The Asiatic Society: Founded: 15th January, 1784 - An Institution of National Importance (An Old and Rare Book)

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It is widely acknowledged that The Asiatic Society is unique in many ways, being the oldest learned institution in Modern India which made the single most important contributions to the revival of Indian spirit that lay behind the Indian Renaissance. The Society had a rather quiet and humble beginning in 1784 with the magnificent dream of an outstanding man from Oxford, Sir William Jones who was a poet, a linguist, an orientalist par excellence and above all a noble Englishman according to Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar, a legendary educationist, reformist and one of the pioneers of 19th century renaissance. Inspite of being a Persian and Arabic scholar after arriving Calcutta, Sir William Jones also became deeply absorbed in Sanskrit studies. He learned Sanskrit from Pandit Ramlochan Kavibhusan of Howrah District.
Sir William Jones' "Asian Dream" was to include "Man and Nature, whatever is performed by the one or produced by the other within the geographical limits of Asia". The Governor-General, Warren Hastings consented to become its Patron and Sir William Jones became its first President. The name of the Society, underwent various changes during the last two centuries, such as the Asiatick Society of Bengal (1832- 1935), the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal (1936-1951) and reverted to The Asiatic Society in July 1952.
The revered founder Sir William Jones recommended during his first discourse delivered on 15 February 1784 that at the infancy of the Society there should not be any formal rule for guiding the activities of the Society. Accordingly, in the above discourse as against framing formal rules, some guidelines for the Asiatic Society were adopted unanimously in conformity with the Asian dream of the founder.