of a big literary production: "The Chinese Bell Murders", "The Chinese Maze Murders", " Erotic Color Prints of the Ming Period ", "Sexual Life in Ancient China". Named adviser of embassy in New Delhi, he leaves Japan and takes his post in India, which he will occupy from 1952 till 1953. He writes "The Chinese Lake Murders", that he will finish in the Middle East, and has a passion for the Sanskrit and the tantrisme. December 5th, 1952 is born Thomas Mathijs. But Robert suffers from a cataract, which is going to lead it to go back to Holland to be operated there.

From 1953 till 1956, Robert and his family are therefore going to stay in Holland, where Shih-fang improves the Dutch, then learns the English. Robert, delayed by her operation with eyes, publishes the " You ang-yin pi-shih ". He gets finally ready to take his ambassador's post in Lebanon, where he stays from 1956 till 1959, writing there his " Chinese Pictoral Art as viewed by the Connoisseur " who will be published in 900 copies. This printing is restricted by the number of books of samples of paper and silk which Robert prepared to be reached with work. He also takes lessons of Arab, and translates into English "Scrapbook for Chinese Collectors".

The period 1965 - 1967 sees him therefore in the Empire of the Raising Sun. there still, his writings are numerous: A treaty on Gibbons " The Gibbon in China", "The Phantom of the Temple", the grouping of various inquiries of the judge Dee under title " Judge Dee at work ", with the addition of an unpublished: "He Came with the Rain", then "Necklace and Calabash" and finally, "Poets and Murders". His health degrades, but he follows his numerous activities, and prepares a trip of some weeks for Holland.

Left June 15th, 1967 of Japan, he consults several specialists from her arrival. The diagnosis of lung cancer is established, and Robert is hospitalized. A desk is installed in his room so that he can work, as he wished it. It is in his room that it puts the last hand in its book " The Gibbon in China" who will appear the day of its decease. It is finally at home that he finishes "Poets and Murders". One Friday of the beginning of September, his state deteriorates. He goes out on Sunday, September 24th at sunset.

I was one year old when Robert H Van Gulik disappeared. It is only much more late than I discovered his works, and regret to have never known it. Because it had to be somebody remarkable; that's why I wanted this site, as much as it seems to me to be damage not to read, at least, one of its books.
Rights belonging to the heirs Van Gulik, this site gives only chips of reading which I accomplished; I took freedom to introduce drawings and engravings of works, because, accomplished by the author, they are also porters of magic... I hope that he will definitely want to excuse me.


If you like to bring corrections or other information, do not hesitate to contact me via address mail in homepage, or to leave a word in the visitors' book.