Record Holdings and The Chronological Range

 Archives

Our documentary heritage motivates us and inspires us. Birch bark and palm leaf was used for writing purposes before the advent of paper in India. But the documents amassed in our archives are mostly on paper.

Archives reflect the origins and growth of a Government and are the main source of information on all its activities, They embody the great fund of official experience that the Government needs to give continuity and consistency to its actions, to make policy determinations and 10 handle  social economic problems.
It is said that the care which a nation devotes to the preservation of the monuments of its past may serve as a true measure of the degree of civilization to which it has attained. Among such valuable objects, and holding first place in importance, are public archives,
               

 The records of Madhya Pradesh

The State of Madhya Pradesh was carved out of the parts of old Madhya Pradesh (Central Provinces and Berar), the erstwhile State of Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal and Madhya Bharat The series of non-current records maintained by these stales come in to the possession or the Government of the new State of Madhya  Pradesh. They give  an interesting and informative account of the bygone era, They arc illustrative of the regional history and the administrative set up of the states. The State Archives of Madhya Pradesh was set up in 1975 and it became the natural custodian of all these records. It was merged with the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums in 1994.

 Main Regional Offices

The main office of the Archives Section of the Directorate of Archaeology Archives and Museums is situated lit Bhopal. It has three regional Offices at lndore, Gwalior and Rewa.
          

 Record Holdings and the Chronological Range

The Archives Section has the records of Central Provinces, Gwalior, Bhopal, Indore, Madhya Bharat, Maihar and Nagod State.

 The period of the various record series are as follows:

• The record available at the Central Provinces and Berar, Madhya Pradesh Central Record room, Nagpur is from 1799 to 1920. The post 1920 series is maintained in the General Administration Department, Mantralaya, Vallabh Bhawan, Bhopal.
• The Holkar State Records - available in Bhopal and at Indore Repositories is from 1818 to 1950.
• The Scindia State(Gwalior) records are from 1802 to 1948. They are located in Bhopal repository.
• The records of Bhopal State are from 1914 to 1948. The series of pre 1914 records are with the National Archives of India, Bhopal Branch.
• The Madhya Bharat State Records are from 1948 to 1956 and are available in Bhopal.
• The Narsingarh State Records are available in Gwalior Repository and some of the records of Nagod and Maihar State is available in Rewa Repository.

 Activities of the Archives Section

The main activities of the Archives Section of the Directorate or Archaeology Archives and Museums are as follows:

Research Work:

A large number of research Scholars, teachers, professors authors and journalists, visit our Archives office at Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore and Rewa to collect matter related to their subject of research. The important historical documents are made Available to them for research on demand.

Requisitions

The collectors of the various districts of Madhya Pradesh, Government departments and other agencies as well as individuals send requisitions for documents in our custody. The certified copies of the same are supplied to them as per rules.

Preparation of Reference Media

The record available with us has been collected from different places. During the process of shifting the records, the arrangement of the record series has been disturbed. The records are being re­arranged and Reference Media is prepared for the same.

Exhibition

In order to inculcate archival awareness among the general public, exhibitions are organized at various places with in the state and outside it. Exhibitions have been organized at Calcutta, Mysore, Jaipur, New Delhi, Raipur, Jabalpur, Shivpuri and Bhopal.

Record as evidence

The officers of this Directorate produce the original record as evidence in the various courts whenever summons are issued in a legal case, for a particular document.

Microfilming

Microfilming is a method of preserving records in another medium or form. It is the technique of making photographic copies that are too small to be read without magnification, a microfilm reader is used to magnify the image to readable proportions. Microfilming saves storage space and secures information against disasters from calamites such as fire, flood and war. It also provides protection for the origin;al materials especially those items in brittle condition which can no longer be used by readers with safety. Microfilm copy is made available for reference and consultation and not the original. The series presently being microfilmed is 'A' class record of former Gwalior State related to Jagirs and Jabalpur Divisional Records of Central Provinces.

Training in Preservation techniques

Training is imparted to employees of some departments every year. They arc taught various techniques that can be adopted for paper conservation.

Survey of Records

A survey of records available in various districts of Madhya Pradesh is being conducted and important records are identified.

Computerization of Records

Computers arc being used to identify the availability of a particular document and for quick retrieval of information. It saves a great deal of time, as the information is available at the click of a button. A user-friendly software, AIMS (Archival Information Management System) is used, to trace the required information. It is similar to the software being used in National Archives of India, New Delhi. Data Entry of Reference Media to Records of Central Provinces (1798 to 1919) has been completed and that of Holkar State Indore, (1818 to 1947) is in progress.

The records are of great historical importance and would interest historians, anthropologists, sociologists, scholars and the general public. The Commissioner Archaeology Archives and Museums, Banganga Road, Bhopal may be contacted to obtain additional information regarding the Archives Section and record holdings.

The Director Archaeology, Archives and Museums, Banganga Road, Bhopal may be contacted to obtain additional information regarding the Archives section and record holdings.

Some Rare Historical Documents from the records of Princely States:

1. Genealogical Tree of Nawab Dost Mohammad Khan
2. Letter from Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel to Maharaja Jiwaji Rao Scindhia regarding hospitality extended to him during his stay in Gwalior (1948).
3. Letter from Earl of Willington to Maharaja Holker regarding subscribing of share to erect the statue (1936).
4. Memorandum from Secretary of Star of India (1872).
5. Hukumnama of Tatya Tope (1857).