Papers of Emil Forchhammer

A collection of papers written by, or relating to, Emil Forchhamer which have been bound into a single volume entitled Papers on subjects relating to the Archaeology of Burma: Forchhammer. These papers are:

• Letter from H.R.H. Coxe, Under Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, to The Secretary to the Government of India, Revenue and Agricultural Department, concerning the work undertaken by Forchhammer as Government Archaeologist from 1883 to 1889. it plots out Forchhammer's work in collecting Talaing and Pali manuscripts for the Bernard Free Library, and his investigations in the Arakan region. The letter requests that Forchhammer is relieved from his professorial duties in order that he may survey the Pagan region. Dated 15 July 1889. Printed material with handwritten annotations concerning its arrival at the India Office, 11 March 1891 and also bearing an India Office stamp for 31 March 1891.
• Notes on the Early History and Geography of British Burma. I: The Shwe Dagon Pagoda by Em. Forchhammer. Printed pamphlet from Rangoon Government Press, 1883 concerning the pagoda.
• Sections from the 1889 Revenue and Agricultural Department Report from the Chief Commissioner of Burma. The sections are on Pali literature and Archaeology and are written by Forchhammer. This is also in support of Forchhammer's release from professorial duties in favour of archaeological investigation. Dated 18 June 1889.
• Resolution on the Transfer of the Management of the Rangoon College and High School to the Education Syndicate. This is an extract from the Proceedings of the Chief Commissioner of Burma, dated 10 August 1886, in which it sets out the requirements for the transfer to take place. This includes Dr Forchhammer's transfer as one of the members of teaching staff. Printed material with printed signature of E.S. Symes, Secretary.
• Report from the Officiating Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of Burma to the Secretary to the Government of India, Home Department, to supply a report on the work done by Dr Forchhammer in connection with ancient manuscripts since 1892. Dated 2 September 1889.
• Extract from letter No. 209-89A, dated 10th August 1889, from the Government Archaeologist in which Forchhammer reports on the 670 palm-leaf manuscripts he has collected and copied which are deposited in the Manuscript Department of the Bernard Free Library.
• Letter No. 598-1A, dated Rangoon, 22nd April 1890, from H.R.H. Coxe, Under-Secretary to the Chief Commissioner, Burma, to the Secretary to the Government of India, Revenue and Agricultural Department in which he reports on the written work completed by Forchhammer on the regions of Arakan and Pagan, and of the work still required. The letter requests that Forchhammer be allowed to return to Europe to complete his work due to the poor state of his health.
• Arakan I. - Mahamuni Pagoda. Printed version of Forchhammer's work on the Pagoda, including photographic plates. It is annotated to state his authorship and that it was received as an enclosure of a letter from the Chief Governor of Burma No. 596/1a, dated 22 April 1890.
• Arakan II. - Mrohaung - the second chapter of Forchhammer's work on Arakan again with photographic plates, a map, and with annotation that it was received as an enclosure in the same letter from the Chief Governor.
• Arakan III. - Launggyet, Minbya, Urittaung, Akyab, and Sandoway - the third chapter of Forchhammer's work on Arakan with plates and annotation concerning its enclosure within the letter from the Chief Governor.
• Pagan I. - The Kyaukku Temple - the first chapter of Forchhammer's uncompleted work on Pagan with photographic plates and annotations concerning its enclosure within the same letter and ascribing authorship to Forchhammer.

Emil Forchhammer was a German-born Swiss Professor of Pali at Rangoon College, Myanmar. He collected and copied Pali and Talaing manuscripts which he deposited in the Bernard Free Library in Rangoon (now the National Library of Myanmar). He also worked as an archaeologist for the Survey of Burma, including being its first Director. In 1883 and 1884 he visited the Amherst, Prome and Thayetmyo districts collecting manuscripts and copying inscriptions. In 1885 he made an extensive tour of Arakan. He created a publication about Arakan which went to the Press in 1886 but was not actually published until 1891, a year after his death. From 1886 to 1888 he catalogued the library of the late Nyaungyan Prince and other Pali manuscripts. He suffered from ill health, but wished to survey Pagan, which he undertook in 1888-9. it was requested that he be allowed to return to Europe to complete his work on Pagan. Unfortunately, Forchhammer died in 1890 before his work could be completed.

Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here. 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.

These were acquired from the India Office in 1892.

This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.

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.

The papers were part of the India Office papers, official documents in the business of the Government of India. They were collated together and donated to the Royal Asiatic Society in 1892.

There are several books by Forchhammer within the Society's collections. Details can be found here.