Papers of George Grenville Malet

George Grenville Malet undertook the translation of Mahomed Masoom's A History of Sind. The History, which covers the period from A.D. 710 to A.D. 1590, was written in Persian at the end of the sixteenth century. Malet undertook the translation when he was Resident at Khairpur (Khyrpoor) with the assistance of Peer Mahomed, Residency Munshi. The translation was published in Mumbai in 1855, but these papers contain a handwritten manuscript of both the translation and the documentation and correspondence connected to the translation. The translation has been copied by a number of different hands. The signatures of these copyists appear at the end of their section.

With the manuscript is a letter from East India House to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to inform that the Court of Directors of the East India Company were sending to the Society a copy of the Translation and an 'Abstract Translation of a Copper Plate...for a grant of land in Bundlecund. This translation is not with the papers. The letter is dated 6 December 1849.

George Grenville Malet was born in Wiltshire in 1804, the son of Charles Warre Malet and Susanna Wales. He joined the East India Company Army in 1822 and served in the Bombay Presidency. During his time as Resident in Khairpur he undertook the translation. He married Mary Fleming Taylor. He died in battle in Bushire, Iran in 1856.

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.

The papers were sent by the East India Company to the Royal Asiatic Society.

The papers were 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.

The translation was undertaken by George Grenville Malet. This was copied by a number of hands for the East India Company to send to the Royal Asiatic Society.

A copy of the publication of Malet's translation, published in Bombay in 1855, forms part of the Society's collections.