Letter From Mrs Catherine Melia, Executive Officer, Royal Asiatic Society, to Major E.R.B. Hudson to thank for his donation, dated 29 January 2004.

Invoices for donations given to the Society in 2007, 4 pieces, typed, dated 12 July 2007 - 10 September 2007.

"RAS Donations Received" - list of donations to the Society, prepared for the Council Meeting of 12 February 2009.

Between 2006 and 2011, a Fundraising Group or Committee was in place to raise funds for the Society. The material in this series consists of:

• Minutes for Meeting of the Fundraising Group or Committee between 18 September 2006 and 9 June 2011.
• Fundraising brochures: a colour brochure entitled 'Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland' with accompanying leaflet 'How can you contribute to the Future of the Royal Asiatic Society', 2 copies of each.
• Printed card listing Members of Council 2008-2009, Members of the Fund Raising Committee and Members of Staff.

The majority of administrative papers are not retained after their active lives. These ones have ben kept as of potential archival interest. These are:

• Correspondence between Diana Crawford, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society and D.H. Bramall, T.L. Wilson & Co., Solicitors, concerning the whereabouts of original Deeds of Trust for some of the Society's Trust Funds. Two letters, typed with handwritten annotations, dated 19 January - 22 February 1966.
• Budget and allied papers for 1998-2004, 37 pieces, typed and computer printed.
• 'Royal Asiatic Society Accounts and Accounting Procedures June 2000' giving a brief account of each of the function in the Society's ledger, 5 pieces, computer printed.
• Correspondence with auditors covering the period from 1991-2005, 60 pieces, typed and computer printed.
• Correspondence concerning the Society's use of the Charities Aid Foundation from 2010-2012, 20 pieces, typed and computer printed.

The first written records available concerning the administration of the Fund begin in 1930. These are mainly correspondence between the School of Oriental Studies, London Institute, the Royal Asiatic Society and their solicitors. There are also some meeting minutes and statements of accounts. Thus:

1930

• Letter from J.H. Lindsay, Secretary, School of Oriental Studies, to Col. D.M.F. Hoysted, Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to ask for a grant of £30 for a course of ten lectures by Frank Hawley on Linguistics, dated 25 November 1930. On the reverse is a handwritten draft of the following letter.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to ask for a budget for the Fund for 1931, including the lectures by Hawley, which can be considered at the next Council Meeting, dated 26 November 1930.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted with the proposed budget of £42 for bursaries for T.N. Dave and B.A. Saletore, £50 for lectures by Captain Creswell and £30 for lectures by Hawley, dated 1 December 1930.

1931

• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Colonel Hoysted to inform that the Academic Board had recommended that the renumeration for Captain Creswell's lecture be increased to fifty guineas. He hopes the Trustees will concur, dated 27 February 1931.
• Letter from Edward Denison Ross, Director, School of Oriental Studies, to Col. Hoysted to enclose a letter from Oxford University Press concerning the Index to the Tso-Chuan and inform that the money required has been sanctioned by the Forlong Committee and can be paid, dated 13 March 1931.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to inform that the increase for Captain Creswell has been accepted, dated 16 March 1931.
• Letter from E.H. Brick, Accountant, School of Oriental Studies, to the Assistant Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to clarify the amounts for the bursaries for Dave and Saletore, dated 19 March 1931.
• Letter from J.H Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to inform of the School's recommended expenditure for the forthcoming year; the money to be spent on a bursary for B.G. Pandit, a series of four lectures on Modern Movements in Islam, and on the publication of the third volume of the 'Tar'rīkh-i Jahangushay' in facsimile, dated 15 September 1931.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to inform that the expenditure been authorised by the Society and the money will be forwarded, dated 19 October 1931.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to inform that Professor Louis Massignon and Professor Kampffmeyer have given their lectures on modern Islam and the other lectures will also soon be held. He therefore asks how the lecturers are to be paid, dated 10 November 1931.

1932

• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col, Hoysted to forward the recommendations of the Academic Board that the monies from the Forlong Fund be used to pay a Bursary to A.H. Siddiqi, to cover his PhD and his Arabic fees, and for an annual contribution to a scholarship to encourage Oriental studies among Western Students, dated 11 February 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to state the recommendations would be put forward at the Council Meeting in March, dated 12 February 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to E,S.M. Perowne, Solicitor, to ask his opinion on the proposal for a scholarship, dated 15 February 1932.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to suggest reviewing the Forlong Fund documents before making a decision about the scholarship, dated 16 February 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to inform that at the meeting of the Academic Board it was suggested that the Forlong Fund be used for a visit of H.W. Bailey to Persia, and for £50 be set aside towards the special scholarship fund, dated 26 February 1932.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to thank for the papers he has sent regarding the Forlong Fund and to ask him to trace the Council Resolutions so he can better advise the Society, dated 26 February 1932.
• Draft letter from Col. Hoysted to E.S.M. Perowne to send information regarding the Council resolutions regarding the Forlong Fund, dated 2 March 1932.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to state he is sending the Papers concerning the Forlong Fund to Mr Wilson, the Honorary Solicitor, for his opinion, dated 7 March 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to inform that the Academic Board recommends that money from the Fund should be use for the publication of 'Dialogues in the Eastern Turki dialect on subjects of interest to Travellers', dated 7 March 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to A.N. Wilson, Honorary Solicitor, to send the letters concerning the Forlong Fund and to state that the Honorary Treasurer believes the foundation of a scholarship would fall within the remit of the trust. He also enquires about funding H.W. Bailey's trip to Persia, dated 11 March 1932.
• Letter from Stephen Austin & Sons Ltd., Oriental and General Printers to the School of Oriental Studies to give a quote for the cost of publishing 'Dialogues in the Eastern Turki dialect on subjects of interest to Travellers', dated 15 March 1932.
• Letter from A.N. Wilson to Col. Hoysted to ask for more papers before he can advise upon the use of the Fund, dated 21 March 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to A.N. Wilson to send the information that Wilson will need to make his decision, undated [22 March 1932].
• Letter from A.N. Wilson to Col. Hoysted to advise that both the scholarship scheme and the monies for H.W. Bailey seem to fall within the remit of the Fund, but suggests further deliberation concerning the scholarship, dated 23 March 1932.
• Letter from A.N. Wilson to Col. Hoysted to return files sent by Hoysted, dated 12 April 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to inform that the money for A.H. Siddiqi and H.W. Bailey had been approved. However the Council require further information regarding the scholarship scheme before coming to their final decision, dated 18 April 1932.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to give his opinion on a draft letter sent to him by Hoysted concerning the scholarship scheme, dated 22 April 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to ask for the time at which the Fund budget is delivered to change to the 15 September to aid the Society's accounting, dated 24 April 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to clarify the terms of the special scholarship funding, dated 4 May1932.
• Letter from Gerard L.M. Clauson, Turkic language expert and RAS Fellow, to Col. Hoysted to give his opinion upon the Turki Dialect publication, dated 8 May 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to concerning the accrual of the money for the scholarship fund, dated 9 May 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to clarify the proposed terms for the scholarship, dated 10 May 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to send a copy of Clauson's report on the Turki dialect publication; a copy of the report is with the letter, dated 10 May 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to A.N. Wilson to forward J.H. Lindsay's letter of 10 May and the file concerning the Forlong Fund, dated 11 May 1932.
• Postcard from Gerard L.M. Clauson to Col. Hoysted to give his opinion not to publish the Arabic text for the Turki dialect publication, dated15 May 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to Stephen Austin & Sons to ask for an estimate without the Arabic text, dated 18 May 1932.
• Report of the Forlong Fund Committee, dated 23 May 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to send the School's proposed budget for the coming year, dated 3 June 1932.
• Letter from Stephen Austin & Sons to Col. Hoysted to provide their estimate, dated 26 May 1932.
• Letter from A.N. Wilson to Col. Hoysted to give his opinions regarding administration of the scholarship, dated 9 June 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to A.N. Wilson to thank for his letter and reassure regarding the administration of the scholarship, dated June 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to inform that the proposed budget has been accepted by the Council and to put some conditions on the Turki dialect publication, dated 13 June 1932.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted responding to his letter and agreeing to the conditions, dated 14 June 1932.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to Stephen Austin & Sons to inform that their part of their quotation for the Turki dialect publication as been acceptable, dated 15 June 1932.

1933

• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to give the recommendations of the Academic Board for the Forlong Fund: to pay a bursary of £27.6.0 to P. Sreenivasachar; and Professor Ernst Herzfeld be paid £10 for a lecture on discoveries in Persepolis, dated 7 March 1933.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to inform that the Council have agreed with the payments suggested, dated 10 March 1933.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted concerning the finances of the Forlong Fund, dated 15 March 1933.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to give a summary of the finances of the Fund, dated 2 June 1933.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay concerning the allotments of money to the Academic Board, dated 9 June 1933.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to give advice regarding the letter that Hoysted wishes to send to the Academic Board at the School of Oriental Studies, dated 13 June 1933.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted requesting an answer to his letter of 2 June 1933, dated 19 June 1933.
• Draft letter from Col. Hoysted to E.S.M. Perowne to clarify the points which Perowne was concerned about dated 20 June 1933.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to ask for further clarification, dated 23 June 1933.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to E.S.M. Perowne to further clarify the finances of the Forlong Fund, dated 27 June 1933.
• Letter from E.S.M. Perowne to Col. Hoysted to apologise for the delay in replying and to ask for even more clarification of the finances, dated 19 July 1933.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to J.H. Lindsay to answer his letter of 2nd June to clarify the Council's position regarding expenditure for the Forlong Fund, dated 24 July 1933.
• Letter from J.H. Lindsay to Col. Hoysted to thank for his letter, dated 25 July 1933.

1934

• Letter from G.W. Rossetti, Secretary, School of Oriental Studies, to Col. Hoysted to recommend that the Balti Grammar by A.F.C. Read be published as a volume in the Forlong Fund Series, dated 18 May 1934.
• Note to record that E.W.M. Perowne had met with Sir Edward Denison Ross and G.W. Rossetti to come to agreement on the Forlong funds available, dated 25 May 1934.
• Newspaper cutting advertising the Forlong Research Scholarship, undated.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to set out the proposals of the Academic Board for the Forlong Fund, dated 31 May 1934. With the letter are budget accounts.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the proposed expenditure had been approved by the Council, dated 15 June 1934.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to thank for his letter informing of agreement of the proposals, dated 16 June 1934.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to send the recommendations of the Forlong and Scholarships Committee for the coming year - a research studentship for Thomas Barrow with the stipulations for his research, dated 1 August 1934.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council have approved the recommendations, dated 17 August 1934.

1935

• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to give details of the finance available for the Forlong Fund, dated 2 April 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to enclose a Balance Sheet for the Forlong Fund, the sheet is with the letter, dated 2 April 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to acknowledge Hoysted's letter and accounts, dated 3 April 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to inform of the proposals of the Academic Board with money used to fund Alan Rose and be put aside for the scholarship, dated 3 June 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council concurs with the proposals of the Academic Board, dated 17 June 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to thank for his letter, dated 18 June 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to correct the amount of money allocated to Alan Ross, dated 24 June 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to ask for the details regarding Alan Ross, dated 25 June 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to inform of the Academic Board's proposals for the Forlong Fund with an award to A.G.M. Bean, for 20 lectures By Dr Betty Heimann and the research grant to Alan Ross, dated 9 July 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council has approved the recommendations by the Academic Board, dated 11 October 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to acknowledge his letter informing of the Council's approval, dated 18 October 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to ask whether publications under review by the Royal Asiatic Society may be considered for publication under the Forlong Fund, dated 19 November 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to inform that the Academic Board propose a bursary of £20 be paid for C.H. Philips, dated 25 November 1935.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council has concurred with the request for C.H. Philips, dated 26 November 1935.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to acknowledge his letter, dated 27 November 1935.

1936

• Income and Expenditure Account for 1935-1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti for Mrs M. Davis, Assistant Secretary, Royal Asiatic Society, to send a formal letter to the Secretary and to give an update regarding 'Varma's book', dated 6 June 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to inform of the Academic Boards' proposals for the Forlong Fund to defer the decision regarding Professor Varma's book and that no action be taken with respect to T. Burrow's book, dated 6 June 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Mrs M. Davis to enclose a cheque drawn from the Forlong Fund and the letters from Alan Ross which explain the return of the cheque. These letters are with this one, dated 6-9 June 1936.
• Letter from Mrs M. Davis to G.W. Rossetti to acknowledge the cheque and letters, dated 10 June 1936.
• Letter from Mrs M. Davis to the Manager, Lloyd's Bank to pay in the returned cheque, dated 10 June 1936.
• Letter from Mrs M. Davis to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council have approved the Academic Board's proposal, dated 12 June 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Mrs M. Davis to acknowledge her letter, dated 13 June 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Mrs M. Davis to inform of the recommendations of the Academic Board, for a further payment to A.G.M Bean, to support a series of lectures by Professor Stcherbatsky and further money be put in the scholarship fund, dated 6 July 1936.
• Letter from Mrs M. Davis to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the President has approved the recommendations of the Academic Board, dated 13 July 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Mrs M. Davis to acknowledge her letter, dated 14 July 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to inform of the Academic Board's proposals for a grant to Dr W. Henning for photographs of Manichaean manuscripts, dated 20 November 1936.
• Letter from Co. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform of the Council's approval of the grant for Dr Henning, dated 12 December 1936.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to acknowledge his letter and to enquire whether the photographs will remain at the school or be taken by the Royal Asiatic Society, dated 16 December 1936.

1937

• Letter from Col. Hoysted to G.W. Rossetti to inform that the Council will relinquish its right to the Manichaean photographs for them to stay at the school, dated 15 February 1937.
• Letter from G.W. Rossetti to Col. Hoysted to acknowledge his letter, dated 17 February 1937.

1938

• Letter from Col. Hoysted to Professor R.L. Turner, School of Oriental Studies, to inform that the Council propose the selling price of 'Three Persian Dialects' by Miss Lambton be set at 7s. 6d., dated 11 November 1938.
• Letter from Col. Hoysted to Professor R.L. Turner to inform that the proposals for Miss Lambton's book, for an allotment of £20 for Dr G.H. Stern's book and that the Society send a manuscript of 'Mother Right in India' by Baron Ehrenfels be sent to the Academic Board to assess, dated 11 November 1938.

1939

• Letter from Mrs M. Davies to F.J.R. Bottrall, School of Oriental Studies to enclose a statement of the Forlong account, dated 24 April 1939.

In caring for the collections and making them accessible to researchers various lists and catalogues have been collated throughout the Society's history. Some of these have been published but many are unpublished or in draft form prior to publication. These have been kept as important sources of both information about the nature of the collections and also how the Society has historically organised them. Please note, however, that not all the items in the catalogues and lists are still within the Society's collections.

The Denis Sinor Medal was inaugurated in 1993 by Professor Denis Sinor, specifically to honour scholars in the field of Inner Asian Studies. He donated a sum of money at the initiation of the award and more was bequeathed after his death. The material contains correspondence and administrative documents concerned with the inauguration of the award and further legacy, and for awarding of the medal to scholars of Inner Asian studies.

The Barwis-Holliday was established in 1977 by the donation of investments to the value of £690 by Major J.E. Barwis-Holliday and supplemented by a bequest of £1,000 from the estate of the donor. The income was to be used to finance a monetary award for a paper upon a Far-Eastern subject to be published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. These papers consist of material created in the administration and conferment of the award.

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.