Asian Educational Services
By 2016, Asian Educational Services, a publishing house in New Delhi, India, had released more than 1200 books. Jagdish Lal Jetley founded the firm in 1973. The catalogue was built largely from the past, from old books brought back into print rather than new manuscripts. Why would a publisher stake its whole business on works that were already old? Which authors did it choose to revive, and how far did its interests reach? And what happened to the firm after its founder died?
The firm's specialty is the antiquarian reprint, a fresh printing of a book first published between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Its publishing programme is described as very active, and the stated purpose is preservation. Old books are reissued so that the knowledge inside them does not disappear.
A list of about 200 travelogues is one of the most visible results. Together these accounts give a vivid picture of India in particular and of Asia more broadly.
Travelogues by people who visited India during the Middle Ages have also been reprinted. The firm describes this as giving them a new lease on life. The next question is who wrote all these pages.
Marco Polo and Hiuen Tsang both appear on the list of authors the firm has reprinted. Al-Biruni and William of Rubruck stand on the same list. The source describes many of the big names in Asian exploration and in history as part of the programme.
François Bernier, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Niccolao Manucci and Philippus Baldaeus are among the other names. So are Richard Francis Burton, Sven Hedin, Aurel Stein, Francis Younghusband and William Moorcroft.
Scholars of religion and language fill out the shelf too. Max Müller, Thomas William Rhys Davids, Hermann Oldenberg and Wilhelm Geiger are all listed. Several other authors on the list carry names such as Alexander Csoma de Kőrös, Ippolito Desideri and James Prinsep. Some of the firm's shelves hold no stories at all, only tools for reading other tongues.
More than 40 Asian, European and African languages are covered by the firm's language aids. These come as dictionaries, both classical and popular, along with polyglots, grammar aids and self-taught series.
All the major languages of the Indian sub-continent are included in this programme. Semitic languages are covered as well. The firm names the Arabic family of languages among them.
Amharic is the other Semitic language the firm singles out.
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and the Himalayas all fall within the firm's publishing activity, alongside India itself. Central Asia, Burma/Myanmar and the Indian Ocean are on the map too.
The subjects are just as varied. History, customs and manners, religion and Buddhism sit beside numismatics, anthropology, art and architecture. Castes and tribes, natural history, gazetteers and guidebooks complete the range.
The Indian Revolt, also known as the Mutiny of 1857, has its own place in the list. That programme eventually drew attention well beyond the publishing trade.
In 2005, Asian Educational Services was awarded the National Award for Excellence in Publishing. Its reprint programme has also drawn regular coverage. National dailies including The Hindu and The Indian Express have carried stories about the firm.
On television, Door Darshan 1, described as the National Channel of India, has featured the firm. So has the CNN/IBN network in India.
Jagdish Lal Jetley died that same year, 2005. The surviving family took over running the firm. The founder's son, Gautam Jetley, is the one family member the record names among them.
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Common questions
What is Asian Educational Services?
Asian Educational Services (AES) is a publishing house based in New Delhi, India. It specialises in antiquarian reprints of books originally published between the 17th and early 20th centuries.
Who founded Asian Educational Services and when?
Jagdish Lal Jetley founded Asian Educational Services in 1973. By 2016 the firm had published more than 1200 books.
What kinds of books does Asian Educational Services reprint?
Asian Educational Services reprints old travelogues, histories and language aids, with about 200 travelogues on its list. Its subjects include religion, Buddhism, numismatics, anthropology, art, architecture, castes and tribes, natural history, gazetteers and guidebooks.
Which authors has Asian Educational Services published?
Authors reprinted by Asian Educational Services include Marco Polo, Al-Biruni, Hiuen Tsang, William of Rubruck, François Bernier, Richard Francis Burton, Sven Hedin, Aurel Stein and Francis Younghusband. Max Müller and Thomas William Rhys Davids are also on the list.
How many languages do Asian Educational Services language aids cover?
The language aids from Asian Educational Services cover more than 40 Asian, European and African languages. They include dictionaries, polyglots, grammar aids and self-taught series, with all major languages of the Indian sub-continent covered.
What award did Asian Educational Services win?
Asian Educational Services was awarded the National Award for Excellence in Publishing in 2005. The firm has also been featured in The Hindu, The Indian Express, Door Darshan 1 and the CNN/IBN network.
Who runs Asian Educational Services after Jagdish Lal Jetley's death?
After Jagdish Lal Jetley died in 2005, the surviving family ran Asian Educational Services. This included his son, Gautam Jetley.
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