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From 1904-1929 the Royal Asiatic Society awarded a Gold Medal to a schoolboy writing on a chosen essay title. However, as entrants dwindled and few schools seemed interested in teaching Indian history, it was decided that the competition should be changed to one for undergraduate students. The change was finalised on 15th December 1931. Regulations for the University Prize Essay Fund were drawn up in 1932 and the first prize was awarded in 1933. In 1939, Professor Perceval Yetts designed a certificate to be presented with the prize (an example of this can be found in these papers). The prize was initially awarded annually but then became biennial. The prize money also increased at various intervals.
The records of the Universities Prize Essay cover the conversion from the Public School Medal to the Universities Prize Essay Fund, governance of the award and the conferment of the Honour in subsequent years. They include Rules, correspondence, and winning essays. However there are not records for all instances of the presentation of the award. Researchers are advised to also examine the Council Minutes and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (both held in the RAS Collections) when researching concerning the Universities Prize Essay and its recipients.

In 1973 the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its Sesquicentenary (150 years). The archival material includes Planning committee administration; material connected with the various events held, exhibitions put on and publications produced in celebration of the occasion; and material concerned with fundraising for the Society.

The Sir Richard Burton Medal – On 12 April 1921 the Council of the RAS agreed to found a Richard Burton memorial lecture in commemoration, that year, of the 100th anniversary of Burton's birth. A fund was established to finance the lecture and by 1923, £60 had been subscribed. It was decided in March 1923 that part of this would be used to fund the Burton Medal. This would be awarded to the person chosen to deliver the lecture, which was to deal with Burton, his travels or some suitable subject of exploration. The presentation and the lecture would take place triennially. The medal was designed in 1924 by Pinches, to be cast in silver and gilded. In practice those chosen to give the Burton lecture were expected to have undertaken exploration and research in the East, and more particularly in close association with local people, or in difficult circumstances. A fund was established to finance the lecture and by 1923, £60 had been subscribed. It was decided in March 1923 that part of this would be used to fund the Burton Medal.
This archive contains papers pertaining to the inauguration and awarding of the Sir Richard Burton Medal

The Papers includes:

• Correspondence
• Administrative documents
• Printed materials including newspaper articles
• Examples of the Medal
• Photographs

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.

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.

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.