unedited texts/NGMPP films

[witzel at HUSC3.HARVARD.EDU]

I do not think the following information is correct. 

On Thu, 7 Mar 1996, Dominik Wujastyk wrote:

> GRUENENDAHL said:
> > The Nepal-German Manuscript
> > Preservation Project has microfilmed practically all these 
> > manuscripts. The microfilmed material is enough to keep several 
> > generations of scholars busy, and it is available with relative ease.
> 
> .. to German nationals only.
 

Dominik said:

> I would love to know why this part of the German-Nepalese contract was
> agreed to.  Whose idea was it?
 


The Nepalese Government's idea!



I do not have the agreement between HMG of Nepal  (Dept. of Archaeology) and 
the German Oriental Society (DMG) right in front of me, but I remember quite 
well from my blissfull days in Kathmandu (1972-78) that it read:
"
"[mss films can be used only by] ....  the German Oriental Society.."


The background is as follows: It took the late Prof. K.L.Janert several 
years before the first agreement with His Majesty's Government/Nepal could 
be signed. There was too much resistance from "conservative forces" who 
feared about their secrets being exported to the west [NB: one fact 
missing so far in the ongoing 19th cent. discussion in this list].

In fact, while we had a very good working relation with the Archives 
staff, one or two of the pandits working at there tried to 
frame us constantly, (I learned very well to live with stupid rumours 
already then!!), and it took a lot of diplomacy to keep things going...

The compromise, to reach ANY agreement with HMG/Nepal, was to put in that
restrictive clause. The interpretation, however, depends on the mood 
prevailing at Kathmandu.  Mostly it means that members of the DMG can 
use the microfilms, sometimes it means that only "the DMG" can use them. 

The solution in both cases is: Join the DMG and you can get your films 
from Berlin speedily.


If you want to join the DMG, write to:

Bibl.-Dir. Dr. George Bauman, 
Orientabteilung der
Universitaetsbibliothek Tuebingen,  
Wilhelmstr. 32
D - 72074 Tubingen  
Germany.


If you want information on the MSS write to 

Dr. H.O. Feistel, 
Director, Orientabteilung
Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz,
Postfach 1407
D 1000 Berlin 33 
Germany


I do not need to stress that many of the oldest MSS of South Asi are found
at Kathmandu, .. and quite often, in fact mostly, have not been used at
all. Such as the old (late Gupta style) Skanda Purana MSS which I pointed
out to Dr Bakker already in 1986 at Leiden, the Mbh, Ram., Candra
Vyakarana, unknown dramas (even in Prakrt), etc,.  etc... not to speak of
(Kashmirian Shivaite) Tantras (R. Gnoli was a regular visitor to Kathmandu
already in the Sixties and Seventies!), and of course Buddhist texts in
Sanskrit (I remmebr filming some 2200 Stotras...) There is no end to the
list. 

In short, there a a few MSS older than 800 AD., many from c. 1000-1100 
AD, and c. 2,400 in the Archives of before c. 1500 AD; the Archives alone 
have some 24,000 MSS, and the project has filmed well over 100,000; in 
recent years a large number of Tibetan texts from all over Northern Nepal
have been filmed as well. 

M. Witzel
Wales Prof. of Sanskrit
Harvard University

Witzel at husc3.harvard.edu