3 Indian Manuscripts Added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register

Three major works of India’s literary and intellectual heritage, Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, the Mahabharata and Kautilya’s Arthashastra, have been added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia and the Pacific.

The Mahabharata, Arthashastra, and Rajatarangini earn UNESCO recognition

The decision was taken at the 11th General Meeting of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

India now has six inscriptions in the regional register. Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra and Sahrdayaloka-Locana were inscribed earlier, in 2024. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) helped prepare the nomination dossiers for all three new entries.

What makes the Mahabharata, Arthashastra, and Rajatarangini unique?

Rajatarangini

Kalhana wrote it in the 12th century. It is a Sanskrit historical chronicle of Kashmir that records its rulers and political history. The manuscript is kept at the Oriental Research Library, Srinagar.

Mahabharata

Traditionally linked to Vyasa, it is one of India’s two major Sanskrit epics and deals with Dharma, duty and morality. The inscribed copy is a 400-year-old birch-bark manuscript in Sharada script, preserved at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune.

Arthashastra

Traditionally attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), it is an ancient treatise on governance, administration, diplomacy, economics and statecraft. The inscribed copy is a 16th-century palm-leaf manuscript at the Oriental Research Institute, Mysuru.

How does UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme safeguard documentary heritage?

UNESCO launched it in 1992 to protect documentary heritage, especially material at risk from conflicts and natural disasters. It also works to ensure universal access to such records and to raise public awareness of their value.

How does it work?

It runs through international, regional and national registers. These cover manuscripts, archives and audiovisual records.

What is the UNESCO/Jikji Prize?

Started in 2004, this prize honours outstanding work in preserving documentary heritage and making it accessible. It is named after Jikji, the world’s oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type.