The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly known as the Royal Asiatic Society, was established, according to its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the society has been a forum, through lectures, its journal, and other publications, for scholarship relating to

Asian culture The culture of Asia encompasses the collective and diverse customs and traditions of art, architecture, music, literature, lifestyle, philosophy, food, politics and religion that have been practiced and maintained by the numerous ethnic g ...

and society of the highest level. It is the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's senior

learned society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...

in the field of Asian studies. Fellows of the society are elected regularly and include highly accomplished and notable scholars of Asian studies; they use the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters, or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, an academic degree, accreditation ...

FRAS.The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations, 2nd edition, Market House Books Ltd and Oxford University Press, 1998, ed. Judy Pearsall, Sara Tulloch et al., p. 175Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2011, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, p. 26The International Who's Who of Women 2002, 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, p. xiWho's Who in Malaysia and Singapore, John Victor Morais, 1973, p. 423

History

The society was founded in London in 1823, with the first general meeting being held on 15 March at the Thatched House on St James's Street, London, chaired by Henry Thomas Colebrooke. This meeting elected the officers (including Charles Williams-Wynn as the first president) and council, defined that the name of the society was the Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and that members should be designated Members of the Asiatic Society (MAS). It also empowered the council to frame regulations (these were approved at the next general meeting on 19 April), to look for a suitable site for the society's meetings, and to seek a charter of incorporation. Later that year, at a general meeting held on 7 June, Williams-Wynn announced that

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

, who had already agreed to be patron of the society, had granted the title of "Royal" to the society, giving it the name of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and its members the designation Members of the Royal Asiatic Society (MRAS). The society received its charter under that name on 11 August 1824. The Royal Asiatic Society was established by a group primarily composed of notable scholars and colonial administrators. It was intended to be the British counterpart to the Asiatic Society of Calcutta, which had been founded in 1784 by the noted

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

scholar and jurist Sir William Jones. A leading figure in the foundation of the Royal Asiatic Society was Henry Thomas Colebrooke, who was himself an important Sanskrit scholar, and one time President of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. Another was Sir George Staunton, 2nd Baronet, a Chinese-speaking diplomat who had worked in China. When the Oriental Club of London was formed in 1824, membership of the Royal Asiatic Society was stated as one of the four qualifications for membership of the new club. Due to the nature of the society's close connection with the

British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...

in the east, much of the work originating with the society has been focused on topics concerning the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. However, the purview of the Society extends far beyond India: all of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and into

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, and

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

are included. The Society does have a few limitations on its field on interest, such as recent political history and current affairs. This particular moratorium led to the founding of the Central Asian Society, which later became the Royal Society for Asian Affairs. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with the gradual end of British political hegemony 'east of

Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...

', the Society maintained its disinterested academic focus on Asia. Lectures are regularly held at the offices of the Society. There is no charge for regular lectures. Many past lectures are available to listen to or watch online.

Members and fellows

Originally, members of the Society were styled Members (MRAS), Honorary Members (Hon. MRAS), Corresponding Members (CMRAS) and Foreign Members (FMRAS). By the 1870s, the

''FRAS'', indicating fellowship of the Society, were being used by some members, including the physician and writer on India John Forbes Watson, and the writer on India and co-founder of the India Reform Society

John Dickinson John Dickinson (November 13, O.S. November 2">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. November 21732Various sources indicate a birth date of November 8, 12 or 13, but his most recent biographer ...

. This usage continued through the twentieth century, advertisements in the Society's ''Journal'' also reflecting the use of the letters ''FRAS'' by some members, although all members of the Society were referred to as "members" in the 1908 constitution, and it was not until 1967 that reports of the Anniversary Meeting referred to "fellows" rather than "members". , members are designated "fellows" or "student fellows"; no post-nominals are assigned by the Society to these grades in its regulations, but the use of the post-nominal letters ''FRAS'' is recognized in numerous reference works. The post-nominal letters are used by some academics working in Asia-related fields, and have been used in the Society's ''Journal'' in reference to the Indologist Michael D. Willis, to the poet and translator of Bengali William Radice and to the Islamic scholar Leonard Lewisohn. Notable members and fellows of the Society have included

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

, Sir Aurel Stein, Sir Wilfred Thesiger, and George V. Tsereteli.

Branches

The society is affiliated with associate societies in India (

Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

and

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

), the former branch in Mumbai now being known as the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. It is also affiliated with the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong (established in 1847), the Asiatic Society of Japan (established in 1875), the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (established in 1877), Royal Asiatic Society Korea Branch (established in 1900) and the

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh is a non political and non profit research organisation registered under both Society Act of 1864 and NGO Affairs Bureau, Government of Bangladesh. The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiati ...

(established in 1952 as Asiatic Society of Pakistan, and since 1972 renamed as Asiatic Society of Bangladesh). In China, the former South China Branch is now known as the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong. The North China branch has been re-established in 2006 in

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

as the Royal Asiatic Society China, the original branch having been founded in 1857 and dissolved in 1952. It has chapters in

Suzhou Suzhou is a major prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province, China. As part of the Yangtze Delta megalopolis, it is a major economic center and focal point of trade and commerce. Founded in 514 BC, Suzhou rapidly grew in size by the ...

and

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

Library and archives

The Library has material from the 12th century to the present. All Society collections can be accessed in its dedicated Reading Room in the Society's offices in London during advertised opening hours. The Society also maintains a Digital Library.

Journal

The '' Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society'' is published by

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

four times a year, each issue containing a number of scholarly essays, and several book reviews. It has been published under its current name since 1991, having previously been the ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland'' (1834–1991) and ''Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland'' (1824–1834). The present editor of the ''Journal'' is Daud Ali of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. The ''Journal'' is double-peer-refereed.

Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland

This fund was initially established in 1828. The results of its initial funding projects were soon forthcoming. The Fund became one of a large number of Victorian subscription printing clubs which published translations, re-issued historical works or commissioned original books which were too specialized for commercial publication; but unlike most of those now defunct organizations, the work of the Royal Asiatic Society Oriental Translation Fund is on-going into the 21st century with a "new series" and "old series" microform catalog available for scholarly research.

Royal Asiatic Society prizes and awards

For full details and recipients, see the Royal Asiatic Society's website. * Research Fellowships: Michael Willis and Peter Flügel. * The Sir George Staunton Prize - awarded to a young scholar (completing a PhD, or having completed a PhD within the previous five years) for an article related to the history, archaeology, literature, language, religion, anthropology and art of Asia. * The Surya P. Subedi Prize - an annual prize awarded for a publication on

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. * The Charles H. Norchi Prize - an annual prize awarded for a book on

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. * The Professor Mary Boyce Prize - for religion in Asia. * The David Morgan Memorial Prize - for an article published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society during a calendar year. For recent PhD recipients. * The Royal Asiatic Society’s New Barwis-Holliday Award - awarded for new unpublished research on any of: anthropology, art, history, literature or religion of any part of East Asia. * The Royal Asiatic Society Award - awarded every three years; for Asian Studies (this award replaced the Royal Asiatic Society Gold Medal). * The Sir

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

Medal - awarded to scholars and travellers within Asia. * The Denis Sinor Medal - for Inner Asian studies. * The James J. Busuttil Medal and Prize - an annual silver medal and prize awarded for a book on

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

President

Currently (2024–), the President of the Society is Norbert Peabody and the Vice-President is Gordon Johnson.

Past Presidents

* 2021–2024 Sarah Ansari * 2018–2021 Anthony Stockwell (3rd term) * 2015-2018 Gordon Johnson (2nd term) * 2012–2015 Peter Robb * 2009–2012 Gordon Johnson * 2006–2009 Anthony Stockwell (2nd term) * 2003–2006 Francis Robinson (2nd term) * 2000–2003 Anthony Stockwell * 1997–2000 Francis Robinson * 1993–1997 David W. MacDowall * 1990–1993 Adrian David Hugh Bivar * 1988–1990 Frank Steele * 1979–1988 Sir Cyril Philips * 1976–1979 Charles Fraser Beckingham (2nd term) * 1973–1976 E.H.S. Simmonds * 1970–1973 Basil William Robinson * 1967–1970 Charles Fraser Beckingham * 1964–1967 Sir Harold Walter Bailey * 1961–1964 Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt (4th term) * 1958–1961 Gerard L.M. Clauson * 1955–1958 Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt (3rd term) * 1952–1955 Sir Ralph Lilley Turner * 1949–1952 Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt (2nd term) * 1946–1949 Roger Lumley, 11th Earl of Scarbrough * 1943–1946 Sir Richard Olaf Winstedt * 1940–1943

Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel Herbert Louis Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (6 November 1870 – 5 February 1963) was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was the party leader from 1931 to 1935. He was the first nominally-practising Jew to serve as a Cabinet mi ...

* 1939–1940 Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon * 1937–1939 Malcolm Hailey, 1st Baron Hailey * 1934–1937 David Samuel Margoliouth * 1931–1934 Edward Douglas Maclagan (2nd term) * 1928–1931 Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland * 1925–1928 Edward Douglas Maclagan * 1922–1925 Robert Chalmers, 1st Baron Chalmers * 1921–1922 Richard Carnac Temple * 1893–1921 Donald James Mackay, 11th Lord Reay * 1890–1893 Thomas George Baring * 1887–1890 Thomas Francis Wade * 1884–1887 William Muir * 1882–1884 Sir Henry Bartle Frere (2nd term) * 1881 Sir Thomas Edward Colebrooke (3rd term) * 1878–1881 Henry Creswicke Rawlinson (2nd term) * 1875–1878 Sir Thomas Edward Colebrooke (2nd term) * 1872–1875 Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere * 1869–1871 Henry Creswicke Rawlinson * 1867–1869 Percy Smythe, 8th Viscount Strangford (2nd term) * 1864–1867 Sir Thomas Edward Colebrooke * 1861–1864 Percy Smythe, 8th Viscount Strangford * 1858 William Henry Sykes * 1855–1858 Horace Hayman Wilson * 1852–1855 William Baring, 2nd Baron Ashburton * 1849–1852 Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere * 1843–1849 George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland * 1842–1843 William Vesey-FitzGerald, 2nd Baron FitzGerald and Vesey (died in office) * 1841–1842 George FitzClarence, 1st Earl of Munster (died in office) * 1823–1841 Charles Williams-Wynn

References

Some Society publications

*"Charter of Incorporation of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland." ''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society.'' pp 25–27, 1957. *Beckingham, C.F. ''Centenary Volume of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823-1923.'' Pargiter, F.E. (ed.) Published by the Society, 1923, London. *Mashita, Hiroyuki. ''Theology, Ethics and Metaphysics: Royal Asiatic Society Classics of Islam.'' Routledge Publishing, 2003. *Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. B. W. Robinson. ''Persian Paintings in the Collection of the Royal Asiatic Society'' Routledge, 1998. *Rost, Reinhold. "Miscellaneous Papers Relating to Indo-China and the Indian Archipelago" Reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, from the "Journals" of the Royal Asiatic, Bengal Asiatic, and Royal Geographical Societies; the "Transactions" and "Journal" of the Asiatic Society of Batavia ... Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Malayan Branch Published by Trübner & co., 1887. *Tritton, Arthur Stanley. ''Muslim Theology...'' Royal Asiatic Society by Luzac, 1947. * Winternitz, Moriz (compiled), Frederick William Thomas (appendix). ''A Catalogue of South Indian Sanskrit Manuscripts: Especially Those of the Whish Collection Belonging to the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.'' Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Library. Whish Collection, 1902.

Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Catalogues

* *

Miscellaneous

* * * * *Leyden, John. (2013)
Miscellaneous Papers Relating to Indo-China and the Indian Archipelago, Reprinted for the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
London: Forgotten Books. (Original work published 1886)

References relating to the Society and noted Fellows

*Finn, Elizabeth Anne McCaul. ''Reminiscences of Mrs. Finn, Member of the Royal Asiatic Society.'' Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1929. *Hunter, William Wilson. ''Life of

Brian Houghton Hodgson Brian Houghton Hodgson (1 February 1801 – 23 May 1894) was a pioneer natural history, naturalist and ethnologist working in India and Nepal where he was a British Resident (title), Resident. He described numerous species of birds and mammals fr ...

: British Resident at the Court of Nepal, Member of the Institute of France; Fellow of the Royal Society; a Vice-president of the Royal Asiatic Society, Etc.'' J. Murray, 1896. *Simmonds, Stuart, Simon Digby. "The Royal Asiatic Society: its history and treasures": ''In commemoration of the sesquicentenary year of the foundation of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.'' E. J. Brill, 1979. * Skrine, Francis Henry, William Wilson Hunter. ''Life of Sir William Wilson Hunter, K.C.S.I., M.A., LL.D., a Vice-president of the Royal Asiatic Society.'' Longmans, Green, and Co., 1901. *Taintor, Edward C. "The Aborigines of Northern Formosa: A Paper Read Before the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society." Customs Press: Shanghai, 18 June 1874.

External links

Royal Asiatic Society website
{{Authority control 1824 establishments in the United Kingdom Ancient Near East organizations Clubs and societies in London Learned societies of the United Kingdom Organisations based in London with royal patronage Organizations established in 1824 Asiatic Asian studies