The Asiatic Society was founded by Sir William Jones in the year 1784. Sir Jones was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and its chief patron was Warren Hastings. The Society was founded with the main objective of spreading eastern education. The first journal released by the society, mentions its aims and objectives clearly. The idea was to take into consideration, all topographical features and researches involving man who belong to Asia.

The society had no permanent building as such, and during the lifetime of Sir James, the sessions of the Society were held in the Supreme Court. The need to have a personal building to carry out the Society`s activities were felt and this initiated the Society to make a petition for the purchase of land. This action did not receive any response from the government. Therefore again in July 1804, the Society submitted another petition to the Government for the purchase of the land where Park Street converges with Chowringhee. This juncture was finalized for the building construction, after the government complied finally in the year 1805. The whole plot in that location was allotted for the Asiatic Society except a small space that was reserved for a police station and fire brigade.

After the land purchase began the construction the design for which was proposed by Captain Locke, which was further modified and complemented by a French engineer called Jean Jacque Pissaun. The result was the formation of the mammoth building in the year 1808, with an expense of Rs. 30,000. The ground floor of the building comprised nine rooms and the first floor comprised five rooms. There was a change that was brought in it, and after transformations over the years of its final construction, 1839, more rooms were added on to it at the cost of ten thousand rupees. A bhawan or building was an added feature after independence. In the journals, which were published by the society, notable scholars used to contribute in them, writing essays and compositions on different subjects. The scholars were namely, Charles Wilkins, William Jones, Henry Thomas Colbrook, Nathaniel Trassi Halhead, William Carrey and many others. Apart from the European scholars, prominent Bengali scholars like Rajendra Lal Mitra, Haraprasad Shastri also contributed to the journal. The name of the society was also changed in their journal later on from The Asiatic Researches` to the `Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal`.

The Asiatic Society` is well known for its huge collection of books and manuscripts, which also included scientific and archaeological materials in a more earlier phase. This was then shifted to the Museum and some other places. In more recent times, the collection is replete with invaluable collection of Arabian and Persian Texts of Tipu Sultan which have been brought from the Fort William, many books and manuscripts on different Asian languages and so on. The society started developing and in a later phase it was found to be publishing various issues. Present day Asiatic Society also possesses very famous paintings and images out of which the most prominent are Givo`s `The death of Cleopatra`, Moorland`s `The farmer`s household` and Renauld`s `The Cupid`, and items of display also include old maps, coins, journals and palm leaf manuscripts, copper inscriptions, Tibetan manuscripts, etc. Among the most important exhibits, The Barhut Asokan Rock Edict (BC 250) in Pali written in the Brahmi script is a remarkable display. Therefore it can be acknowledged that the Asiatic Society has been associated with Bengal from a very long period and has been effectively doing its task since ages. It has shifted roles in the present times and touches of modernity affected its outlook also. Associations with the literary circle cannot be denied and it is another heritage of the British Era.