Dr. Ambedkar’s rare letter to Prof. Seligman

10 King Henry’s Rd
Chalk Farm
London, N.W.3
16/2/22

My dear Prof. Seligman,

Having lost my manuscript of the original thesis when the steamer was torpedoed on my way back to India in 1917 I have written out a new thesis entitled “The Stabilization of the Indian Exchange” which I hope with your permission to submit for the Ph.D. at Columbia.

I hope to be at Columbia for the Exam. sometime in December next. In the meanwhile may I know if you can arrange to have my manuscript read before publication by some member of the Economics Faculty of Columbia. I am also anxious to have it published in the Columbia University Studies and I can assure you that it will be a publication for which there will be a very large sale. It is a burning question of the day and I believe I have treated it in a thoroughgoing fashion.

Trusting you will be pleased to do the needful I am

Yours sincerely,

B. R. Ambedkar

PROF. SELIGMAN’S REPLY (an unsigned carbon copy):

February 28, 1922Mr. B. R. Ambedkar,
10 King Henry’s Road,
Chalk Faarm,
London, N. W. 3, England

My dear Ambedkar:

I was very glad indeed to hear from you and to learn that you have started out afresh. The subject you choose is certainly an interesting one and if you will send on your MS, I shall be glad to have it read by one of my colleagues. We can discuss its possible publication in the STUDIES later on.

Faithfully yours,

Source of both documents: Seligman papers, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University