Identity area
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- 1822-1840 (Creation)
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3 files, handwritten
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Horace Hayman Wilson (1786-1860) was an English orientalist who studied medicine at St Thomas' Hospital, London, before travelling to India in 1808 to become an assistant surgeon for the East India Company in Bengal. Whilst in Calcutta he devoted his attention to the study of Indian languages, especially Sanskrit, and in 1811 became the Secretary of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, upon the recommendation of Henry Colebrooke. In 1832, Wilson left India as he was appointed the first Professorship in Sanskrit at Oxford University. Four years later he became Librarian at East India House and he fulfilled both positions for many years. Wilson wrote extensively on the subjects of Sanskrit literature, Hindu religion, and Indian history. He became Director of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1837 following Colebrooke's death, and remained in position until his own death in 1860.
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Archival history
The manuscript of the Panchatantra was created by Horace Hayman Wilson and probably sent to the Society for reading at a General Meeting and possible future publication where it was annotated by Henry Thomas Colebrooke. It is unclear whether the Vishnu Purana manuscript was created by H.H. Wilson or another hand. As it is incomplete it may have been that some person was creating a fair copy of H.H. Wilson's work. The copies of the letters were presented to the Society by Lieutenant Colonel Doyle on 15 March 1834.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
They were acquired from H.H. Wilson and from Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Doyle.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Documents connected to H.H. Wilson. These are:
- An Analytical Account of the Panchatantra
- Notes on the Vishnu Purana
- Copies of letters sent to and from H.H. Wilson concerning the allowance of the late Colonel Wilford.
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Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.
Conditions governing reproduction
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
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- English
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Related units of description
Wilson's Analytical Account of the Pancha Tantra, illustrated with occasional Translations with note by Henry Thomas Colebrooke was published in the Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, Vol. 1, pp. 155-200.
All Wilson's works were gathered by Reinhold Rost and published posthumously in 1864 under the title Works by the Late Horace Hayman Wilson, M.A., F.R.S., copies of which are held within our Library Collections.
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This catalogue was created by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2024.