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Archival description
GB 891 SC63 · Fonds · 1400-1499

A plate of part of the 'Akshobhya in his Abhirati Heaven', the 15th century image from Western Tibet (Guge) which is found in the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This plate shows only the bottom left corner of the image. Pencilled on its surround is '165e'.

Nasli Heeramaneck
GB 891 SC61 · Fonds · 1424

A copy of the foundation epigraph from the Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad. This is written in black ink on paper which has been mounted onto cloth. The epigraph translates as: 'This lofty edifice and extensive mosque was built by the slave who trusts and returns and has recourse to the mercy of God who is kind, who alone is to be worshipped according to the Qur'an verse: "Verily, the Mosques belong to God; worship no one else with Him" - by the slave who trusts in the helping God, Nasiruddunya waddin Abul Fath Ahmad Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, son of Muzaffar, the king. The date of its erection from the flight of the Prophet (God's blessings on him) is the first day of Safar (may the month end successfully and Victoriously) of the year 827 [4 January 1424]. (This translation was undertaken by H. Blochmann in his article 'Eight Arabic and Persian Inscriptions', Indian Antiquary 1875, pp. 289-293.)

Blochmann Henry Ferdinand
GB 891 SC3 · Fonds · 1630 - 1676

Three notebooks into which have been copied extracts from the letter books for 1630-1673 and 1675-1676 from the Surat factory.

Untitled
GB 891 SC15 · Fonds · 1653

Sheet of blue card with the dedication: "To the Right Honorable C.W.W.Wynne, President, and to the Members of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain, This Representation of a Magnificent Indian Golden Medal or Coin (of 70 oz wt), Taken from a richly Gilt Copper Facsimile of the Original is most respectfully Inscribed by their obedient servant Wm Yule, Major E.I.C." The card measures 56cm by 44cm and is dated Edinburgh, 1st May, 1834. Besides the dedication the card bears details of the inscriptions on both observe and reverse sides of the coin, with equivalent English translation and Romanised Arabic. The coin was cast in the reign of Shah Jahan I, A.H. 1064 (1653).

Please note, the card has suffered water damage and is in a fragile condition.

Yule William 1764-1839
GB 891 PAR · Fonds · 1700 - 2022

These papers were collated by Saroj Nalini Arambam and John Parratt in their research of the area of Manipur, India. They include original and copied manuscripts in Meetei Mayek and Bengali scripts, and offprints and copies of articles on Manipur.

Parratt Saroj N. Arambam 1933-2008 Saroj Nalini Arambam
Papers of P.E. Roberts
GB 891 PER · Fonds · 1702 - 1753

The Papers of P.E. Roberts consists of lists extracted from the India Office Letter Books for 1702 to 1753. These handwritten lists detail, for each year, all the East India Company ships sent out from Britain, their tonnage, the destination of each and the value of the cargo.

With the lists are two typed letters from Roberts to William Harrison Moreland, sent from Worcester College, Oxford. The first, dated 12 January 1924, explains that Roberts had been looking through old papers and had come across the lists which he had made about 23 years ago. Feeling he would not use them, he was about to dispose of them when he thought Moreland might find them helpful. He therefore asks if Moreland would like them. Roberts also comments on his admiration for Moreland's books on Indian Economic History.

In the second letter, dated 15 January 1924, Roberts thanks Moreland for his letter and writes to send him the extracts. Roberts recalls that he was working for Sir William Hunter at that time he made the lists and, that subsequently, he found the lists were accurate according to Hardy's Shipping Register.

Roberts P. E. 1873-1949
GB 891 SC29 · Fonds · 1742 - 1874

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.

Malet Sir Alexander 2d bart
GB 891 SC32 · Fonds · 1745 - 1795

"Diccionario Grandonico Malabar Portvguez" - a dictionary of Malayalam and Sanskrit words written in Malayalam script, explained in Portugese. The title page is printed and dates the book to Verapoly, 1745. A Malayalam and English inscription on the title page states that the book was purchased by Lieut. M.S. Osbourne from J. de Santos, Sheristadar, of Tellicherry Adaulatt, in 1795. The volume is bound with marbled cover. The front board is loose from the spine. With the book is a typed label with an identifying description.

Osbourne H.S.
GB 891 SC41 · Fonds · [1752 - 1799]

An imperfect copy of the Puthen Pana or the Misiha Charitham of Johann Ernst Hanxelden. A letter inserted into the book, dated 26 January 1934, sent from L.D. Barnett to Mrs Cardew, identifies the volume and dates it as 18th century. The Puthen Pana is a poem written by Hanxleden about the life of Jesus Christ. On the front papers there is a note to state that the manuscript was given to the Society by Sir Alexander Johnston and that it is in Malayalam.

The poem consists of 14 padams. The first padam informs readers that the poem is written at the request of Antonio Pimental, Archbishop of Cranganore. The second padam focuses on the Fall of Man, fourth - the Annunciation, fifth - the Nativity, seventh - the Sermon on the Mount, tenth - the Last Supper, eleventh - the Trial and Crucifixion, the twelfth padam portrays the lament of Virgin Mary at the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus, thirteenth - the Resurrection, and the fourteenth portrays the Ascension. The 12th padam is considered the most important in the poem. But for the 12th, which is written in the metre, Nathonatha, the rest of the couplets are written in the metre, Sarpini.

Some of the pages are fragile and a few have had historic conservation repairs.

Hanxleden Johann Ernst 1681-1732
GB 891 GCH · Fonds · 1765 - 1837

Five handwritten leather bound volumes - four contain Reports on the Finances of Bengal and the fifth contains English notes/translation of the Shahnamah of Firdausi. Each bears the names A. Hamilton and G. Haughton; the four Finance books also bear the inscription "Presented to the Royal Asiatic Society by Sir Graves Haughton, 1 April 1837."

Hamilton Alexander 1762-1824 Linguist