February, 1914.] Annual Address. 



XXXI 



been prepared and will soon be published. The thanks of the 



Society are clue to Khan Bahadur Shams ul-Ulama Maulvi 



Abdul Aziz, of Hyderabad, who presented 69 volumes of Persian 



and Arabic books to the Government collection. A report has 



been submitted to the Government of India giving a history 



of the efforts made in the search after Bardic chronicles. The 



scheme for future work, as foreshadowed in the report, is under 



the consideration of the Council. But in the meantime the 



Government proposes to appoint Signor Tessiteri, a young 



Italian (who has made Guzrati and the dialects of Western 



Rajputana his special study), to edit the chronicles collected by 

 the Society. 



For much in the foregoing notes I am indebted to the 



Secretaries of the different sections. The study of their note- 

 has brought myself into touch with much work of the Society 

 of which I did not know, and I hope that their repetition by 

 me will lead the members as a whole to realize what is being 

 done by the different sections. I hope also that those members 

 of the Society and friends who are here to-night will be enabled 

 to appreciate what the Society is doing to advance the bounds 

 of knowledge. 



There are one or two incidents of general interest closely 

 connected with the Society's life to which I would like to refer. 

 The first of these is the revival of the Calcutta Historical 

 Society. In May 1911, the work of the Society, as well as the 

 continuance of the Society's journal 'Bengal Past and Present " 

 came to a standstill owing to the departure from India of the 

 members who were responsible for their conduct. Attempts 

 were made in vain to find substitutes, and it was resolved that 

 the Council of the Calcutta Historical Society should approach 

 the Asiatic Society with a view, if possible, to amalgamation 

 on such terms and conditions as the representatives of the two 

 Societies could agree upon. The representatives met in June, 

 but could not find amalgamation feasible. Hence in the begin- 

 ning of 1912 the Council of the Calcutta Historical Society, 

 deeming it impracticable to carry on the business of the Society, 

 but believing it to be inexpedient — in view of a possible re- 

 organization — that the Society should be dissolved— resigned 

 their several offices. 



The Society is now being organized by some energetic 

 members, and a good many of the old members have already 



rejoined. 



One of the main difficulties is to find members for the 

 Editorial Board— for it has been clearly shown in the past that 

 it is only by having a group of co-workers that any permanence 

 can be assured for the publication of a journal. This difficulty, 

 I am informed, is gradually being overcome, and you will all I 

 know join with me in wishing the Calcutta Historical Society 

 all success in its labours. 



