Persian, Sanskrit and Arabic manuscripts of Alexander Walker

Persian, Sanskrit (with a few in Gujarati and Hindi) and Arabic manuscripts of Alexander Walker, 15th?-19th century. The subjects of the manuscripts include epic, history, law, mathematics, medicine and poetry.

Brigadier-general Alexander Walker (1764-1831) made a collection of Persian, Sanskrit and Arabic manuscripts, presumably while Governor of Baroda. See the Dictionary of National Biography for details.

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk).

Presented to the Library by Sir William Walker, Alexander Walker's son, in 1845.

Collection level description created by Susan Thomas, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

Falconer Madan, et al., A summary catalogue of western manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford which have not hitherto been catalogued in the Quarto series (7 vols. in 8 [vol. II in 2 parts], Oxford, 1895-1953; reprinted, with corrections in vols. I and VII, Munich, 1980), vol. IV, nos. 23194-408.

The manuscripts are also summarily described in the card catalogue, arranged by language, located in the Oriental Reading Room.

E. Sachau, H. Eth and A.F.L. Beeston Catalogue of the Persian, Turkish, Hindstn, and Pusht manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, 3 vols. (Oxford, 1889-1953), vols. 1-2.

Theodor Aufrecht, Moriz Winternitz, A.B. Keith Codices Sanscriticos complectens, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1864-1909), vols. 1-2. See also A.B. Keith Catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts in the Bodleian Library : appendix to vol. 1 (Oxford, 1909).

A.B. Keith A catalogue of Prakrit manuscripts in the Bodleian Library (Oxford, 1911).

Originally there were 265 pieces, but these have been reduced by binding to 215. There is an old list of the manuscripts, made in about 1810, showing that at one time there were as many as 650 pieces.