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Documents of the Maratha Peshwa Court given to John Briggs by the widow of Nana Fadnavis. This includes original correspondence to Madhu Rao and Nana Fadnavis. The letters commence with the public life of Nana Fadnavis in 1761 and end with his fall in power in 1796 and are associated with the reign of Madhu Rao.

Collections information and engagement connected to our Manuscripts collections.

Correspondence, articles, engagement with and research information about the Manuscript collections:

• Letter concerning the identification of Tamil, Singhalese and other manuscripts and Copper plate inscriptions. The author of the letter had been involved in creating handlists after L.D. Barnett and others had completed much of the identification. The letter explains the process and some of what was discovered but the signature is unreadable. Handwritten, 3 pieces, undated [1950s].
• Correspondence between Charles Bawden, School of Oriental and African Studies, and Miss Jill Davies, Assistant Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society concerning the Tibetan manuscripts donated to the Society by Robert Yuille. The letters give provenance of their arrival at the Society and identification of what they are. Typed, 11 pieces, dated 7 March 1977 - 18 April 1978.
• Context information for the Society's manuscript of the Dictionnaire Tartare-Mantchou François by Father Joseph Amyot. Typed, 2 pieces, undated.
• Context information for some of the Society's Chinese manuscripts. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 28 July 1977.
• 'Bustan as-salatin' - information concerning this document in printed and manuscript forms. These include Raffles Malay 8 and Raffles Malay 42. Typed in Indonesian and English, 2 pieces, undated.
• 'A Qur'an from the East African Coast' by Simon Digby, Honorary Librarian, Royal Asiatic Society - a copy of an article from Art and Archaeology Research papers, June 1975, giving details of a Qur'an (RAS Arabic 12a) presented to the Society by F.F. Arbuthnot c.1900. Photocopy, 8 pieces, dated June 1975.
• 'Paper and Gold: Illuminated Manuscripts from the Indonesian Archipelago - An exhibition in The British Library, 11 July to 27 October 1990' - pamphlet produced in connexion with the exhibition to explain about Malay and Javanese manuscripts. The Society lent some manuscripts for the exhibition. Printed pamphlet, dated 1990.
• Correspondence and articles by Jacqueline Filliozat concerning the Society's Pali manuscripts. The articles are entitled, 'Survey of the Pali manuscript collection in the Royal Asiatic Society, December 1993', 'Survey of the Pali manuscript collection in the Royal Asiatic Society, December 1993- July 1994', `Projet d'exposition ou de présentation des plus beaux mss. en Pali de la RAS', 'Trois nouveaux fragments manuscrits du Dasavatthuppakarana, Trois recensions indochinoises échelonnées sur Trois siècles (1648-1948 A.D.)' and 'Transcriptions des fragments concernant le Dasavatthu d'après les manuscrits FEMC PALI A 20, RAS BURMESE 64, SA. KHMER 16 & 18 avec les concordances à notre précédente édition: J. Ver Eecke, Le Dasavatthuppakarana, PEFEO CVIII, Paris 1976'. Three handwritten letters in French, dated 3 January 1994 - 15 February 1995. Computer printed manuscripts, 98 pieces.
• Correspondence between Dr J.D. Smith, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, J. Clifford Wright, School of Oriental and African Studies, Paul Dundas, Department of Sanskrit, University of Edinburgh, and information concerning some of the Society's Sanskrit manuscripts. Typed, 5 pieces, dated 9 December 1996 - 21 March 1997.
• Letter from Toshihito Kimura, Professor of International Buddhist University, Kyoto, Japan, to the President of the Royal Asiatic Society to thank the Society for use of Sanskrit Manuscript 61 and to send his article, 'The Sanskrit Manuscript of Sitatapatra-Dharani in the Royal Asiatic Society'. The articles is with the letter. Typed, 10 pieces, dated 29 January 2001.
• Letter from Michael Pollock, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, to Colleen Schafroth, Director, Maryhill Museum of Art, concerning the manuscript, RAS Persian 211, a Treatise on Chess. With the letter is information about the manuscript. Four pieces, typed and copied, dated 20 May 2001.
• 'The Jaipur-Related Documents deposited with the Royal Asiatic Society by Dr Michael Willis' by Rima Hooja - list and description of Jaipur manuscripts. Typed, 5 pieces, dated 16 - 18 June 2003.
• Descriptions of the manuscripts Raffles Java 17 and Raffles Java 18 in the Society's collections. Typed in French, 4 pieces, dated November 2008.
• 'Report on the Turkish manuscript collection in the Royal Asaitic Society' by Dr Evrim Binbas, Royal Holloway University of London. Typed description of these manuscripts, 5 pieces, prepared for the Library Committee Meeting, 30 September 2010.
• Copies of emails between Kathy Lazenbatt, Royal Asiatic Society Librarian, and Dr Edeltraud Harzer, Department of Asian Studies, University of Texas, concerning identification of Sanskrit manuscripts. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 8 April 2011.
• Publicity Material concerned with the 'Tales of the Malay World' Exhibition held at the National Library Building from 18 August 2017 - 25 February 2018 in which manuscripts from the Royal Asiatic Society were shown. These are a programme of events, exhibition guides in English and Malay - all printed pamphlets; a copy of Muse SG, No.36, Vol.10, Iss.0; with the article 'Tales of the Malay World' about the exhibition; and a copy of biblioasia, Jan-March 2018, with the article, 'Manuscripts from our Global Past' about the exhibition.
• Copy of email from Peter Carey to Annabel Gallop concerning Javanese names, typed, 1 piece, dated 22 July 2022.
• Letter from Devashan Kunasingham to Nancy Charley, Royal Asiatic Society Archivist, concerning the name and description of RAS Tamil MS. 14. Typed, 1 piece, dated 21 March 2024.

Letter from Simon Digby to Arthur Irvine to enclose the essay, "The Spread of Buddhism in central Asia" which both Michael Loewe and himself have read. He considers this is superior to the other essays which he has forwarded to Michael Loewe. Handwritten with printed letterhead, 2 sides, dated 1 November 1973.

In celebration of the Royal Asiatic Society's sesquicentenary various exhibitions of its collections were arranged. This series contains material concerned with organising and documenting those exhibitions.

Correspondence concerning an exhibition in the Print Room of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. These are:

• Letter from Jim Harle to John to suggest the idea of having an exhibition in Oxford as part of the sesquicentenary celebrations, dated 2 October 1970.
• Letter from B.W. Robinson, President of Royal Asiatic Society, to Dr James Harle, Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, to ask whether an exhibition might be possible at the Ashmolean Museum, dated 20 November 1972.
• Letter from Dr James Harle, Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, to B.W. Robinson, President of Royal Asiatic Society, to give his ideas for an exhibition at the Ashmolean and that he would begin planning, dated 28 November 1972.
• Letter from Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Dr James Harle, Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, to ask for firm dates for the exhibition, dated 1 March 1973.
• Letter from Dr James Harle, Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, to Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform her that the exhibition will run through May 1973 and will be held in the Print Room with material mainly from the Bodleian Library, dated 7 March 1973.
• Letter from Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Dr James Harle, Department of Eastern Art, Ashmolean Museum, to thank him for the details concerning the exhibition and to ask that requests for any loans of material to be sent for the next Council meeting, dated 12 March 1973.
• Letter from Simon Digby to Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform her of the material he will be collecting from the Royal Asiatic Society to take to the Ashmolean Museum, dated 27 April 1973.

Documents of Marathi history dating to the eighteenth and nineteenth century presented to the Royal Asiatic Society by Sir Alexander Malet in 1828 and by General John Briggs in 1874. The papers donated by Briggs are predominantly correspondence from the Peshwa Court at the time of Nana Fadnavis and were given by Nana Fadnavis' widow to Briggs in 1825. Those from Malet were collected by his father, Sir Charles Warre Malet, during his political career in India and are predominantly handwritten accounts of Marathi history.

Each of the documents also has a description provided by Simon Digby when Honorary Librarian at the Royal Asiatic Society from 1970. The documents written in Marathi are in modi script.

Correspondence concerned with the Journal sent and received in the 1970s and 1980s. These are:

• Correspondence between the Royal Asiatic Society, W.E.D. Allen and Professor G.A. Daniyalov, Vice-President of the Daghestan Filiale of the Soviet Academy of Sciences concerning asking Daniyalov to write an article for the Journal on his archaeological discoveries at the Aul of Arakanee in the distirct of Kumukh, Central Daghestan. 7 letters, dated 8 November 1971 - 22 May 1972.
• Correspondence concerned with a specially bound edition of the Journal in honour of Sir Mortimer Wilson for His Imperial Majesty, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi. Two letters, dated 15 and 23 June 1972.
• Correspondence between the Royal Asiatic Society and Anthony R. Walker concerned with the possible publication of his paper on the Red Lahu people in the hills of northern Thailand. 3 letters, dated 2 - 21 February 1972.
• Correspondence between the Royal Asiatic Society, F.R.C. Bagley, Mrs M.N. Bagley and C.E. Bosworth concerned with the possible publication of an article by F.R.C. Bagley, Lecturer in Persian Studies, University of Durham, about Khuzestan, written after a visit to the region. 5 letters, dated 28 October - 4 December 1972.
• Correspondence between Friedhelm Hardy and Simon Digby concerned with the possible publication of Hardy's article on Madhavendra Puri. 2 letters, dated 2 -13 November 1972.
• Letter from Charles Beckingham, Hon. Editor, to Dennis Duncanson, Chairman of the Publications Committee, regarding the possible payment of book reviewers. He also suggests that David Morgan might be a suitable candidate to work alongside him, and then replace him as Editor of the Journal. 1 letter, dated 10 April 1984.

There are two items of correspondence between the members of the Selection Committee for the Essay Prize.

Correspondence and administrative documents connected with lectures:

• Correspondence with Dr Martina Deuchler, 1 item, dated 22 May 1990.
• Correspondence with Jamie James, 1 item, dated 5 September 1990.
• Correspondence with John Hansman, 1 item, dated 21 February 1991.
• Administrative documents and news cuttings concerning the memorial lecture in memory of W.B. Henning, 9 May 1991, 4 items, dated 7-9 May 1991.
• Correspondence with Giles Tillotson, 1 item, dated 2 June 1991.
• Correspondence with N.F. Howard, 1 items, dated 18 December 1991.
• Correspondence with Dr S.N. Lieu, 1 item, dated 25 February 1992.
• Correspondence with Beth McKillop, 1 item, dated 22 February 1993.
• Correspondence with Dr M.J. Morris, 1 item, dated 5 December 1993.
• Correspondence with Lilla Russell-Smith, 1 item, dated 15 November 1994.
• Correspondence with J.P. Losty, 1 item, dated 29 September 1995.
• Correspondence with Dr James Dickie, 1 item, dated 5 January 1996.
• Correspondence with Hongxing Zhang, 1 item, dated 21 January 1996.
• Correspondence with Professor G.M. Bongard-Levin, 1 item, dated 21 February 1997.
• Correspondence with Professor Claudes Jacques, 2 items, dated 23 July 1997 - 4 March 1999.
• Correspondence with Professor Christopher Shackle, 2 items, dated 19-26 August 1997.
• Correspondence with Dr Elizabeth Moore, 2 items, dated 26-28 August 1997.
• Correspondence with Raymond Head, 1 item, dated 27 August 1997.
• Correspondence with Dr Vesta Curtis, 2 items, dated 1 -2 September 1997.
• Correspondence with Peter R.E. Willey, 4 items, dated 6 November 1997 - 26 February 1998.
• Correspondence with John Leach, 2 items, dated, 27 November - 17 December 1997.
• Correspondence with Professor G. Rex Smith, 3 items, dated 27 January - 29 September 1998.
• Correspondence with Mushirul Hasan, 2 items, dated 29 January - 11 March 1998.
• Correspondence concerning a letter by G.S.P. Freeman-Grenville, 3 items, dated 13-24 February 1998.
• Correspondence with Professor Michael Rogers, 2 items, dated 1 May - 26 June 1998.
• Correspondence with Simon Digby, 3 items, dated 23 May - 29 September 1998.
• Correspondence with Julian Sherrier, 2 items, dated 11 June - 13 July 1998.
• Correspondence with Dr Jenny Balfour-Paul, 2 items, dated 18 June - 22 September 1998.
• Correspondence with Dr R.K. de Silva, 1 item, dated 19 June 1998.
• Correspondence with Dr A. Walls, 1 item, dated 13 July 1998.
• Correspondence with Dr C. William Radice, 2 items, dated 4 - 8 September 1998.
• Correspondence with Professor Robert B. Betts, 1 item, dated 24 September 1998 and a map of the Syrian area needed for his lecture of 8 April 1999.
• Correspondence concerning the possibility of the Society hosting a book launch for William Dalrymple's 'The Age of Kali: Travels and Encounters in India', 2 items, dated 7 - 16 October 1998.
• Correspondence with Farrokh Vajifdar, 3 items, dated 15 -19 April 1999.

There is also a set of correspondence specifically about the Summer Lecture Series of 1998, These include correspondence with Fenella Goddard, Romila Thapar, Claudes Jacques, Karl Phillips, Philip Scott, Keith Whitlam, David Hawkins, and Maurizio Tozzi, 35 items, dated 9 July 1997 - 5 May 1998.