M Madhan
- Library Director
- madhan@jgu.edu.in
- 130 1845
Anupama Verma
- Assistant Manager
- anupamaverma@jgu.edu.in
- 130
Are you interested to know about the administration and history of Maharashtra state? We will suggest you go through the Maharashtra State Archives. You may find it more interesting.
The Maharashtra State Archives, now the Central Archival Agency of the Government of Maharashtra, includes important repositories in Mumbai, Pune, and Kolhapur, with new regional offices in Aurangabad and Nagpur.
These archives preserve over three centuries of government records, capturing historical experiences. They serve not just as storage but as vital resources for government planning, public rights protection, and historical research. Proper preservation and organization of these records are essential for both administrative functions and scholarly work.
Maharashtra State Archives records are categorized into four main groups as follows:
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Pre-1820 Records: These consist mainly of diaries and copies of original documents from the East India Company’s Government of Mumbai. There are approximately 7,000 volumes in this category.
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Post-1820 Records: These include government proceedings from each department, compiled alphabetically and bound into volumes up to 1912, and organized in loose files up to 1920. There are around 200,000 volumes in this collection.
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Records Post-1920: These are maintained as files, with one file per subject according to the Maxwell system, totaling about 400,000 files.
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Printed Materials: This category encompasses printed records, maps, newspapers, private records, and other related documents.
(A) In addition to Diaries, Compilations, Volumes, and Files, Mumbai Archives also house various other types of records, detailed as follows:
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Inward Letter Books: These manuscript volumes contain copies of letters received by the Secretariat, including Factories, etc., spanning from 1646 to 1786. Letters fully copied in Diaries are not included here. From 1786 onward, letters were recorded in full in Diaries.
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Outward Letter Books or Order Books: These manuscript volumes include copies of letters, memoranda, and orders issued by the Secretariat, Factories, Residencies, etc.
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Minute Books: These manuscript volumes record the proceedings of Council meetings of the Government of Mumbai, as well as the Chief and Factors in the Factories and Residencies, and Committee Members. Notices from these proceedings are also included in Diaries, though with language changes.
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Dispatches to and from the Honorable Court of Directors: These are compiled separately. Dispatches from the Honorable Court of Directors to the Government of Mumbai are referred to as "Honorable Court’s Inward," and those from the Government of Mumbai to the Court are "Honorable Court’s Outwards." Major Candy sorted and arranged these letters by department during his classification duties.
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Inward Registers: Manuscript books used to register letters, memoranda, etc., received by the Secretariat.
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Outward Registers: Manuscript books used to register letters, memoranda, etc., issued by the Secretariat.
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Indices: For Diaries, the last volume of each year contains indices. Separate index volumes exist for Compilation or Volume series of Records.
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Selections or Selected Compilations: These records consist of copies of proceedings related to historical questions under government consideration. Selections concerning foreign governments are classified as “Foreign Power.”
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Surveys: This category includes 20 volumes related to Revenue, Statistical, and Topographical Surveys of Mumbai Island, Salsette, Dharwad, Gujarat, and other regions.
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Records in Portuguese: Six volumes contain documents in Portuguese from 1714 to 1819, with some gaps in the records. These include translations of letters between the Government of Mumbai and Native Princes or Portuguese Governments, as well as judicial proceedings and land and tax registers.
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Printed Records: This category includes Government Publications, selections from Government Records, Gazettes, old newspapers, files, Civil Lists, abstracts of proceedings, annual reports, and reports from various Government Committees.
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Maps: Approximately 20,000 old maps are part of the collection, including those from survey operations that began in 1820. The collection features maps of Mumbai Presidency, surrounding areas, and Bombay Island.
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Private Records: Maharashtra’s archival wealth includes private records from old families, which provide insights into the region's history. The Directorate of Archives has acquired numerous private records from historical families such as the Patwardhans of Sangli, Manes of Mhaswad, Mohites of Raigaon, and Patankars of Patan. These records are primarily in modiscript, with some in Persian.
(B) Key Books
A Note-worthy publication as follows:-
- 1. Facsimile Handwritings of the Hotable Personalities of Maratha History (in Marathi) Edited by Dr. M. G. Dikshit and V. G. Khobarekar, 1969.
- 2. The Handbook of the Bombay Archives, Compiled by Sanjiv P. Desai, Associate Compiler R. S. Pednekar, Edited by Capt. Dr. B. G. Kunte, 1978.
- 3. Emblems & Moots of former Indian States, Compiled & Collected by S. R . Purohit, Edited by Capt. Dr. B. G. Kunte1978.
- 4. Catalogue of Maps in the Bombay Archives, Vol. I, Complied by S. P. Desai, V. T. Gondil & A. K. Kharade, 1979.
- 5. Calendar of the “Quit India” Movement in the Bombay Presidency, Edited by Dr. S. P. Desai, General Editor Bhaskar Dhatavkar, 1985.
Printed books, published by various governments’ departments - 1,25,318
‘O’ Series 21,574
‘N’ Series 50,000
‘A’ Series 01,095
‘R’ Series (till date) 52,649