Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1802 - 1804 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 bound volume handwritten
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Lallūjī Lāl Kavi was active at Fort William College.
Name of creator
Biographical history
It is presumed that Siva Prasanna Diivedi was associated with Fort William College.
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Gilchrist, a Scottish surgeon, linguist, philologist and Indologist, was Fort William College's first principal from 1800-1804.
Name of creator
Biographical history
John Romer was born in 1780 at Ancroft, County Durham, England. Romer held the office of Magistrate of Surat in 1816 and was Acting Governor of Bombay in 1831.He was vice-president of the British Empire Life Assurance Company Ltd in 1839. He wrote articles on Persian and Zand in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Repository
Archival history
The work was commissioned by John Gilchrist but came into the possession of John Romer.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
The volume was acquired as part of a large donation given to the Society by John Romer on 18 November 1848.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
A translation into the Braj Bhasha dialect of Hindi of Raja Niti, a version of the Hitopadesha, a series of fables. The translation was undertaken for John Gilchrist by Lallūjī Lāl Kavi and the scribe was Siva Prasanna Diivedi. it is dated to V.S. 1858/ Sāka 1825 which equates to 1802-3. The work was made for John Gilchrist when he was principal of Fort William College, Kolkata.
Pasted inside the front cover is a handwritten explanation of the Hitopadesha taken from 'Colebrooke's Preface to the "Hitopadesa" in the original Sanscrit'. The last front paper bears an English description of the work, the signature of John Romer, dated 1804, the Royal Asiatic Society stamp, and that the work was presented to the Society by John Romer. Also within the volume is a more modern label giving identification details and where it is noted as being a very early edition of the work.
Please note that the boards and some pages are loose from the binding and the book spine is no longer present. The boards are covered in red leather.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
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.
Language of material
- English
- Braj
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
Related units of description
John Romer donated manuscripts and books to the Society on 1 April 1837 and 18 November 1848. Details of those still in the collections can be found in our Library catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.
The Donations Register Nov 1843 to Dec 1857 ( RAS COLL3/3/1 ) records the donation of this volume on p.115. The guard book, available in the Reading Room, gives details of this volume on pp.66 & 88.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Lallūjī Lāl Kavi (Subject)
- Siva Prasanna Diivedi (Subject)
- Gilchrist John Borthwick 1759-1841 (Subject)
- Romer John b 1780 (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
The material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.