They tell a timeless tale

A POSTING as an engineer in the East India Company brought the 29-year old Britisher, Col. Mackenzie, to Madras in 1782. It also was a wonderful opportunity for him to pursue an avid interest in Oriental studies and the ancient Indian system of Mathematics. And so, for 36 years (till 1816), Mackenzie built up a collection of manuscripts in 14 languages and in 16 different scripts (characters) dealing with history, literature, sociology, culture and religion. Apart from manuscripts, he collected inscriptions, coins and maps from different parts of the country.

After his death in 1821, the East India Company, through the then Governor General, the Marquis of Hastings, obtained the consent of Mackenzie's wife and, for a price of Rs.10.00, acquired the rare collection, which was divided into three parts. Hastings sent one part to the India House Library, London, another part to the Asiatic Society, Calcutta and the third part to Madras.

Like Mackenzie, Dr. Leyden, another Englishman, travelled as a pilgrim to many parts of India from 1803 to 1811 and gathered manuscripts in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. These were purchased by the East India Company and sent to the India House Library, London. It was through the efforts of Dr. C. P. Brown right from 1837 that the manuscripts were sent to the old Madras Literary Society in 1844. Dr. Brown was a great Telugu scholar and, during his tenure in the ICS, he entrusted his manuscript collection (which was confined to Sanskrit and Telugu manuscripts) to the East India Company. He continued to acquire manuscripts till his return to England in 1850.

The combined collection of Mackenzie, Leyden and Brown, built up from 1800 to 1850, was first entrusted to the Madras Literary Society (1844) and subsequently, to the College Library (1847), which was part of the Office of the Director of Public Instruction. Then in 1869, Prof. Pickford, who was Professor of Sanskrit in the Presidency College, Madras (1869-70) and, who also was the first librarian, began for the first time, to prepare a descriptive catalogue for the collections.

Dr. Gustayottart succeeded him as Professor of Sanskrit and served as part-time Curator from 1872 to 1893. The library later came to be known as the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library. It functioned for a time in Fort St. George, then again in the Museum for some time in 1896 and it was finally transferred to the Madras University Library (first floor) in 1939. In the interim period, during World War II, the collection was temporarily kept in the Venkateswara Oriental Research Institute, Tirupati from 1942 to 1945.

Thus, from small beginnings, the library grew with the addition of more manuscripts, pertaining to revenue administration, brought by the District Collectors. The collection has got further enlarged with the addition of manuscripts either donated by the public or purchased from individuals. It is now the greatest institution in all India.

At present, there are about 66,000 manuscripts written on palm leaf, wood, bark, khadja, parchment, rotograph, bamboo, leather and silk cloth (21,533 paper manuscripts and 44,524 palm-leaf manuscripts) in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Urdu, Arabic, Persian and other languages on a wide range of subjects from literature to politics.

Further, there are about 25,000 printed books in various languages and subjects. There are also about 434 special pieces pertaining to Tamil Nadu (history and geology) collected by Mackenzie, bearing his name. After the formation of linguistic provinces in the Fifties and Sixties, 10,000 manuscripts in Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam were transferred to the respective states. There are printed books of Nadi granthas in Tamil in poetic form comprising six volumes one on each of the first six lagnas with elaborate introductions and details. These are indeed a rare treasure.

The descriptive catalogue, begun in 1901, has grown and since 1973, 350 books have been published in various languages and subjects.

Researchers both from India and abroad, derive great benefit, from these invaluable manuscripts, which cannot be found elsewhere.

The library, which was started 187 years ago, has been under the charge of the Director of Public Instruction in different sections- higher education, school education, public library and collegiate education. Finally, in April 1980, the Director of Archaeology took charge of it.

The Government had ordered that the manuscripts be carefully preserved for, if damaged or torn, restoration of these priceless treasures is impossible.

The manuscripts library has been managed by eminent scholars such as Prof. Pickford (1869-70), Prof. Venkatasubha Sastry (1870-71), Prof. R. R. Seshagiri Sasthri (1871-72), Dr. Gustav Hobart (1872- 73), Prof. Mahamahopadyaya and S. Kuppuswami Sasthri (1914-36).

The manuscripts and books are issued to visitors for study or consultation, on request. Permission is accorded to research scholars to study, copy and compare the manuscripts. The library continues to function in the western wing of the first floor of the Madras University Library.

S. N. SRIRAMADESIKAN

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