Wellcome Trust announces a landmark commitment to the Jain community to return what is believed to be the largest collection of Jain manuscripts outside South Asia.
The return of the collection of more than 2,000 manuscripts, held at Wellcome Collection, London, for more than a century, is the result of several years of open dialogue and collaboration with Wellcome Collection and the Institute of Jainology.
Jainism is an Indian religion that emphasises spiritual purity, self-discipline and non-violence (ahimsa) toward all living creatures and whose 24th and last enlightened teacher lived in the sixth-century BCE. The collection spans 15th-century illustrated manuscripts to unique texts from the 19th century, covering religion, literature, medicine and culture, from Prakrit and Sanskrit to Gujarati, Rajasthani and early Hindi.
Among them is a unique and powerful early example of the Indian independence movement’s ethical principles that Gandhi later drew on and made famous. The document heavily critiques the ethical foundations of British rule in India. Older manuscripts include a rare and magnificently illustrated, early 16th-century copy of an important Jain scripture, the Kalpasutra; and a slim, fragile and battered paper manuscript dating to 1688, possibly the earliest surviving copy of the first medical treatise in early Hindi, Nainsukh’s Vaidyamanotsav (A Celebration of Physicians), 1592.
The manuscripts provide an important window onto the history of health and human experience. They will initially be moved to the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham, which will open the collection to those researchers and faith communities who are best placed to read, interpret and translate their content for a global audience.
Established in 2023, the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies is the first teaching and research programme in the UK to have been established 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.
More than half of the material at Wellcome Collection was acquired for Sir Henry Wellcome from a single Jain temple in Punjab that no longer exists. They were bought at a low price and against the best interests of their original owners. The agreement demonstrates Wellcome Collection’s commitment to supporting a more equitable future through the inclusive, collaborative and ethical management of its collections.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed at an event in the House of Commons on 14 May between Wellcome Trust for Wellcome Collection, the Institute of Jainology and the University of Birmingham and a full legal agreement will subsequently be drawn up in accordance with the MoU.
Initial research and scoping of this restitution programme was funded through the Headley Fellowship awarded by the Art Fund in 2021 to Wellcome Collection’s Collections Information Lead, Dr Adrian Plau. The collection was mainly catalogued in the early 2000s by Dr Kanhaiyalal Virji Sheth and Dr Kalpana Sheth, facilitated through the Institute of Jainology, and their notes will be made accessible on Wellcome Collection’s website as part of the agreement.
Managing Trustee, Institute of Jainology, Mehool Sanghrajka, said: “Wellcome Collection’s brave decision to return these 2,000 sacred manuscripts is both pioneering and a model for other faith communities. 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.
“We believe that rather than judging historical events with modern eyes, we should find ways through collaboration to transform Jain scholarship and research and give the community access to its cultural heritage. We look forward to our collective efforts in ensuring these treasures are accessible to future generations”
Associate Director, Collections & Digital, Wellcome Collection, Daniel Martin, said: “We thank the Jain community for our work together on this landmark restitution, through which we have formed a strong and lasting bond. We have set the bar high for a collaborative and compassionate approach to restitution that recognises the hurt caused by unethical acquisition and retention of material heritage.
“Wellcome Collection’s vision is a world where everyone’s experience of health matters. We share Jain principles of moral and spiritual health in realising that vision as we continue to interrogate the historical origins and ethical health of our collections.”
Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies Lead, University of Birmingham, Dr. Marie-Helene Gorisse, said: “The University of Birmingham is grateful for the community’s trust and collaboration, as we together built an ambitious centre for Jain Studies, the Dharmanath Network, in honour of the 15th enlightened Jain teacher. 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. 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.”
Director, Art Fund, Jenny Waldman, said: “Research is often the first step in uncovering the histories of objects held in museum collections, so we’re proud that support from a Headley Fellowship helped make this important work possible. Supporting curators is a vital part of Art Fund’s work, helping museums deepen knowledge of their collections and build stronger connections with communities”.
Matt Turmaine, MP for Watford said; “As Chair of the Jain All Party Parliamentary Group at Westminster, I congratulate the UK’s Jain community on this historic and auspicious occasion. It marks yet another hugely important milestone in our work to see the Jain community’s presence and impact in the UK recognised. I also congratulate Wellcome Collection and the University of Birmingham for their work in making this cultural heritage accessible for academia and the community.”
PRESS CONTACTS FOR INFORMATION, IMAGES AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS
Jeanette Ward | Wellcome Collection | [email protected] | +44 (0) 7729 930 812
Institute of Jainology | [email protected]
University of Birmingham Press Office | [email protected] | +44 (0)121 414 2772
NOTES TO EDITORS
Wellcome Collection is a free museum and library. We believe everyone’s experience of health matters. Through our collections, exhibitions and events, in books and online, we explore the past, present and future of health. You can find us near Euston station in London and at wellcomecollection.org. Our exhibitions and events are always free. You can use our library and view items from our collections free of charge too – you may just need to book in advance. Wellcome Collection opened in 2007. We care for many thousands of items relating to health, medicine and human experience, including rare books, artworks, films and videos, personal archives, and objects. We’re part of Wellcome, a charitable foundation supporting science to help build a healthier future for everyone.
wellcomecollection.org | wellcome.org | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok – @wellcomecollection
The Institute of Jainology was founded in 1986 to provide an international voice for the Jain faith and Jain communities. Today, under the banner OneJAIN, it represents Jain communities across the UK and Europe, numbering approximately 65,000 people. The Institute works closely with government bodies, universities, museums, other faith institutions, and cultural organisations in the UK and internationally, and represents the Jain tradition at major national and global forums.
The Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies, University of Birmingham was established in 2023 thanks to a generous donation from the global Jain community to the School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. It is committed to teaching Jainism and Jain values at every level of study in a way that addresses the pressing questions of our time, with a particular focus on interreligious dialogue, philosophy of religion and the ethics of non-violence.
The Dharmanath Network further aims to enhance the academic excellence of Jain Studies by developing the academic landscape in Jain philosophy, as well as increasing the societal impacts of Jainism, interfaith dialogue and non-violence through continuous engagement between academic and political, cultural and religious institutions.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries. England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
Art Fund is the national charity for museums and galleries. For over 120 years, it has helped institutions across the UK to develop and share their collections, invest in people and expertise, grow their audiences and inspire the next generation.
Art Fund connects museums and people with great art and culture through funding, advocacy and initiatives, because access to art is vital for a healthy society. It champions the sector through the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year award – the world’s largest museum prize – and supports museum professionals through dedicated training and grant programmes.
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Press release Wellcome Collection to return Jain manuscripts
