In 1984, the Asiatic Society celebrated its bicentenary. This material is concerned with the celebrations held in both Britain and India. These are:

Letter from the Director, Royal Asiatic Society, to John Burton-Page to ask if he would be the Society's contact to 'celebrate Sir William Jones in 1984'. Typed, dated 8 May 1978.

Letter from Garland Cannon, Professor of Linguistics, Texas A&M University, to Joan C. Lancaster, Director, India Office Library and Records, to respond to her suggestion of a London site for an International Symposium on the Bicentenary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. With this letter are others of support to and from Allan H. Fry, American Society of Geolinguistics, and to Mr. Afgani, Cologne, Germany. All these letters are photocopies, dated 13 May - 30 May 1978.

Letter from E.V. Gibson, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Professor Ballhatchet to enclose literature for a possible symposium in 1984 for the bicentenary. Typed, dated 16 February 1982.

Correspondence between Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, and Barry C. Bloomfield, The British Library, concerning the possibility of an exhibition at the British Library and the offer of a paper from Garland Cannon. Two letters, dated 29 June-20 September 1982. With this correspondence are copies of the correspondence between Ray Desmond and Garfield Cannon concerning the paper, two letters, dated 30 August - 7 September 1982.

Correspondence between Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, and P.C. Gupta, President, Asiatic Society, concerning the celebrations planned in London and inviting members of the Asiatic Society to be part of them. Two letters, dated 11 -25 November 1982.

Note to the President, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform of a phone call from Mr Twite of the British Council concerning the Asiatic Society's intentions for celebrating their bicentenary. Typed, dated 14 December 1982.

Correspondence between the British Council, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Asiatic Society concerning the visit of Dr Chandan Roy Chaudhuri, General Secretary, Asiatic Society, to England and the chance for him to discuss the bicentenary celebrations. 3 letters and a reference, dated 28 July - 10 October 1983.

Letter from Satya S. Pachori, University of North Florida, to Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to inquire regarding the possibility of presenting a paper at any forthcoming celebration of the bicentenary of the Asiatic Society, dated 12 October 1983.

Letter from R.H. Robins, Honorary Secretary, The Philological Society, to the Royal Asiatic Society to inquire regarding their plans to celebrate William Jones in 1984 as the Philological Society were considering a celebration in 1986 of 200 years since Jones' 'famous address to the Asiatick Society in 1786', dated 17 October 1983. With the letter are cards for the Meetings and the Council of the Philological Society.

Letter from Dr Chandan Roy Chaudhuri, General Secretary, Asiatic Society, to Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to invite him to be present at their celebrations to be inaugurated by Smt. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, on 15 January 1984, dated 11 October 1983.

Correspondence between Tan Sri Dato' Mubin Sheppard, Honorary Secretary, Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, and Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning the potential bicentenary celebrations of the Asiatic Society. Two letters, dated 10 -31 October 1983.

Letter from E.V. Gibson, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Fellows of the Society to inform them of the celebration of the Bicentenary of the Asiatic Society which the Royal Asiatic Society will hold on 12 January 1984. Dated 28 October 1983.

Letter from Dr Chandan Roy Chaudhuri, General Secretary, Asiatic Society, to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to give details of the bicentenary celebrations, to ask the presence of the Society and also requesting that the Society should celebrate the bicentenary. Dated 29 November 1983.

Letter from Hugh Cortazzi, British Embassy, Tokyo, to Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, to send a letter of congratulations to the Asiatic Society from the Asiatic Society of Japan and to ask for him to forward it. The letter is with this one, both dated 2 December 1983.

Correspondence from Tan Sri Dato' Mubin Sheppard, Honorary Secretary, Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, to Dennis Duncanson, President, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning a representative from the Malaysian Branch at the bicentenary celebrations of the Asiatic Society. Two letters, dated 4-23 December 1983.

Letter of congratulations from the Council and Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society to the Council and Fellows of the Asiatic Society which is to be sent by the hand of Sir Cyril Philips, Vice-President of the Royal Asiatic Society. Undated.

Letter from the President, Royal Asiatic Society to Dr Chandan Roy Chaudhuri, General Secretary, Asiatic Society, to express the Society's gratification at the news brought back by Sir Cyril Philips concerning the Asiatic Society, particularly concerning its future. Dated 23 March 1984

"Rediscovery of our Heritage (The Inaugural Speech at the Bi-Centenary Celebrations of the Asiatic Society at Calcutta on 11th January 1984), Indira Gandhi", printed pamphlet containing the speech.

"The British Library Exhibition Notes: Sir William Jones and the Asiatic Society of Bengal". Printed exhibition leaflet held from 20 January - 29 April 1984 at the British Library, 3 copies.

Newspaper article "Letter from Calcutta" with section entitled, "Society in Distress" concerning the financial predicament of the Asiatic Society as it approaches its 200th anniversary. From The Illustrated Weekly of India, 6 February 1983.

Photocopy of a newspaper article, "Asiatic Society on verge of closure" regarding the state of the Asiatic Society. From Calcutta, The Telegraph, 14 March 1983.

• Printed notification from Philip, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, President of the Royal Society of Arts, concerning an Extraordinary Meeting of Council at Buckingham Palace on 16 July 1953, where it was resolved that the bicentenary of the Society be commemorated in 1954 with Divine Service at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields on 22 March followed by a Special Meeting of Members of the Society in the Society's House, John Adam Street, Adelphi, at which congratulatory addresses of kindred Societies may be presented.
• Letter from the President, Royal Asiatic Society, to the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Radnor, K.C.V.O., Chairman of the Council, Royal Society of Arts, to send, from the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society, felicitations on the bicentenary of the Royal Society of Arts. Dated 11 February 1954.

On acceptance of an article for the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, authors sign an agreement which assigns copyright to the Society under various conditions laid out in the agreement. This series contains the signed agreements some physically, some electronically, arranged chronologically, from 1966 to current.

• Correspondence between E.C.B. MacLaurin, University of Sydney, and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the possibility of starting an Australian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and the form that might take. Four letters, typed, dated 11 November 1963-8 June 1964.
• Correspondence between Major R.A. Podesta, and the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, concerning the possibility of establishing a Queensland Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Two letters, typed, dated 10 April 1970-22 April 1970.

Attendance forms for Turkish day and correspondence regarding people attending. These are:

• Two versions of attendance form with reply slip, one for Professor Bernard Lewis and one for Dr Geoffrey Lewis lecturing, undated.
• Five letters from people wishing to attend the Turkish day, dated 20 March 1973 - 27 March 1973.
• Two letters from Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Miss Murphy concerning the lecturer at the Turkish day, dated 29 March 1973 -13 April 1973.

Two copies of the attendance form for the Japan Day. A further letter from A.R.C. Westlake to Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to say how much he enjoyed the lecture and meeting the people from the Japan Society, dated 28 September 1973.

A printed invitation/ admittance card to the Iran Day and a notification of the Iran day with reply form.

Correspondence and Lists concerning attendance at the opening reception for Anniversary Exhibition. These are:

• Letter from John Villiers, Director, Royal Asiatic Society, to Steven Runciman/ Lord Dahrendorf to ask whether they would be willing to give a short address at the Reception. The letter was originally addressed to Steven Runciman and has been annotated to be changed to address Lord Dahrendorf. Dated 22 April 1998.
• Letter from Steven Runciman to John Viilliers, Director, Royal Asiatic Society, to reply to Villiers' request that he speak but to refuse because of infirmity, dated 26 April 1998.
• Letter from Dr John Villiers, Royal Asiatic Society, to Lord Dahrendorf to ask whether he would be willing to give a short address at the Exhibition reception, dated 30 April 1998.
• Acceptance letter from Mr Graham Greene, British Museum, to attend the reception, dated 1 June 1998.
• Regrets from Ma Zhengang, Ambassador, Embassy of People's Republic of China that he will be unable to attend the reception, dated 2 June 1998.
• Regrets from Henry Keswick, Matheson & Co. Ltd. that he will be unable to attend the reception, dated 2 June 1998.
• Regrets on behalf of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan that he will be unable to attend the reception, dated 2 June 1998.
• Acceptance from Robert Knox, British Museum, to attend the reception, dated 2 June 1998.
• Regrets on behalf of Princess Wijdan Ali that she cannot attend the reception, dated 7 June 1998.
• Letter from Noel Guina, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to Robert Knox, British Museum, to send a list of the acceptances received as of the 12 June. The list is with the letter, dated 12 June 1998.
• Letter from Samuel Courtauld, James Capel Investment Management, to Noel Guina, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to thank him for the hospitality shown at the reception, dated 17 June 1998.

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai, for some part of its history, was affiliated to the Royal Asiatic Society. This material dates from that time and is:

• "Four Important Reprints on South East Asia" from Kraus Reprint, Liechtenstein. An advertising pamphlet for reprints of Asian material including for the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Bombay Branch, for 1841-1923. Printed, dated 1969.
• Letter from the Librarian, Asiatic Society of Bombay, to the Royal Asiatic Society to thank them for the gift of the publication, "The Royal Asiatic Society - Its History and Treasures". Typed, dated 20 November 1980.

This material was collated in the interactions between the Asiatic Society of Japan and the Royal Asiatic Society.