Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1946 - present (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 archival folder
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Name of creator
Administrative history
Name of creator
Administrative history
The British Library was created on 1 July 1973 as a result of the British Library Act 1972. Prior to this, the national library was part of the British Museum. The library is located on Euston Road, London, The British Library is a major research library, with items in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings. The Library's collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and items dating as far back as 2000 BC. The library maintains a programme for content acquisition.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The Society has within its collections three Persian manuscripts: the Shahnamah of Muhammad Juki (RAS Persian 239), the Gulistan of Sa‘di (RAS Persian 258), and the Masnavi of Zafar Khan (RAS Persian 310). These are both fragile and of great value. Therefore since 1946 they have been housed at other institutions which are able to provide the necessary care for them, firstly with the British Museum, then the British Library, and currently at the Cambridge University Library.
The material in this subseries concerns the care of these manuscripts:
- Correspondence and documentation concerning the loan of the manuscripts to the British Museum. Typed and printed, 11 pieces, dated 15 April 1946 - 30 December 1965.
- Correspondence between the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the conservation of the Shahnamah of Muhammad Juki manuscript, Typed, 13 pieces, dated 18 June 1992 - 29 September 1993.
- Correspondence between the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the making of microfilm copies of the manuscripts. Typed, 5 pieces, dated 19 October 1993 - 4 November 1993.
- 'RAS Manuscript. Shahnama. Persian MS 239 Conservation Report and Estimate 31 May 1994' - conservation report. Typed, 9 pieces.
- Correspondence between the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the further care of the manuscripts, Typed, 2 pieces, 4 November 1994 -10 August 1999.
- Correspondence, indemnity certificates and valuations for the documents for 1999 and 2002. Typed, printed and handwritten, 14 pieces, dated 7 September 1999 - 12 December 2002.
- Correspondence and documentation between the British Library and the Royal Asiatic Society concerning the loan of the manuscripts to other exhibitions. Typed, 8 pieces, dated 28 October 2010 - 7 February 2011.
- Loan documentation, indemnity certificate and valuations for the manuscripts for 2014. Typed and printed, 28 pieces.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Copies of the manuscripts can be found on our Digital Library: https://royalasiaticcollections.org/