Ancient India & Iran Trust 30th Anniversary
Appeal
n 2008 the Ancient India &
Trust will be celebrating 30 years of success, promoting both
scholarly research and popular interest in the early
civilisations and languages of the Indian Subcontinent, Iran
and Central Asia. This anniversary sees the launch of a
campaign to raise £3.5 million to finance a new resource
centre, to be built as an extension to the Trust’s
existing premises in Cambridge. This will be used to
accommodate and broaden access to the Trust’s rapidly
growing library, and will enable the Trust to have an up to
date lecture room and so increase the scope and outreach of its
activities. As a unique, independent charity, the Trust has
established a firm reputation among academic and cultural
networks in Cambridge, the UK, India and Pakistan and several
other parts of the world. The time has now come to improve its
facilities so that it can continue to support this sphere of
scholarly and general interest, as well as promote further
understanding of a part of the world that is seen to be
increasingly significant.
The Objectives and Activities of the Trust
The idea of the Ancient India & Iran
Trust came to the founding Trustees in the 1970s, as they
became aware that the Indian subcontinent together with Iran,
Afghanistan & parts of Central Asia was a ‘neglected
quarter’ of the world in terms of British cultural life
and scholarship. Britain had had a close association with the
Indian subcontinent in particular for over three centuries and
had unrivalled resources for the study of its culture, art and
history, in places like the India Office Library, the British
Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Britain has also
had a longstanding relationship with Iran. Yet, in the wake of
South Asian independence there were very few institutions,
teaching posts or funds devoted to the promotion of popular or
scholarly interest in any of these regions. The Trust was
therefore set up in 1978 to provide a focal point where
scholars and members of the public with interests in the
cultures of the ancient Indian and Iranian worlds could meet
and discuss matters of
common interest and use its unique library.
It is the only independent institution of its kind in Europe.
Today, the Trust runs a regular series of
public lectures, Visiting Fellowship programmes and a bursary
scheme for people wishing to come and use its library and other
resources in Cambridge. It also organises and hosts seminars
and conferences, high profile lectures and occasional
exhibitions, and has produced a number of publications. It was
the home of the British Archaeological Mission to Pakistan in
the 1980s and has provided a base for three external research
projects funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
(AHRC): The Manichean Dictionary Project (1999-2005) and
Bactrian Chronology Project (2004-7) and The Christian Library
from Turfan (2008-2011). In 2005 the Trust was voted runner up
in the Arts, Culture and Heritage category of the Charity
Awards.
The Trust has made a notable contribution
to scholarship in Cambridge, independent of but alongside the
university. In light of the recent restructuring of the Faculty
for Oriental Studies at the University and the diminishment of
subjects such as Sanskrit, Hindi and the prehistory and
archaeology of the Indian subcontinent, it can play a major
part in filling the gap. Its library, lectures and other events
are open to everyone, and the Trust plays an important role in
promoting knowledge about different cultures and faiths
– including Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism,
Christianity and Islam – represented in British society
today. As general interest in these areas continues to grow,
the Trust has a great deal to offer in providing people with an
informal and accessible forum for intercultural and multi-faith
understanding.
However, to develop its activities, more
space is needed. The Trust’s premises, a Victorian House
with book lined rooms and spacious, pleasant grounds, located
close to the rail station and the City centre, is much
appreciated by visitors for its convenience, distinct character
and congenial atmosphere. Much work has been carried out in
stages over the last 30 years, as funds have