London Museum To Return 2,000 Sacred Jain Manuscripts Taken During Colonial Era

Last Updated:May 15, 2026, 22:31 IST

The Institute of Jainology said the focus should be on collaboration and rebuilding access to cultural heritage rather than judging the past through present day standards.

In a major step towards restoring cultural heritage, London’s Wellcome Collection has announced that it will return more than 2,000 rare Jain manuscripts to the Jain community. The collection, believed to be the largest of its kind outside South Asia, had remained in the museum’s possession for more than a century.

The decision follows years of discussions and collaboration between the Wellcome Collection and the UK based Institute of Jainology. The manuscripts include centuries old texts on religion, medicine, philosophy, literature and culture, written in Prakrit, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Rajasthani and early Hindi scripts.

Among the most significant works is a document that reflects ethical ideas later associated with Mahatma Gandhi and India’s freedom movement. The text reportedly contains a sharp critique of British colonial rule in India.

The collection also includes a rare illustrated copy of the Jain scripture ‘Kalpasutra’ from the early 16th century, as well as a fragile handwritten manuscript dated 1688 that is believed to be one of the earliest surviving copies of the Hindi medical text ‘Vaidyamanotsav’ (‘A Celebration of Physicians’), originally written in 1592.

Under the agreement, the manuscripts will first be moved to the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham. Scholars, researchers and members of the Jain community will then work on preserving, studying and translating the texts to make them accessible to a wider audience.

“Wellcome Collection’s brave decision to return these 2,000 sacred manuscripts is both pioneering and a model for other faith communities," said Mehool Sanghrajka, Managing Trustee of 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," he said.

The Institute of Jainology said the focus should be on collaboration and rebuilding access to cultural heritage rather than judging the past through present day standards.

“We look forward to our collective efforts in ensuring these treasures are accessible to future generations," Sanghrajka added.

A memorandum of understanding was signed this week between the Wellcome Trust, the Institute of Jainology and the University of Birmingham. A detailed legal agreement is expected to follow.

“We thank the Jain community for our work together on this landmark restitution, through which we have formed a strong and lasting bond," said Daniel Martin, Associate Director of Collections & Digital at the Wellcome Collection.

“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," he said.

According to the museum, more than half of the manuscripts were acquired during the colonial period by British entrepreneur Sir Henry Wellcome from a Jain temple in Punjab that no longer exists. The collection said the texts had been purchased cheaply and not in the best interests of their original owners.

“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," the museum said.

The Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies was chosen to house the collection because it is the first research institution in the UK funded entirely by Jain communities in the UK, India and the United States.

Dr Marie Helene Gorisse, Lead of the Dharmanath Network in Jain Studies at the University of Birmingham, said: “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."

The manuscripts were catalogued in the early 2000s by Dr Kanhaiyalal Virji Sheth and Dr Kalpana Sheth through the Institute of Jainology. The Wellcome Collection said those research notes will also be made publicly available online.

“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," said Jenny Waldman, Director of the Art Fund, which supported the early research linked to the restitution project.

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