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Welcome to the Royal Asiatic Society

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar, Henry Thomas Colebrooke, on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 ‘for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia’.

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Asia and the RAS

The Society provides a forum for its members and anyone interested in the history, languages, cultures, and religions of Asia to meet and exchange ideas. The Society organises lectures and events, awards prizes for outstanding research in the field of Asian Studies, provides access to its historic collections of manuscripts, books and artworks, and publishes scholarly research in its Journal and monographs.

Upcoming Events

31 March 2026 (Tuesday)

(Japan Series) Kitazawa Hideta – Noh theatre masks: demonstration and discussion

31 March 2026 (Tuesday)

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14 April 2026 (Tuesday)

Susan Bean – Hidden in Plain Sight: Clay Sculpture in South Asia

14 April 2026 (Tuesday)

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Japanese Hand-Tinted Photograph

(Japan Series) Peter Kornicki – Hidden knowledge: why Edo-period Japan was not a print society

23 April 2026 (Thursday)

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