Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
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".
| 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 by | Royal Asiatic Society |
| Venue | 14 Stephenson Way, London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Presented by | President of the Royal Asiatic Society under the patronage of HRH The Prince of Wales |
| Eligibility | Anyone nominated by an existing fellow and with a serious interest and achievements in Asiatic Studies |
| Post-nominals | FRAS |
| Reward(s) | Use of the society's library and facilities, receipt of the society's journal |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 1823 |
| First awarded | 1824 |
| Total recipients | Around 700 |
The Society has around 700 fellows, half of whom reside outside Britain. It is administered by a council of twenty fellows. The Society was established in 1823 and became "the main centre in Britain for scholarly work on Asia" with "many distinguished Fellows". Fellows use the post-nominal letters FRAS.
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 Sir Richard Francis Burton, and Laurence Waddell, Officers of the British East India Company such as Sir Henry Rawlinson, Chief Justice of Ceylon Alexander Johnston, first Asian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, and many more.