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Burmese Collection
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Collection Details
Burmese Collection held at Asian and African Studies [Institution record] |
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Description
of Collection
Content description
The Burma [Myanmar] collections are mainly in Burmese but there are also significant amounts of material in Pali written in Burmese script, and in other languages of Burma such as Shan, Karen, Kachin, Chin and Mon. Manuscripts: there are approximately 1000 manuscripts from Burma, mostly in Burmese or Pali written in Burmese script, but with a few in Shan. The majority of the manuscripts are written on palm leaf, but there are also many paper folding books (parabaik), and texts written on materials such as gold, silver, copper and ivory sheets in the shape of palm leaves. Printed books and periodicals: a collection of about 15,000 printed books from Burma, including examples of early Burmese printing and many rare early editions. About 100 periodical titles are held.
History and development
The earliest Burmese manuscripts were acquired by the British Museum Library in 1842 (the John Murray collection), followed by the manuscripts of Sir Arthur Phayre. The India Office Library's collection of Burmese manuscripts began with the Royal Mandalay Collection acquired in 1886 after the Anglo-Burmese war and includes a collection of mostly official documents formed by Henry Burney, first British Resident at the Court of Ava. Burmese printed books were acquired under the Press and Registration of Books Act (1867) down to the 1930s. More recently a collection of books, serials and ephemera relating to the Pro-Democracy Movement in Burma has also been acquired (requests to use this restricted collection should be made in writing to the Curator).
Strengths
The manuscript collection is particularly strong in historical, legal and grammatical texts and in illustrated materials. The John Murray collection includes several manuscripts from Arakan dating from the 1740s. The printed collection is strongest in works published between 1870 and 1940.
General arrangement and access regulations
The collection is organised into the following sections: Manuscripts, Printed Books, Periodicals and Newspapers.
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Subjects of the
Collection
Regions of AsiaSouth East Asia. CountriesBurma. Languages of materialBurmese, Kachin, Karen, Mon-Khmer (Other), Pali, Shan. SubjectsAnthropology, Archaeology, Arts, Communication and media, Economics, Education, Environmental sciences, Geography, History, Human rights, Language, Law, Literature, Medicine, Music, Philosophy, Politics and government, Recreation, Religion, Sociology, Travel, Women. |
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Collection Material
and Size of Collection
Material TypesBooks, Manuscripts, Newspapers (includes microfilm editions), Serials. Total size of collectionAbout 1000 manuscripts, 15,000 monographs, 100 periodical titles. Size of collection - vernacularas above |
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Collection Management
Information
The collection is being actively developed, and the average intake has fallen.Annual intake150 monographs Content date range1870 to present |
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Collection Catalogue
Information
CatalogueSince 1982, Burmese printed books and periodicals have been catalogued on BLPC. For books catalogued prior to this date, there is a card catalogue in the OIOC Reading Room, and a published catalogue. Books in Western languages on Burma can also be found on BLPC. Catalogue transliteration schemesALA-LC romanization tables are used in the online catalogue. | | Collection printed cataloguesCatalogue of Burmese Printed Books in the India Office Library.
Whitbread, Kenneth.
London, 1969.
A ctalogue of the Burmese boks in the British Museum.
Barnett, L.D.
London, 1913.
Lists about 2,500 items, including Pali texts with Burmese glosses Catalogue of the Pali Printed Books.
Ed. by T.C.H.Raper and rev. by M.J.C.O'Keefe.
London, 1983.
Includes editions in Burmese script. Burma manuscripts in the British Museum.
Pe Maung Tin.
In: Journal of the Burma Research Society. Vol. 14, part 3 (1924). Catalogue of the Mandalay mss. in the India Office Library
Fausböll, V.
[London?]: Pali Text Society, 1897
Catalogue of the Burney parabaiks in the India Office Library
Blackmore, Thaung
London: British Library under the auspices of the British Academy Oriental Documents Committee, 1985
'The Sir Arthur Phayre collection of Burmese manuscripts'
Herbert, Patricia
The British Library Journal, Vol.1, no.1 (1975), pp.62-70.
'The making of a collection: Burmese manuscripts in the British Library'
Herbert, Patricia
The British Library Journal, Vol.15, no.1 (Spring 1989), pp.59-70
The life of the Buddha
Herbert, Patricia
London: The British Library, 1993
Reproduces illustrations from two Burmese manuscripts, Or.14297 and Or.14298 | |
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