Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Awarded for"the encouragement of science, literature, and the arts in relation to Asia"
Sponsored byRoyal Asiatic Society
Venue14 Stephenson Way, London
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byPresident of the Royal Asiatic Society under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales
EligibilityAnyone nominated by an existing fellow and with a serious interest and achievements in Asiatic Studies
Post-nominalsFRAS
RewardsUse of the society's library and facilities, receipt of the society's journal[1]
StatusCurrently awarded
Established1823
First award1824
Total recipientsAround 700

Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland are individuals who have been elected by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature, and the arts in relation to Asia".[2] The Society has around 700 fellows, half of whom reside outside Great Britain. It is administered by a council of twenty distinguished fellows.

The Society was established in 1823 and became "the main centre in Britain for scholarly work on Asia" with "many distinguished Fellows".[3] Fellows use the post-nominal letters FRAS.[4][5][6][7][8]

Past and current fellows include leading scholars, writers, and former politicians and governors who have made significant contributions to Asia and their respective fields. Previous Fellows have included British explorers Richard Francis Burton, and Laurence Waddell, Officers of the East India Company such as Sir Henry Rawlinson, Chief Justice of Ceylon Alexander Johnston, first Asian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and many more.[9][10]

Eligibility

Fellows can be nominated by an existing Fellow or they can self-nominate for Fellowship; nominations are typically processed within one month.[1] Students are also eligible to become Student Fellows if they are enrolled in an established course of education.[1]

Postnominal

Members of the society were originally styled 'member' rather than 'fellow' and used the post-nominal letters MRAS or variations such as FMRAS (foreign member) or CMRAS (corresponding member).[11][12] The use of FRAS by members of the society dates back to at least the 1870s, including the physician and writer on India John Forbes Watson,[13] and the writer on India and co-founder of the India Reform Society John Dickinson.[14] No post-nominals are assigned by the society in its charter, byelaws or standing orders, but their use is recognised in reference works.[4][15] The society's fellowship postnominal FRAS is identical to that for fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.[4] This has caused confusion, such as in the case of sinologist Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor, a fellow of the astronomical society.[16]

Notable fellows

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Membership". Royal Asiatic Society. Retrieved 12 April 2026.
  2. ↑ Centenary Volume of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1823-1923. Frederick Eden Pargiter, Read Books, 2007. March 2007. ISBN 9781406757514.
  3. ↑ A Dictionary of Buddhism, ed. Damien Keown, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 240
  4. 1 2 3 The Oxford Dictionary of Abbreviations (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. 1998. p. 175.
  5. ↑ Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2011, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, p. 26
  6. ↑ The International Who's Who of Women 2002, 3rd edition, ed. Elizabeth Sleeman, Europa Publications, p. xi
  7. ↑ "Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland".
  8. ↑ "Royal Asiatic Society". Cambridge Organisation.
  9. ↑ "Charter and Rules - Royal Asiatic Society". JSTOR 25202029.
  10. ↑ Ireland, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and (1856). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society.
  11. ↑ "Donations to the Royal Asiatic Society". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 1. Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. 1834. p. 16. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Ireland, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and (1834). "Regulations for the Royal Asiatic Society". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. Vol. 1. p. xxi. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  13. ↑ "List of the Members of the Royal Asiatic Society". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. New Series. Vol. VII. Trübner & Co. 1875. p. 56. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Advertisement List for the Royal Asiatic Society's Journal". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. New Series. IV: 9. 1870. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Governance". Royal Asiatic Society. Governance Documents. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  16. ↑ Isidore Cyril Cannon (2009). Public Success, Private Sorrow: The Life and Times of Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor (1857-1938), China Customs Commissioner and Pioneer Translator. Hong Kong University Press. p. 19.
  17. ↑ Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland List of Fellows, Library Associates and Subscribing Libraries, 1994, pg 19
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