Royal Asiatic Society: 160th Anniversary Celebrations

In 1983 the Royal Asiatic Society celebrated its 160th Anniversary with a lecture, concert and Vin d'honnuer. There is a small amount of publicity material and correspondence related to this celebration.

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 Malaysian Branch was founded at the Raffles Library, Singapore, in November 1877, as the Straits Asiatic Society. It applied for incorporation with the Royal Asiatic Society which was enacted the following year when it was renamed as the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In 1964, it became the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. The Journal has been published since 1878.

The material was divided into two series for the publicity material and for correspondence.

Open. Please contact the archivist using the email address given 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 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 Malaysian Branch was founded at the Raffles Library, Singapore, in November 1877, as the Straits Asiatic Society. It applied for incorporation with the Royal Asiatic Society which was enacted the following year when it was renamed as the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. In 1964, it became the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. The Journal has been published since 1878.

This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2019.

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 Council (RAS GOV1) and General Meeting (RAS LEC1) Minutes may hold further information concerning the Anniversary. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1984) has a paragraph concerning the celebrations within the Report for the Anniversary General Meeting.

Published

gb891-rasann160