Andhra Pradesh State Archives and Research Institute

Andhra Pradesh State Archives and Research Institute is an archiving organization of Government of Andhra Pradesh located at Tarnaka, Hyderabad.

History

The origin of the State Archives of Andhra Pradesh dates back to 1894. In that year, the entire records of Daftar-I-Diwani and Daftar-I-mal, which were under the custody of certain jagirdar families, were taken over by the Nizam's Government and a new office called Daftar-I-Diwani was created for the preservation of these records. It was elevated to the status of a Directorate in 1924 and was redesignated as Central Record Office in 1954 by the then Government of Hyderabad.

After the formation of Andhra State in 1953, some records pertaining exclusively to the Andhra Districts were transferred from the Madras Record Office to the Andhra Record Office at Kurnool.

After the formation of Andhra Pradesh on 1 November 1956, the Andhra Record Office was merged with the Central Reocrd Office, Hyderabad. Finally in 1962, the Department was reorganized on the pattern of National Archives of India.

Records

Mughal documents

The Mughal documents preserved in Andhra Pradesh State Archives are the official records of the Regional Headquarters of the Mughal Empire at Aurangabad. In 1916 Maulavi Muhibbuddin, Accountant General of Hyderabad discovered the records which were lying in the ‘Ark fort at Aurangabad. He reported to Sri Syed Khurshid Ali who was the then superintendent of Daftar-i-Diwani. Immediately, they were shifted to Daftar-i-Diwani in Hyderabad. All the papers relating to the reigns of Shahjahan (1626- 1658 A.D.) and Aurangzeb (1658 –1707 A.D.). The Mughal documents pertaining to the period of Shahjahan, in numbered about 5,000, whereas the documents of Aurangzeb reign more than 1,50,000. These documents show a graphic picture on various aspects of the Mughal mansabdari and Jagirdari system and administrative organization, military, revenue, social and diplomatic affairs of the Mughal Deccan etc..

The catalogues of Mughal documents of English summaries covering the periods of 1628-1668 has been compiled and published by Andhra Pradesh State Archives. Shahjahani catalogue “Mughal Archives” was first brought out in 1977. Again, eight volumes of Mughal Catalogues containing more than 26,000 documents of Ist to 9th regal year of Aurangzeb reign have been catalogued and published. Persian was the official language of the Mughal Empire and all the papers are in Persian, mainly in the shikasta script.

Asaf Jahi Records

Asaf Jahi records occupy the pride of place pertaining to the Asaf Jahi period of 224 years from 1724-1948. Within fifty years of the death of Nizam-ul –Mulk, Asaf Jahi (1724-1748) the first Nizam, founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, his successors lost to the British, the greater parts of the territories he had administered, and were also unable to prevent the erosion of their external sovereignty. The British even made attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of their State. After the total elimination of the remanants of the Mughal Empire in 1857, Asaf Jahi rule gained the status of a “native state”, which continued upto its accession to the Indian Union on 17 September, 1948. The Asaf Jahi records preserved in the Archives (estimated to be about ten million) covers a linear space of 16,800 feet, and reflect all the happenings in the political, administrative, economic, social as well as other important spheres of life.

Andhra State and Andhra Pradesh Records

Andhra Pradesh State Archives and Research Institute, possesses the administrative records from Madras Record Office transferred to this Department in different periods. After bifurcation of Madras State, Andhra State was formed in 1953 at Kurnool as its headquarters. All the records pertaining exclusively to the Andhra Districts were separated from Madras Record Office and transferred to newly created Andhra Record Office at Kurnool. After the formation of Andhra Pradesh State on November 1, 1956, the Andhra Record Office at Kurnool was merged with Central Record Office of Ex-Hyderabad State and the records of the Secretariat Departments of Andhra Area including Board of Revenue Records, Survey Records, Proceedings, Gazettes, Confidential Records etc., for the period from 1920-1952 were transferred to the Central Record Office at Erramanzil on May 1, 1957.

Gazettes

Gazettes are the official publications of the Government. They also contain rules, regulations, Official notifications, statistical data on metrological information, police, criminal intelligence Gazettes from 1975 are also available. The following Gazettes of Fort St George Gazettes (1832-1953), the Andhra Gazettes (1953-1956), the A. P. Gazettes (1956-till date) and Police Criminal intelligence Gazettes (1975 – Till date) are available.

Publications

*Mughal Archives: A Descriptive Catalogue Of The Documents Pertaining To The Reign Of Shah Jahan, Volume - I (1628-1658 A.D.). [ [http://www.flipkart.com/mughal-archives-descriptive-catalogue-documents/0439410954-5ww3fotzvf] ]
*Mughal Documents Catalogue of Aurangzeb’s Reign, Volume - II, (1663 – 1654 A.D.).
*Mughal Documents Catalogue of Aurangzeb’s Reign, Volume – III.
*Mughal Documents Catalogue of Aurangzeb’s Reign, Volume–IV (Part – I and II).
*Mughal Documents Catalogue of Aurangazeb’s Reign, Volume –V (Part-I and II).
*Mughal Archives – Volume – I (A Descriptive Catalogue of the documents pertaining to the Reign of Shah Jahan 1628-1658 A.D.).
*Farmans and Sanads of the Deccan Sultans (1406-1626) ( Revised Edition ).
*Guide to Persian and Urdu Records preserved in Repository I of A.P. State Archives and R.I.
*Ohronology of Modern Hyderabad.
*Selected documents of Shah Jahan’s Reign.
*Diplomatic Correspondence between Mor Nizam Ali Khan and the East India Company.
*Occassional papers – Series – I.
*Sanpuri Bakhar.
*Poona Akhbars – Volume I (1773 – 1781 A.D.).
*Poona Akhbars – Volume II (1781 A . D. ).
*Poona Akhbars – Volume III ( 1782 – 1794 A.D.).
*The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh (Andhra) Volume – I, (1800 – 1905 A.D.).
*The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh (Andhra) Volume – II, (1905 – 1920 A.D,).
*The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh (Andhra) Volume – III, (1921 – 1931 A.D.).
*The Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh (Andhra) Volume – IV, (1932 – 1947 A.D.).
*The Freedom Struggle in Hyderabad. Volume – I, II, III and IV (2nd edition).
*Who is who of Freedom Struggle in Andhra Pradesh, Volume – I, II and III.
*Highlights of freedom Movement in A.P. (3rd ed.).
*Naa Jailu Gnapakalu Naa Anubhavalu (Telugu).
*Andhralo Swatantra Samaramu (Telugu).
*Desam Pilupu (Telugu).
*Brief History of Andhra Pradesh (2nd Edition).
*Finances and Fiscal Policy of Hyderabad State (1900 – 1956).
*The Rate Schools of Godavari.
*Studies in Foreign Relations of India (from earliest times to 1947).
*Gooty Kesava Pillai.
*The Science of Archives Keeping.
*Nawab Imad – Ul – Mulk.
*Adhunika Andhra Desa Charitra (Telugu).
*Andhra Desapu Janapada Patalu (Telugu).
*Our Culture and its new Orientation, Swami Ranganadhananda.
*Alluri Sitarama Raju.
*Administration of Justice under the Nizam’s (1724 – 1948).
*Archival Organisation and Records Management in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
*A Descriptive Catalogue of Archives preserved in Repository – II A.P. State.
*Village Kaifiyats of Guntur, Volume-I, II, III, IV and V (Telugu).
*Nellore Zillah Kaifiyats. (Telugu).
*Prakasam Zillah Kaifiyats. (Telugu).
*Vijayanagaram Zillah Kaifiyats (Telugu).
*Guntur Inscriptions (Telugu).
*Draksharama Inscriptions (Telugu).
*ITIHAS – Historical and Archival Research Journal of Andhra Pradesh Archives, 1973 onwards.

References

External Links

* [http://www.apts.gov.in/andhrastatearchives/ Official website.]