| February, 1905. ] Annual Address. 
Search for Sanskrit MSS. 
This department of the Society’s work was, as in previous years, 
in the hands of the Joint Philological Secretary. He paid several 
visits to Benares and other places, and with the assistance of his 
travelling pandits collected more than 1,200 MSS. and about 300 
notices of MSS. So much material has been collected that it is now 
possible to give a connected history of Hindu literature during the 
whole of the Mohammadan period and to check in many important 
instances the statements of Mohammadan historians about the 
Hindus. A complete list of the names of the MSS. in the entire 
Government collection, now amounting to nearly 7,000 MSS., has 
been prepared in alphabetical order for publication. The second 
volume of the second series of notices of Sanskrit MSS. has been 
published. The third volume has been printed, and the Nepal 
Catalogue is in type; and both will shortly be published. The 
fourth and fifth volume are ready in manuscript and will soon be 
sent to press. 
The President was empowered to apply to the Government 
of India for a special grant for the purchase of about 2,000 Jaina 
works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Guzerati, Hindi, Marwari and other 
languages on behalf of the Government, if, on further examination 
’ of the manuscripts, he is assured that the collection is valuable 
ee to warrant such an application. The applcation has been 
made. 
The notices of Hindi manuscripts collected by the Society’s. 
agents during the year 1895 have been made over to the Nagaripra- 
charini Sabha of Benares for publication at the Society’s cost. 
Search for Arabic and Persian Manuscripts. 
Im answer to the representation made by the Society to the 
Government of India, in favour of a systematic search for Arabic 
and Persian MSS., the Government approved of the scheme and 
sanctioned an annual grant of Rs. 5,000 for a period of five years 
for its prosecution, and a further annual grant of Rs. 2,000 for the 
same period, for the purchase of manuscripts of exceptional value 
and interest. The search is in charge of Dr. Ross, and he has 
appointed two Travelling Maulavis and a Resident Maulavi to assist 
him in this work. 
The Report haying been read and some copies having been 
distributed, The Hon’ble Mr. Pargiter, President, gave his An- 
nual Address. ‘ 
Annual Address, 1904. 
The Secretaries have laid before you their combined report 
setting out briefly the business that has been transacted by the 
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