• Prof Kiri Paramore – A Global History of Confucianism: The Cambridge History of Confucianism Volume I (prehistory– 1400 ce)

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

      This talk will introduce The Cambridge History of Confucianism, Volume I (pre-history-1400), the editing of which Prof Paramore is currently completing with publication expected in early 2026. Confucianism has been a major force in the cultural history of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam for thousands of years, affecting the art, literature, science and politics…

  • Andrew Laurie: “Gleaming-breasted residents of streams that don’t freeze in winter”: the Dippers of the Mongolian Altai

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

      Andrew Laurie grew up in Shropshire, spent a lot of his childhood watching animals, and studied biology at the University of Cambridge, doing research on hippos in Tanzania, starfish in Sudan, and rhinos in Nepal, India and south-east Asia.   After a seven year research fellowship studying Marine Iguanas in the Galapagos Islands he…

  • Charlotte Horlyck: The Emergence of the Korean Art Collector and the Korean Art Market

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

      Articulating the shifting interests in Korean art and offering new ways of conceiving the biases that initiated and impacted its collecting, this book traces the rise of the modern Korean art market from its formative period in the 1870s through to its peak and subsequent decline in the 1930s. The discussion centres on the…

  • Anabel Loyd: The Dervish Bowl (Book Launch)

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

    The Dervish Bowl The Many Lives of Arminius Vambéry     ‘A compelling portrait of one of the 19th century’s most characteristic heroes’ Asian Review of Books ‘Arminius Vambéry was one of the shadier characters to travel the fabled Silk Roads through Persia to Central Asia. His mostly forgotten story is vividly told in Anabel…

  • Prof Nick White – The decolonisation of Malaysia and Singapore: a maritime perspective (Lecture in honour of Prof Tony Stockwell)

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

    In the late-1960s, Malaysia and Singapore established their own national, ocean-going shipping lines. This outcome was unexpected by the leading British shipowners serving Southeast Asia. P&O, Blue Funnel and Ben Line had hoped to form a locally registered consortium to protect their own interests and satisfy national aspirations. Honouring the work of Tony Stockwell on…

  • Events & House Committee

    Royal Asiatic Society Council Room 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom
  • Professor Doris Behrens-Abouseif: Men’s fashions in Medieval Cairo

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

    While dress code in medieval societies was largely defined by religious, political, and social rules, personal preferences could still play a significant role in shaping dress culture. Focused on Mamluk Cairo, this lecture documents the involvement of sultans and emirs in the design of uniforms and ceremonial outfits to convey their political image, while at…

  • Dr Christopher Bahl (Book launch) – Mobile Manuscripts: Arabic Learning across the Early Modern Western Indian Ocean

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

      In this essential new work, Christopher D. Bahl departs from the established historiography on trade, shipping, and pilgrimage to argue for the emergence of Arabic learning as a crucial form of transoceanic mobility from the ûfteenth to the seventeenth centuries. From Egypt to the Hijaz, Yemen and further on to Gujarat and the Deccan,…

  • Madras Literary Society Zoom Presentation

    Royal Asiatic Society Lecture Theatre 14 Stephenson Way, London, United Kingdom

      The RAS is delighted to announce a Zoom call with the Madras Literary Society on its history and collections on Friday, 28th March at 11.30 am with Ms. Jaya Mahbubani – Chairperson, Ms. Thirupurasundari Sevvel, Secretary Mr. Prabhu Vishwanathan   The Madras Literary Society began as a small library in 1812 and in 1830 it became…