Royal Asiatic Society

On 2 June (Tue), we are hosting a lecture by curator Daniel Lowe and conservation scientist Lucia Noor Melita, who will take us inside the recent discovery of a fragment of blue parchment with gold Qur’anic text at the British Library. Details: bit.ly/4uo2Kct

This evening!

Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt series is now settled at Edinburgh University Press. Needless to say, if you have exciting publication ideas, please get in touch with me. Any primary source in any language related to the history of the Ottoman Empire. Bring it on. @EdinburghUP @RAS_Soc

🗺️ Views of Fort St George on the Coast of Choromandel by B. Henry, December 1775. Published in 1779 by Alexander Darlymple, head of the Hydrographic Office of the East India Company

This engraving depicts several views of Fort St George at the coastal city of Madras, India, in the late 18th century. Coastal charts like this would have assisted mariners’ navigation at sea.

Professor Kaner will be delivering a second lecture also dedicated to Japanese archaeology on Monday 18th May at 10am (BST) / 6pm (JST), hosted online by the Asiatic Society of Japan. Register for your attendance here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Thank you everyone for joining us yesterday for the lecture by Professor Simon Kaner! Read more about this and our AGM in our latest blogpost: royalasiaticsociety.org/2026-agm-and-c…

This evening!

Closing remarks by Carl Graves (EES) and Seif El Rashidi (Barakat Trust) will discuss to what extent heritage continues to inform our future. Co-organised: @TheEES & @Barakat_org Support: @British_Egy & @RAS_Soc Members receive reduced rates. Book now👇 ees.ac.uk/whats-on/event…

On Thursday 21 May we’ll be celebrating the launch of Jonathan Orr’s new book – a fascinating account of the stories of four remarkable Irish administrators in the East India Company. Join us for a talk! Details: tinyurl.com/ras-260512

A recap of our Collections Evening yesterday - thank you everyone for making the event so memorable! royalasiaticsociety.org/collections-ev…

Taking place this evening!

We're wrapping up our Japan lecture series with a special talk on 14 May by Professor Simon Kaner from @SISJAC_UK on Japanese archaeology. Join us to explore 150 years of European entanglements in Japanese archaeology! Details: tinyurl.com/ras-260514

For this month we highlight this rare treatise on the Tamerlane Chess – a medieval chess variant originated in the court of Timur. Currently on display at @AgaKhanMuseum in Toronto for their 'Game On!' exhibition! (RAS Persian 211)

In-person lecture this evening!

A reminder that our annual Collections Evening is taking place in two weeks!

This evening!

Join us on Thursday 30 April for an in-person lecture by Dr Yashaswini Chandra, Lecturer in South Asian Art History at the University of Edinburgh, on the interracial relationships between British men and Indian women in colonial India. Details: tinyurl.com/ras-260430

Some small discoveries from an unexpected 'archival reunion' - read more in our latest blogpost! royalasiaticsociety.org/an-archival-re…