Royal Asiatic Society Lectures and Events: General Meetings, Lectures and Book Launches

Since its inception the Royal Asiatic Society has encouraged the dissemination of Asian studies through the delivering of papers and lectures. These, particularly throughout the early history, were part of the General Meetings and recorded in the Minutes of the General Meetings (RAS LEC1). The material in this catalogue concerns the administration and publicity of papers, lectures and book launches given for the 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.

The material was organised chronologically.

Partially open. More recent material may be closed for confidentiality reasons. 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.

As part of the institutional records, they have always been part of the Society's possessions.

The material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2023.

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.

These form part of the institutional records of the Royal Asiatic Society.

The material in the other lecture and events catalogues will have some overlap with the material in this catalogue. Governance catalogues may also provide further information, particularly those for the Anniversary General Meetings.