John Brough (1917-84), Professor of Sanskrit

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JB John Brough (1917-84), Professor of Sanskrit

John Brough was born in Dundee, 31 August 1917. He was educated at Dundee High School; Edinburgh University, MA, 1939, DLitt, 1945; and St John's College, Cambridge, BA, 1941, MA, 1945. He worked in agriculture, 1940-4. He was appointed as a research fellow at St John's College, 1945-8, and Assistant Keeper in the Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts at the British Museum, 1944-6, where he worked on the catalogue of Sanskrit and Prakrit manuscripts. He joined the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, as a Lecturer in Sanskrit, 1946-8, and Professor of Sanskrit and Head of the Department of India, Pakistan and Ceylon, 1948-67. He was Professor of Sanskrit at Cambridge University, 1967-84, and a fellow of St John's College. He married Marjorie Allan Robertson. He died in a road accident near his home in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, 9 January 1984.

Correspondence and papers, 1946-83

The collection mainly comprises books, articles, lectures, book reviews, notes and correspondence

10 boxes

The Library also holds a collection of Brough's microfilms of Sanskrit texts, comprising 1 box (uncatalogued)

index of people, places and institutions

JB B Books

JB B/1 Copy introduction to The Early Brahmanical System of Gotra and Pravara: a translation of the Gotrapravaramanjari of Purusottamapandita with an introduction (1953)
undated [1953]
4 sheets, typescript
Incomplete

JB B/2 Draft of The Gandhari Dharmapada: edited with an introduction and commentary (1962)
undated [1962]
2 folders, ms and typescript
English, Prakrit and Chinese

JB B/2/1 Draft introduction and commentary

JB B/2/2 Notes and rough transcriptions

JB B/3 Draft of Poems from the Sanskrit: translated with an introduction (1968)
undated [1968]
2 folders, ms and typescript
English and Sanskrit

JB B/3/1 Proof copy text

JB B/3/2 Notes and drafts of poems

JB B/4 Transcription and translation of the Astamivratamahatmya
undated
1 bundle (1) and 1 folder (2), ms and typescript
Based on a manuscript in Cambridge University Library (Add. 1366)
English and Newari

JB B/4/1 Transcription

JB B/4/2 Translation and notes
Incomplete

JB B/5 Draft edition of the Dhvanyaloka
undated
3 folders (1, 3-4) and 1 bundle (2), ms and typescript
English and Sanskrit

JB B/5/1 Transcription

JB B/5/2 Draft translation

JB B/5/3 Copy translation

JB B/5/4 Draft introduction and apparatus criticus
With a note on editions and manuscripts and a reader's report, 29 Jan 1961

JB B/6 Translation of the Dvavimsatyavadana
undated
1 folder, ms and typescript
Incomplete

JB B/7 Draft edition of the Papaparimocana
undated [1946]
1 bundle, typescript
The text, based on a manuscript in Cambridge University Library (Add. 1276), was ready for publication in 1946. However, Brough located further manuscripts, both in the Library and during a research trip to Nepal, 1955-6, and intended to collate them and revise the text
Comprises a transcription, translation, introduction, footnotes and an index of Newari words
English, Sanskrit and Newari

JB B/8 Transcription of the Subhasitaratnakaranda
undated
1 bundle, typescript
English, Tibetan, Sanskrit

JB B/9 Transcription of the Vakyapadiya
undated
1 folder, typescript
Sanskrit

JB B/10 Transcription of the Vasudharani or Sucandravadana
undated
1 folder, ms and typescript
With a palm leaf manuscript (10 leaves) and notes
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB B/11 Sushil Kumar
Transcription of the Dhvanyaloka
undated
1 vol
With a note on editions and manuscripts
English and Sanskrit

JB B/12 Ralph Lilley Turner
Translation of the Bhattikavya
undated
2 vols

JB B/12/1 Translation of cantos 6-14
Annotated by Brough

JB B/12/2 Translation of cantos 15-17

JB B/13 Ralph Lilley Turner
Transcription of the Dvavimsatyavadana
undated
1 bundle, ms and typescript
Turner published an article on the subject, 'Notes on the language of the Dvavimsatyavadanakatha', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1913)
English and Sanskrit

JB A Articles

JB A/1 Draft article on linguistics
undated [1953]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'Some Indian theories of meaning', Transactions of the Philological Society (1953)
With notes
English, Sanskrit and German

JB A/2 Copy article on the Brahmin clans
undated [1954]
1 folder, typescript
Published as 'Additional notes on the Brahmin clans', Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 74, no. 4 (1954)

JB A/3 Descriptions of an overland journey to Nepal
undated [1955-6]
1 folder, ms and typescript
With 2 letters to publishers proposing a travel book or article about the journey, 1956

JB A/4 Proof copy of an article on a Kharosthi inscription from Lo-yang China
undated [1961]
1 folder
Published as 'A Kharosthi inscription from China', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 24, no. 3 (1961)
With notes, a black and white photograph and 3 photostats of the inscription

JB A/5 Biographical file on Arnold Bake
undated [1963]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Brough wrote an obituary of Bake which was published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 27, part 1 (1964)
Includes correspondence between Brough and Bake, 1950-63 (27 items); letters to Brough about Bake, 1963 (5 items); and correspondence between Bake and various individuals, mainly relating to the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, 1948-63 (40 items)

JB A/6 Draft article on the Chinese pseudo-translation of Arya-sura's Jataka-mala
undated [1964]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'The Chinese pseudo-translation of Arya-sura's Jataka-mala', Asia Major, vol. 11, no. 1 (1964)
With notes
English and Chinese

JB A/7 Draft article on the Kingdom of Shan-shan
undated [1965]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'Comments on third-century Shan-shan and the history of Buddhism', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 28, no. 3 (1965)
With an earlier draft of the article, notes and letters of criticism from Clifford Wright (1 item) and Edwin George Pulleyblank (1 item), 1965
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB A/8 Draft article on the Kingdom of Shan-shan
undated [1970]
1 folder
Published as 'Supplementary notes on third-century Shan-shan', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 33, no. 1 (1970)
With notes

JB A/9 Draft article in memory of Walter Henning
undated [1970]
1 folder, typescript
Published as 'Nugae indo-sericae', in Mary Boyce and Ilya Gershevitch, W. B. Henning Memorial Volume (1970)

JB A/10 Draft article on the 'soma mushroom' theory
undated [1971]
1 folder
Published as 'Soma and Amanita muscaria', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 34, no. 2 (1971)
With notes and letters of criticism from Ralph Lilley Turner (1) and Mary Boyce (1), 1970
English, Sanskrit, French and German

JB A/11 Draft article on I-ching
undated [1973]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'I-ching on the Sanskrit grammarians', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 36, no. 2 (1973)
With a notebook

JB A/12 Draft article on Georges Dumézil
undated [1974-5]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'Mythological triads', The Times Literary Supplement, 3 January 1975
With notes and a letter from the editor, 8 May 1974

JB A/13 Draft article on Buddhist Chinese etymological notes
undated [1975]
1 bundle, typescript
Published as 'Buddhist Chinese etymological notes', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 38, no. 3 (1975)

JB A/14 Draft article on the Arapacana syllabary in the old Lalita-vistara
undated [1977]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published as 'The Arapacana syllabary in the old Lalita-vistara', Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (1977)
With notes
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB A/15 Draft article on the phrase 'sakaya niruttiya'
undated [1980]
1 folder
Published as 'Sakaya niruttiya: cauld kale het' in H. Bechert, Die Sprache der Ältesten Buddhistischen Überlieferung. The Language of the Earliest Buddhist Tradition (1980)

JB A/16 Notes for an article about a Kharosthi inscription on a sculpture found at Taxila, Afghanistan
undated [1982]
1 folder
Published as 'Amitabha and Avalokitesvara in an inscribed Gandharan sculpture', Indologica Taurinensia, vol. 10 (1982)
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB R Book reviews

JB R/1 Draft review of Paul-Émile Dumont, The Horse-Sacrifice in the Taittiriya-Brahmana: the eighth and ninth prapathakas of the third kanda of the Taittiriya-Brahmana with translation (1948)
undated [1950]
4 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 13, no. 3 (1950)

JB R/2 Draft review of D. D. Kosambi, The Epigrams Attributed to Bhartrhari (1948)
undated [1950]
4 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 13, no. 3 (1950)

JB R/3 Draft review of Étienne Lamotte, Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitasastra). Tomes I, II (1944, 1949)
undated [1950]
2 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 13, no. 3 (1950)

JB R/4 Draft review of Karl Friedrich Geldner, Der Rig-Veda, aus dem Sanskrit ins Deutsche Übersetzt, und mit Einem Laufenden Kommentar Versehen (1951) and Louis Renou, Grammaire de la Langue Védique (1952)
undated [1954]
1 sheet, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 16, no. 1 (1954)

JB R/5 Draft review of Kevalanandasarasvati, Mimamsakosah, vol. 1 (1952)
undated [1954]
1 sheet, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 16, no. 1 (1954)

JB R/6 Draft review of D. H. H. Ingalls, Materials for the Study of Navya-nyaya Logic (1951)
undated [1954]
2 sheets, typescript
Published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1954)

JB R/7 Draft review of Karl H. Potter, Presuppositions of India's Philosophies (1963)
undated
15 sheets, typescript

JB R/8 Draft review of J. Gonda, Old Indian (1971)
undated [1973]
4 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 36, no. 1 (1973)

JB R/9 Draft review of Shakti M. Gupta, Plant Myths and Traditions in India (1971)
undated [1973]
3 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 36, no. 1 (1973)

JB R/10 Draft review of Gustav Roth, Bhiksuni-vinaya (1970)
undated [1973]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 36, no. 3 (1973)
With notes
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB R/11 Draft review of Gregory Nagy, Comparative Studies in Greek and Indic Meter (1974)
undated
3 sheets, typescript

JB R/12 Draft review of G. J. Meulenbeld, The Madhavanidana and its Chief Commentary: Chapters 1-10. Introduction, Translation and Notes (1974)
undated [1976]
5 sheets, typescript
Published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1976)

JB R/13 Draft review of John R. Hinnells, Mithraic Studies: Proceedings of the First International Congress of Mithraic Studies (1975)
undated
4 sheets, typescript

JB R/14 Draft review of John D. Smith, The Visaladevarasa: a restoration of the text (1976)
undated [1978]
2 sheets, typescript
Published in Modern Asian Studies, vol. 12 (1978)

JB R/15 Draft review of Étienne Lamotte, Le Traité de la Grande Vertu de Sagesse de Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitasastra) avec une Étude sur la Vacuité, Tom. IV (1976)
undated [1978]
4 sheets, typescript
Published in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, vol. 41, no. 2 (1978)

JB L Lectures

JB L/1 Notes for lectures on the Rgveda
undated [1940s]
1 folder
English and Sanskrit

JB L/2 Draft lectures on philology
undated [1940s]
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB L/3 Draft lectures on textual criticism and editing
undated [1950s]
1 folder

JB L/4 Draft lectures on literary theory
undated [1950s]
1 folder, ms and typescript
English, Sanskrit and Greek

JB L/5 Draft lectures on Indian philosophy
1960-1
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB L/6 Draft lecture on Gandhari, Shan-shan and early Chinese Buddhist translations
undated [1965-6]
1 folder, ms and typescript
Lecture given at Kyoto University, Oct 1965, and published as 'Saiiki shutsu-do Indo-kei go monjo', Tohogaku, vol. 32 (1966)
With notes

JB L/7 Draft lecture on the problems of the 'soma mushroom' theory
undated [1971-3]
15 sheets, typescript
Lecture given at the Convegno Internazionale di Studi Indologici, Turin, 26-29 Apr 1971, and published in Indologica Taurinensia, vol. 1 (1973)

JB L/8 Draft lecture on Sanskrit poetry
undated [1975-6]
15 sheets, typescript
Lecture given at the Second World Sanskrit Conference, Turin, 9-15 Jun 1975, and published in Indologica Taurinensia, vols. 3-4 (1975-6)

JB L/9 Draft lecture on the present day problems of Sanskrit studies
undated [1970s]
4 sheets, typescript
This lecture discusses the work of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies, founded in 1973

JB L/10 Draft lecture on Sanskrit literature
undated [1970s]
1 bundle
With notes
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB N Notes

JB N/1 Notes on the Abhidharmakosa
undated
1 folder
English, Sanskrit and Tibetan

JB N/2 Notes on the Amarakosa
undated
1 vol
Based on a manuscript in Cambridge University Library (Add. 1698)
With an earlier Sanskrit vocabulary
English, Sanskrit and Newari

JB N/3 Notes on the Astamivratavidhanakatha
undated
5 sheets
Based on manuscripts in Cambridge University Library (Add. 900 and Add. 1590)
English and Sanskrit

JB N/4 Notes on the Bhattikavya
undated
1 bundle (1) and 1 vol (2)
English and Sanskrit

JB N/4/1 Draft transcription and translation of cantos 1-2, 10, 15 and 22
Incomplete

JB N/4/2 Notes on cantos 1-2
Also contains undergraduate Greek lecture notes, 1933

JB N/5 Notes on the Dhvanyaloka
undated
1 folder (1) and 1 vol (2), ms and typescript
English and Sanskrit

JB N/5/1 General notes

JB N/5/2 Notes on Book 3

JB N/6 Notes on the Dvavimsatyavadana
undated
1 folder, ms and typescript
Also includes a transcription of part of the Jatakamala from a manuscript in Cambridge University Library (Add. 1328)
English and Sanskrit

JB N/7 Notes on the Papaparimocana
undated
1 bundle (1) and 1 vol (2)
Sanskrit and Newari

JB N/7/1 Notes on manuscripts B and C

JB N/7/2 Notes on manuscripts G, H, K, L and M

JB N/8 Notes on the Sukhavativyuha
undated
1 bundle
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB N/9 Notes on caste and caste words
undated
1 folder
English and Sanskrit

JB N/10 Notes on miscellaneous Chinese transcriptions
undated
1 folder
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB N/11 Notes on I-ching's translation of Matrceta
undated
1 folder
English, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB N/12 Notes on the Newari grammar compiled by Amrtananda among the Hodgson papers in the India Office Library, London
undated
1 vol
English and Newari

JB N/13 Notes on Niya documents
undated
1 folder
English and Chinese

JB N/14 Miscellaneous notebooks
undated
2 vols and 2 bundles
English, German, Sanskrit and Chinese

JB N/15 Miscellaneous notes
undated
1 folder
English, Sanskrit, Chinese and Newari

JB N/16 Walter Gurner
Notes on the Amarusataka
undated
1 bundle
English and Sanskrit

JB N/17 Unknown
Miscellaneous notes on Nepal
undated
4 sheets

JB C Correspondence

JB C/1 General academic correspondence
1947-83
1 folder, ms and typescript
English, German, French, and Hindi

JB C/2 Correspondence relating to the School of Oriental and African Studies, London
1948-72
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB C/3 Correspondence relating to Cambridge University
1965-82
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB C/4 Correspondence and papers relating to the Royal Asiatic Society
1963
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB C/5 Correspondence about Poems from the Sanskrit
1961, 1966-71
1 folder, ms and typescript
Mainly comprises correspondence with Penguin Books Ltd and letters from recipients of complimentary copies of the book
English and Italian

JB C/6 Correspondence and papers relating to articles for Chambers' Encyclopaedia
1962
1 folder, typescript

JB C/7 Correspondence and papers relating to articles for Encyclopaedia Britannica
1959-64
1 folder, ms and typescript

JB C/8 Correspondence about a Kharosthi inscription found at Lo-yang, China
1960-1
1 folder, ms and typescript
The interpretation was requested by the President of Israel, Izhak Ben-Zvi, who had been given a photograph of the inscription. Initially the inscription had been identified as Hebrew

JB C/9 Correspondence and papers about a Kharosthi inscription found at Taxila, Afghanistan
1962, 1980-1
1 folder, ms and typescript
With 7 black and white photographs of inscriptions
English and French

JB C/10 Correspondence and papers about a research trip to Nepal
1955-8
1 folder, ms and typescript
Includes correspondence with Thomas Welbourne Clark, 1955-7 (33 items)

JB C/11 Correspondence with Harold Bailey
undated, 1950-70
21 items, ms and typescript

JB C/12 Correspondence with Oscar Botto
1964-77
37 items, ms and typescript
English and Italian

JB C/13 Letters from Mary Boyce
1967-71
6 items, ms and typescript

JB C/14 Letters from John Burton-Page
undated, 1963-70
7 items, ms and typescript
Includes 1 letter written jointly with Mary Boyce and 1 with Arnold Kunst

JB C/15 Correspondence with Jan Willem de Jong
1968-70
9 items, ms and typescript
Includes applications on his behalf for a Commonwealth Fellowship at St John's College, Cambridge, and for a Visiting Fellowship at Clare Hall, Cambridge

JB C/16 Correspondence with David Friedman
1957-8
6 items, ms and typescript

JB C/17 Correspondence with Tuvia Gelblum
1962-7
15 items, ms and typescript
Includes correspondence with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem about Tuvia Gelblum

JB C/18 Correspondence with Tibor Halasi-Kun
1963-4
11 items, typescript
Mainly about the offer of a Professorship or Visiting Professorship at Columbia University
Includes 2 letters from Ehsan Yarshater on the same subject

JB C/19 Correspondence with Minoru Hara
undated, 1966-77
12 items, ms and typescript
English and Japanese

JB C/20 Correspondence with Hisao Inagaki
1965-70
10 items, ms and typescript

JB C/21 Correspondence with Yutaka Iwamoto
1965-8
5 items, ms and typescript
English and German

JB C/22 Correspondence with Yuichi Kajiyama
undated, 1963-70
10 items, ms and typescript

JB C/23 Correspondence with Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi
1949-50
8 items, typescript

JB C/24 Letters from Arnold Kunst
1963-71
6 items, ms and typescript

JB C/25 Letters from Étienne Lamotte
1962-72
7 items
French

JB C/26 Correspondence with Yutaka Ojihara
1962-71
14 items, ms and typescript
English and French

JB C/27 Letters from Edwin George Pulleyblank
1961-7
6 items, ms and typescript

JB C/28 Correspondence with Norman Scott
undated, 1962-74
7 items, ms and typescript

JB C/29 Correspondence with Shyram Lal Sharma
1966-72
16 items, ms and typescript
English and Hindi

JB C/30 Correspondence with Walter Simon
1959-70
16 items, ms and typescript

JB C/31 Letters from Frits Staal
1966-72
6 items, typescript

JB C/32 Correspondence with Naoshiro Tsuji
1966-77
8 items, ms and typescript

JB C/33 Correspondence with Clifford Wright
1963-71
13 items, ms and typescript
Includes 1 letter to Clifford Wright from Harold Bailey

JB F Family and Personal Papers

JB F/1 Draft curriculum vitae
undated [1960s]
6 sheets
With details of major publications

JB F/2 Reports on a research trip to Japan, 1965-6
undated, 15 Apr 1966
7 sheets, typescript

JB F/3 Copy will
16 Aug 1951
3 sheets, typescript

JB F/4 Correspondence and papers about 5 Thorn Grove, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
1948-57
1 folder, typescript
With 2 plans of an extension to the house, 1957

JB F/5 Cathy Brough
Diary of an overland journey to Nepal
1955-6
2 vols
Text badly faded
Closed

JB F/5/1
11 Jul-9 Nov 1955

JB F/5/2
10 Nov 1955- 15 Aug 1956

JB F/6 William Moore Adey
Sanskrit grammar
8 May 1879
1 vol
This book was given to Brough by Hilary Hinsley, 15 Nov 1978
William Moore Adey's address is given as 20 Park Crescent, Oxford. He was a student at Keble College, Oxford, 1876-8, and then a non-collegiate student, BA, 1881, MA, 1883
English and Sanskrit

JB S Photographs

JB S/1 Photographs of John Brough and Marjorie Brough
undated, 1937
2 black and white prints

JB S/2 Photographs of inscriptions
undated
44 black and white prints and 15 negatives

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Page date: 16 November, 2011

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