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A set of handwritten copies of Sanskrit inscriptions and some English translations. These include:

• 'Translation of an inscription found in one of the Palitana Temples of Kattywar (Kathiawar) by Capt. Geo. LeGrand Jacob 1937'. This is the title on a handwritten small blue label. Under the title is written 'Not worth printing, HHW' (Horace Hayman Wilson). The document itself consists of 8 sides - 4 of these are of the translation of the inscription on stone, signed by Jacob and dated 6 February 1837. Under the translation is a further note in a different hand about the lack of historical value of this inscription. The following 3 pages give notes regarding the inscription, again signed by Jacob and dated 24 February 1837. The final page is headed 'Private note' which suggests if published the writer rather than the Society takes responsibility for the content. This is signed J.W.
• 'Inscription on the most ancient of the Jain Temples at Palitana in Kattywar bearing dates of [Samoat] 1582 for the foundation and 1587 for the completion'. This is signed by George LeGrand Jacob, Government Political Agent, Kattywar. This is a lengthy handwritten inscription in Sanskrit, possible the Sanskrit version of the translation above.
• 'Sanskrit rendering of Copperplate Inscription found near Palitana in Kattywar (Kathiawar) deciphered by J. Prinsep' with further note 'NB. The plate is incomplete only one leaf of the tablet having been found'. A handwritten copy in Sanskrit of the inscription.
• 'Translation by Mr J. Prinsep, Sec. of Calcutta As. Soc., of Copper tablet inscription found near the Hill of Palitane in Kattywar' A single sheet of English translation. Further writing on the reverse of the translation indicate it was received by the Royal Asiatic Society in November 1839 and read at their General Meeting on 7 November 1839.
• Four short Sanskrit inscriptions numbered 1-4 in English numerals and titled '[Biluspoor] (Bilaspur?) near Kutah and indicating they are family documents.
• A single sheet of a Sanskrit inscription labelled '[Chundrabhagu]'.
• A large sheet of Sanskrit writing with illegible title in English but probably bearing the number 1216.
• A large sheet with what appears to be a genealogical table in Sanskrit with accompanying. English translation. The sheet also bears Sanskrit phrases with English translation.

Three letters sent from the Qajar court to Sir Gore Ouseley in the course of his diplomatic mission. These are:

• Letter from Fath-Ali Shah to Sir Gore Ouseley concerned with the allegiance between Persia and England. This is dated to February 1812. The original letter, handwritten in Persian, has been mounted onto another piece of paper. With it is a handwritten translation into English.
• 'From His Royal Highness' - a letter from [Fath-Ali Shah] to Sir Gore Ouseley to thank him for the gift of a 'elegant crystal candlesticks' and other articles which were 'wholly in keeping with our desire'. This is undated. The original letter, handwritten in Persian, has been mounted onto another piece of paper. With it is a handwritten translation into English.
• 'A Letter from His Royal Highness Abbas Mirza Prince Royal of Persia to the Rt. Honble. Sir Gore Ouseley Bt.' concerning sending Murza Salih, a scribe of the court, to describe the circumstances at the court. Murza Salih has been chosen as he has previously spent time in England and can therefore talk to Ouseley without the use of an interpreter. Written in March-April 1822. The original letter, handwritten in Persian, has been mounted onto another piece of paper. With it is a handwritten translation into English and a further typed translation.

Correspondence with J.E. Talbert concerned with him acting as a tutor, finding a partner, requiring a secretary and looking for accommodation. These are:

• Correspondence from R.A. Cottman, Dorchester, Dorset, concerning Talbert providing 'practical instruction'. Handwritten, 3 letters dated 14 June 1945, 21 June 1945 and undated.
• Correspondence with Phyllis A. Bamattre, Social Agent, Leicester and London, concerning the possibility of Talbert being introduced to a possible partner. The material contains 3 typed letters from Phyllis A. Bamattre to J.E. Talbert with accompanying instructional leaflets and lists of ladies on her books, and 1handwritten draft letter from Talbert to Bamattre given his choice to pursue further. 39 pieces, dated 14 June - 18 August 1945.
• Correspondence from Edith Evans, Eccleshall, Staffordshire, concerning a potential friendship. Handwritten, 2 letters, dated 30 July - 15 August 1945.
• Postcard from Gilbert Marshall, Secretary, D.M.C.A., Bournemouth asking Talbert for more details so he may be able to help. Typed, dated 24 August 1945.
• Correspondence concerning Talbert's advertisement for a Secretary: a typed letter from Constance M. Bird with enclosed reference, 2 pieces, dated 4 September 1945; and a handwritten letter from Joan Eyers, 1 piece, dated 4 September 1945.
• Correspondence concerning Talbert's need for accommodation: correspondence from C.A. Rich to offer a room and then withdraw the offer, 2 letters, handwritten, dated 12 and 18 September 1945; a letter from Lucy Horrell to provide particulars of a room, handwritten with typed particulars, dated 1 October 1945; and a letter from R. Thurston to inform they have received his application from the Bureau of Accommodation and can offer what he requires, handwritten, dated 21 October 1945. These are all located in the Bournemouth area.
• Envelope addressed to the Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, 56 Queen Anne Street, London, postmarked, Bournemouth, Poole, 23 August 1947. The postage paid was inadequate and there are two postage due stamps each for four old pence. On the reverse are stickers stating, 'Medical Post'.

A copy of the foundation epigraph from the Jama Masjid, Ahmedabad. This is written in black ink on paper which has been mounted onto cloth. The epigraph translates as: 'This lofty edifice and extensive mosque was built by the slave who trusts and returns and has recourse to the mercy of God who is kind, who alone is to be worshipped according to the Qur'an verse: "Verily, the Mosques belong to God; worship no one else with Him" - by the slave who trusts in the helping God, Nasiruddunya waddin Abul Fath Ahmad Shah, son of Muhammad Shah, son of Muzaffar, the king. The date of its erection from the flight of the Prophet (God's blessings on him) is the first day of Safar (may the month end successfully and Victoriously) of the year 827 [4 January 1424]. (This translation was undertaken by H. Blochmann in his article 'Eight Arabic and Persian Inscriptions', Indian Antiquary 1875, pp. 289-293.)

Two wall-sheets or charts concerned with Chinese Secret Societies in Malaya and their disbandment, created for William Cowan, Protector of Chinese Perak in 1897. These are:

• A Wall-Sheet of Diplomas of the Secret Societies. These are hand drawn and painted onto paper which has been affixed to cloth measuring 141cm x 89cm. The bottom end of the chart is fixed into a wooden pole which acts to weight it. On the sheet are replicas of the membership diplomas and seals of the various societies with their names and the colour of their emblems written in English. This includes those dissolved in 1890. The top left corner bears the description, 'Towards the end of 1889, proclamations were widely issued in the Straits Settlements, to prepare all classes for the abolition of all Secret Societies, and special notices were given to the Societies registered as Dangerous under the old Ordinance that they would not be registered under the new Ord: No. 1 of 1889 but must wind up their affairs by the 30th June 1889. The Singapore and Penang Societies in 1890 delivered up their chops and books, and Messrs. Powell and Hare were present at the Central Lodge when the headmen of the 6 Triad branches made formal renunciation by the burning of the original diplomas which constituted them part of the mother organisation - the "Gi-Hin"'. The top right corner bears the words, 'Wm Cowan, Protector of Chinese Perak'.

• A Wall Sheet with a pictorial representation of the Gi Hin rites, together with reproductions of documents and paraphernalia used by the Society, and some of the secret message-signs formed by the arrangement of tea-cups and chopsticks. These have also been drawn and painted on paper affixed to cloth with a pole at its bottom end. It measures 176 cm x 94 cm. At the bottom right corner are the words, 'Wm. Cowan, Ipoh 1897'.

The Royal Asiatic Society Medal was instigated in 2000 to replace the Society's Triennial Gold Medal and to be awarded in recognition of an outstanding contribution to scholarship in the field of Asian Studies. A new design for the Medal was sought and this was commissioned from Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn. The medal took longstanding symbols of the Society and gave them a modern twist. She suggested:

'The starting point for the design of the medal was an article by John Hansman in the Society's Journal of 1984: ‘The Emblems, Medals and Medallists of The Royal Asiatic Society’. I was very inspired by the Daniells’ design of a caparisoned elephant for a signet, first produced in 1824, which was used to seal letters and documents. A simplified version of this design by Professor Perceval Yetts has become the ‘logo’ of the society, stamped on its letter head and on all its publications, and so it was a particularly appropriate image to use. I depicted the signet impressed into the brass as if it were wax, to act as a metaphor for the medal as a ‘seal of approval’. Unlike most Victorian award medals the lettering is incised, this is so that it will blend in with the name of the recipient, which obviously has to be engraved at a later date. In 1823 the Banyan tree was chosen for the society’s official seal by the Council and it has been depicted on previous medals commissioned by the society. It is a magnificent tree and an apt symbol of the society, growing strong and branching out. The medal was cast (rather than struck) which allows for more depth in modelling and I tried to take advantage of that by depicting the tree as a mature and vigorous plant, still growing strongly.' (Email, see details in the catalogue).

The medal was first awarded to John Gullick in 2001 with subsequent awards being made:
2003 – Professor Edmund Bosworth
2006 – Professor Christopher Shackle
2009 – Professor Sir Christopher Bayly
2014 – Dr Bridget Allchin and Professor David Bivar
2019 - Professors Carole and Robert Hillenbrand
2023 – Robert Irwin

The material covered by this catalogue consists of correspondence and administrative documents concerning the setting up of the award and the commissioning of the medal, and the individual awards. There are also photographs of some of the award events and a sample of the medal.

Documents connected to H.H. Wilson. These are:

• An Analytical Account of the Panchatantra
• Notes on the Vishnu Purana
• Copies of letters sent to and from H.H. Wilson concerning the allowance of the late Colonel Wilford.

Two letters and three articles by Reinhold F.G. Müller. These are:

• Letter from Reinhard Müller to the Royal Asiatic Society to send an article from the Archivs für Geschichte der Medizin BD.15, Leipzig, about John Ambrose Barth, November 192,3 and two articles on the name 'Tschmolungma', one of which he asks to be forwarded to the Royal Geographical Society. Due to difficulties in obtaining material he also asks for the Society to send articles on Asian medicine. Typed, dated 10 December 1923.
• Letter from Reinhard Müller to the Royal Asiatic Society to thank for material sent and that he will send copies of his articles concerning them once published. He gives his bookseller, Otto Harrassowitz, as a suitable means of getting material to him and payment. Typed, dated 26 January 1924.
• "Abschrift - Mitteilungen zur Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften XXI Bd. Nr.1 Nr. 95/96, 1922." - review by Müller of L.A. Waddell's Ancient Indian Anatomical Drawings from Tibet, J.F. Fleet's The Standard Height of an Indian Man; and Berthold Laufer's Das Gitralakshana. Typed, dated 1922.
• "Abschrift - Mitteilungen zur Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften XXII Bd. Nr. 1/2 Nr. 100/101, 1923" - review by Müller of W.S. Hadaway’s Some Hindu “Silpa” Shastras in their Relation to South Indian Sculpture. Typed, dated 1923.
• Über asiatische Bergnamen - an offprint of an article by Müller from the Zeitschrift des Ōsterreichischen Alpenklubs, November 1923, concerning the naming of mountains in Tibet. Printed, dated November 1923.

A plate of part of the 'Akshobhya in his Abhirati Heaven', the 15th century image from Western Tibet (Guge) which is found in the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This plate shows only the bottom left corner of the image. Pencilled on its surround is '165e'.

The George Staunton Prize was initiated in 2007 for an article by a young scholar working on topics related to the history, archaeology, literature, language, religion, anthropology and art of Asia. A 'young scholar' was defined as someone in the process of completing their PhD or someone who has been awarded their doctorate within the previous five years. Award winning submissions were published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society and the winners received a prize of £250. Since its initiation the Prize has been awarded irregularly. Winners include:

• 2007- Nile Green for the article, ‘Jack Sepoy and the Dervishes: Islam and the Indian Soldier in Princely India’.
• 2008 - S.P. Ong for the article, 'Jurisdictional Politics in Canton and the First English Translation of the Qing Penal Code (1810)'.
• 2010 - joint winners: Felicia Yap for 'Eurasians in British Asia during the Second World War' and Martin Worthington for 'On Names and Artistic Unity in the Standard Version of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic'.
• 2014 - Dr Fozia Bora for her article, 'Did Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Destroy the Fatimids' Books? Historiographical Enquiry'.
• 2023 - Dr Kelsey Granger for her article, 'From Tomb-Keeper to Tomb-Occupant: The Changing Conceptualisation of Dogs in Early China'.

There is limited archival material at this stage but it contains:

2007

• One letter to enter an article for the prize, dated 26 May 2007.
• Official letter from Charlotte de Blois, Executive Editor, Royal Asiatic Society, to Nile Green to inform that he has been awarded the prize. Digital document, dated 30 May 2008.
• Copies of emails between Nile Green, Charlotte de Blois and Sarah Ansari, Honorary Editor, concerning receiving the prize, Typed, 1 piece, dated 2 May 2008.

2008

• One letter to enter an article for the prize, dated 28 May 2008.
• Copies of emails between Charlotte de Blois and Sujit Sivasundaram concerning assessment of entered essays. Typed, 2 pieces, dated 1 July - 14 November 2008.

2010

• Two letters to enter an article for the prize, dated 15 and 27 October 2010.

2011

• Two letters to enter an article for the prize, undated.
• Advertisement for submissions for both the Professor Mary Boyce Prize and the Sir George Staunton Prize.

2014

• 'Staunton Submissions' - list of candidates and their referees. Digital document, undated.
• 'Staunton Opinions' - summary of opinions of the judges for the articles submitted. Digital document, undated.

2015

• Advertisement for the Sir George Staunton Prize, articles to be submitted before 31 December 2015.