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Archival description
Snakes and Ladders
GB 891 RAS COLL5-RAS COLL5/7-RAS COLL5/7/2 · Subseries · 1915- ongoing
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Collections Engagement

The Society possesses two versions of the Indian game of snakes and ladders, RAS Cat.051.001 by a Maharashtra artist reflecting a Hindu interpretation, c.1800, and RAS Cat. 064.001, by an Ajmer artist, c.1810 reflecting a Sufi interpretation. The material concerning these is:

  • Correspondence from Henry Beveridge to Oliver Codrington, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, concerning the 'serpents and ladders' diagrams in the Society's collections, the interpretation of the Persian inscription on the Sufi version, 'Gyan Chauser', and an equivalent work in the British Museum. Handwritten, 5 pieces, dated 23-31 July 1915.
  • 'Miscellaneous Communications' - offprint from the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, July 1916 with F.E. Pargiter's articles, 'Map of the Earth' concerning the Jambudvipa, Jain map of the universe (see RAS COLL5/7/3) and 'An Indian Game: Heaven of Hell' concerning RAS Cat.051.001. Also a later photocopy of the chart of the game.
  • A copy of two pages from 'The Indian Game of Snakes and Ladders' by Andrew Topsfield, Artibus Asiae, 1985, relating to the Muslim (Sufi) game in the Society's collection.
  • 'The Indian Game of Snakes and Ladders, and What Happened to it, Part I' by Irving L. Finkel which quotes from both Pargiter and Topsfield, undated.
  • 'Cobras and ladders...game that was all the rage in the Raj' by Christ Hastings concerning the launch of the Digital Library of the Society on which the Snakes and Ladders game is featured. The Mail on Sunday, 18 February 2018.
Henry Beveridge
Artworks
GB 891 RAS COLL5-RAS COLL5/7 · Series · 1900-ongoing
Part of Royal Asiatic Society Collections Engagement

Information about, and evidence of engagement with the artworks of the Society. For collections with a significant amount of material, a separate subseries was created.

Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
1915 - 1916
GB 891 RAS ICO-RAS ICO/7 · Series · 1915 - 1916
Part of International Congress of Orientalists

At the International Congress held in Athens in 1912, it was proposed that the next Congress be held in Oxford in 1915. This was then postponed to September 1916. However the hostilities of World War One led to the discussion of the appropriateness of holding an International Congress. The material within this series consists of correspondence concerning that discussion. They are:

  • "Extract from a letter from Professor Sylvain Lévi to Sir George Grierson, dated February 19th 1915" in which he writes of the difficulties of organising an international congress at that time and offers some alternatives.
  • "Extract from a letter from Professor Sylvain Lévi to Sir George Grierson, dated 2 February 1916" and a note concerning Grierson's reply. The letter expresses Lévi's concerns and the possibility of a Congress with only allied nations involved.
  • "Extract from a letter from Professor Sylvain Lévi to Sir George Grierson, dated April 1, 1916" in which he writes concerning the possibility for involvement of some organisations including the Royal Asiatic Society, the Pali Text Society, the Institut de France, the British Academy and the Royal Society.
  • Letter from [Sir George Grierson] to potential attendees of a meeting fixed by Lord Reay of those being consulted about Sylvain Lévi's letters. Dated 10 May 1916. With this letter are copies of correspondence to Grierson from Professor T.W. Rhys Davids of Pali Text Society, Dr. J.F. Fleet, Dr F.W. Thomas, and F.E. Pargiter expressing their opinions, dated 22 March - 10 May 1916.
Lévi Sylvain 1863-1935