| Description | François Bernier (Joué-Étiau, 25 September 1620 – Paris, 22 September 1688) was a French philosopher, physician, and traveller. After a youth dedicated to the study of philosophy and medicine, he obtained his doctorate at Montpellier in 1652. Departing France in 1656, he reached India via the Red Sea and entered the service of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, where he remained for twelve years as a court physician. After travelling to Kashmir, he returned to France via Persia in 1669. His detailed accounts of the Mughal Empire, published from 1670, introduced India to a European audience. A central figure in Parisian intellectual circles, he was a key disciple and populariser of Pierre Gassendi's philosophy and authored numerous essays. |
