Royal Asiatic Society Archives

• Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

• Learned society

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas.

Most items in our Collections can be made available for you to consult in our Reading Room which is open at the following times: Tuesday: 10.00-17.00 Thursday: 14.00-17.00 Friday: 10.00-17.00

Anyone is welcome to visit to consult our collections during these hours, and almost all of our collections can be made available at short notice. We may ask for an explanation of your research if you request to see particularly rare or fragile material. For more information, please contact us. Please contact us to let us know when you intend to visit so we can ensure you are not disappointed upon your arrival. However, if for any reason you are not able to give us advance notice, we will do our best to accommodate you when you arrive. When you first visit the reading room, please bring photographic identification and proof of address. This is required to register as a reader and use our collections.

The Reading Room is located on the first floor of our building and is wheelchair accessible