Series RASM/4 - Christopher Shackle

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.

Christopher Shackle was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College, before reading Persian and Turkish at Merton College, Oxford, graduating in 1963. He then went on to study Social Anthropology as a postgraduate at St Antony's College. He joined the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, in1966, becoming a Professor in 1985, Head of Department from 1983-1987 and Pro-Director of SOAS from1997-2003.

He is expert in the Saraiki language and has written several books on Saraiki literature.