The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, founded in 1823, "provides a forum for those who are interested in the history, languages, cultures and religions of Asia to meet and exchange ideas".
The launch of its Online Collections platform will see more of the Society’s collections being made available to a worldwide audience.
The collection includes ancient Persian manuscripts; the digitised archive of Thomas Manning; artworks, film of archaeological excavations at Ninevah, Iraq in the 1930s and many more treasures.
We hope that the accessibility of the digital library means the featured collections can support new scholarly research, but also that they can serve for the inspiration and enjoyment of wider audiences, in Great Britain and Ireland, Asia, and beyond. The service we provide to users in our physical premises in London remains as vital as ever, but it is also important for us to take advantage of new opportunities presented by digital technologies.
For more information on the collection, see the Society’s website.