The Sir Walter Elliot Archive
Scope and Contents
This collection is composed of seven Indian copper plate charters in Sanskrit recrding land grants, dating from the 5th to 16th centuries CE, and of three volumes containing rubbings of inscriptions from different regions of India, collected by Sir Walter Elliot throughout the 19th century.
Dates
- Creation: 5th-19th centuries
Creator
- Elliot, Sir Walter, 1803-1887 (curator and archaeologist) (Collector, Person)
Language of Materials
English, Sanskrit and Old Kannada.
Conditions Governing Access
Open, but please contact the repository in advance.
Biographical / Historical
Sir Walter Elliot was Scottish civil servant based in Madras, India. He was an archaeologist and collector, and he excavated at Amaravati in 1845.
Extent
2 linear metres
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The copper plates were donated by Major Hans F. Eggeling (b. 1878) to Edinburgh University Library in 1947. The two volumes entitled "Carnátaka-Desa inscriptions" were donated to the Library by Sir Walter Elliot himself in 1875, and the volume entitled "Telinga-Deśa Inscriptions" was donated in October 1908 by an unknown donor.
According to EUA/ IN1/ADS/LIB/2/Da.1.60 (October 1905-December 1919), p.18, 14 February 1906: "Dr James Burgess, 22 Seton Place [Edinburgh] donated: Sir Walter Elliot, Impressions of ancient copperplate inscriptions prepared in India, Folio."
Processing Information
Catalogued by Aline Brodin in March and December 2018, using existing handlists.
Creator
- Elliot, Sir Walter, 1803-1887 (curator and archaeologist) (Collector, Person)
- Title
- The Sir Walter Elliot Archive, 5th-19th centuries
- Author
- Aline Brodin
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk