NATIONAL MANUSCRIPTS MISSION (NMM)
- The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) was launched in February 2003 by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India, with the objective of discovering and safeguarding India's extensive manuscript heritage.
- This initiative is unique in its scope and purpose, aiming to protect and revive the country's rich repository of manuscripts.
- With an estimated ten million manuscripts, India is believed to have the largest collection in the world, spanning diverse themes, materials, scripts, languages, artistic styles, and decorative elements.
- The mission is entrusted with the tasks of identifying, documenting, preserving, and providing access to these invaluable manuscripts. As manuscripts face increasing risks of deterioration, this nationwide effort serves as an essential and timely response to the challenge of protecting and reclaiming this intellectual and cultural legacy.
- As a comprehensive national initiative, the NMM focuses on both conservation and knowledge dissemination. Committed to its motto, "Conserving the past for the future," it has grown into a significant movement and is recognized as one of the most effective heritage preservation efforts in India
- For centuries, India's rich manuscript heritage has fascinated scholars and travelers from around the world. As early as the seventh century, the Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang carried numerous manuscripts back to China.
- Later, in the late eighteenth century, the Nawab of Awadh presented a beautifully illuminated manuscript of the Padshahnama to King George III of England, which is now regarded as one of the most exquisite works in the Royal Collection.
- When the English East India Company arrived in India, they recognized the subcontinent as a center of advanced intellectual and artistic achievements. Several Company officials developed a deep interest in India’s languages, philosophy, art, and architecture. The early editions of the Royal Asiatic Journal, published in the nineteenth century, reflect this growing fascination with India's cultural and scholarly traditions.
- During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a group of distinguished Orientalists systematically explored various aspects of Indian civilization.
- Among them were William Jones, the renowned philologist and founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal; C. P. Brown, a scholar of Telugu; John Leyden, an expert in Eastern languages; Colin Mackenzie, the first Surveyor-General of India; Charles Wilkins, a Sanskrit scholar; H. H. Wilson, a translator of Sanskrit texts; and H. T. Colebrooke, a versatile Orientalist.
- These scholars took a keen interest in India’s vast collection of handwritten manuscripts, recorded on materials such as palm leaves, paper, cloth, and even gold and silver.
- Many of their personal manuscript collections are now housed in the India Office Library in Britain, as well as in various institutions across India
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Manuscript
A manuscript is a document that is written by hand or typed, as opposed to being printed. The word "manuscript" comes from the Latin words "manus" (hand) and "scriptum" (written).Manuscripts can be on a variety of topics, including literature, science, history, and religion.They can be written in any language.Manuscripts are important sources of information for scholars.They can provide insights into the history of a particular topic, the development of a particular language, or the culture of a particular time period Manuscripts can be found in libraries, archives, and museums all over the world. They can also be found in private collections
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For Prelims: Manuscript, Sangam Literature, Sahitya akademy
For Mains: GS I - Art & Culture
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Previous Year Questions
1.With reference to Indian History, Alexander Rea, A. H. Longhurst, Robert Sewell, James Burgess and Walter Elliot were associated with (2023) (a) archaeological excavations (b) establishment of English Press in Colonial India (c) establishment of Churches in Princely States (d) construction of railways in Colonial India Explanation: (a) 2. Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait? (2019) (a) Humayun (b) Akbar (c) Jahangir (d) Shah Jahan |
