The Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies will open the historic collection to researchers and faith groups as part of a restitution pact with the Jain community.
Image courtesy of Steven Pocock, Wellcome Collection.
More than 2,000 ‘sacred’ manuscripts, held at Wellcome Collection, London, for more than a century, are due to be transferred to the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham this year. It follows several years of open dialogue between the Wellcome Trust and the Institute of Jainology, which is dedicated to promoting the Jain faith, culture and non-violence (ahimsa) of the Indian religion around the world.
Believed to be the largest collection of Jain manuscripts outside South Asia, more than half of the material was acquired for Sir Henry Wellcome from a single Jain temple in Punjab that no longer exists. Spanning 15th-century illustrated manuscripts to unique texts from the 19th century that cover religion, literature, medicine and culture, they were bought at a low price and against the best interests of their original owners.
But a new restitutional agreement between Wellcome Trust, the Institute of Jainology and the University of Birmingham will see the manuscripts returned to the Jain community and opened up to researchers and faith groups, as part of the Wellcome Collection’s ongoing commitment to supporting a more equitable future through the inclusive, collaborative and ethical management of its collections.
“Wellcome Collection’s brave decision to return these 2,000 sacred manuscripts is both pioneering and a model for other faith communities,” says Mehool Sanghrajka, Managing Trustee at the Institute of Jainology. “We recognise that some of these manuscripts may not have survived the turmoil in India post-independence, and we are grateful to Wellcome for the care and respect they have shown these texts.”
Established in 2023 at the University of Birmingham, the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies is the first research institution in the UK to be wholly financed by Jain communities in the UK, USA and India. Wellcome Collection believes this to be the most appropriate place to maximise community access, deepen research opportunities and safeguard the future of this significant collection.
“By working together, we will make sure that the return of the manuscripts by Wellcome Collection to the Jain community has maximum impact for students, researchers, members of the community, and for the general public,” says Dr. Marie-Helene Gorisse, Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham. “By securing access to this rich Jain heritage, we aim to raise awareness of Jain philosophy and culture, which can benefit the common project of living well in a diverse society.”
Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies
Biographical and contact information for Marie-Hélène Gorisse, Dharmanath Assistant Professor in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham.
