A treasure trove of rich heritage of Telangana

The mammoth collection of 43 million rare and historical records, dating back to 1406, repositories of the richest in the world, to study about Bahmani, Qutb Shahi, Adil Shahi, Mughal, Asaf Jahi dynasties etc., depicting magnificent early history of Telangana, at Telangana State Archives and Research Institute (TSARI) is both awesome and exhilarating. These are in old scripts of Classical Persian (80 per cent), Urdu, and Marathi languages, related to 1406-1950, and in English related to 1950 to 1956 (Hyderabad Records) periods, besides manuscripts and government orders.

Records of Abul Hasan Tana Shah’s period, with Akanna and Madanna heading administration, were in Persian and Telugu bilingual form. General public, institutions, courts, academicians, historians, scholars, journalists etc., from India and abroad including USA, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Singapore, and West Asian countries, visit TSARI for information on Indian Medieval and Modern History with specific reference to Telangana.

The present premises of TSARI consisting of spaciously built repositories, record rooms, publication division, library, conservation lab, museum, auditorium, research room, film archives rooms, reprography, administrative blocks etc., was constructed in 1965 on 4 acres lease land of Osmania University. I had the privilege to visit this institute at Tarnaka in Hyderabad, and spend quality time with Director Dr Zareena Parveen, and her committed staff, DD (Record Officer) Mahesh Reddy, AD (PRO) Abdul Raqueeb, AD (Librarian) Sandhya Rani, AD Srikanth etc. going around the premises, to have a glimpse of records.

Process of digitalization, steered by Iran’s Ali Akbar Niroomand, Regional Director, ‘Noor International Microfilm Centre’ for Southern Indian States is in rapid progress. However, on seeing the ‘Not-So-Good’ condition in certain fields including inadequate infrastructure facilities of this historical institute, it gives an impression that it needs rejuvenation, refinement, and scientifically advanced better care of records from further deterioration. ‘Archives,’ in such huge quantity, well known among research fraternity globally, are rare.

Genesis of TSARI dates back to 1724. Established as ‘Daftar-I- Diwani- Mal-O-Mulki,’ the first Daftar of Asaf Jahi period, it was converted as ‘Central Record Office’ in 1950 and as ‘State Archive’ in 1962. Status of Research Institute was conferred in 1992. It was one of the Fourteen Administrative Daftars (Offices) with a Brahmin Family of Raja Sham Raj Rai Rayan, childhood friend of Nizam and served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad, as its first custodian. It was declared as ‘Regular Record Office’ on November 29, 1896 by Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan.

Eminent persons like RM Joshi, Vasant Kumar Bava, Hadi Bilgrami, Waheed Khan, Sarojini Ragini, MVS Prasad Rao, H Rajendra Prasad, Sethu Madhav Rao Pagadi, MA Nayeem, Zia Uddin Shakib and the present Director Dr Zareena Parveen (since 2009) etc., steered TSARI among several others.

According to Dr Zareena Parveen, extensive and elaborate information on Inam lands, Jagirs, Wakf and Endowment properties (temples, mosques, mutts, churches, gurdwaras, dargahs, shrines, ashoorkhanas etc), samasthans, cantonments, monuments, historical buildings, palaces, railways, dams, rivers, lakes, villages, forests, agriculture, industries, mines, businesses, trading, acts and laws, gazettes, travelogues, autobiographies, biographies, family, and private collections etc., is available at TSARI. Out of 672 manuscripts, 80% are in Ornamental Persian and the remaining in Classical Urdu, English, Marathi, and Kannada. It is a treasure house of extremely invaluable and precious records in large quantum. These documents reveal, that, the paper used is handmade strong fabric withstanding the ravages of time.

The old records in TSARI among others are in the form of important Farmans, Sanads; essays on social, cultural, political, and economic life in Telangana during medieval and modern periods; political agreements; correspondence between kings and governor generals and residents of British India, in gold and silver sprinkled documents; gazettes; maps and plans etc. Records also include those of Sarf-e-Khas, estates of Paigah, Salar Jung, Raja Shiv Raj Bahaddur, Kishan Pershad, and estates of other Nobles.

Records of centuries old are getting delicate and brittle day by day and to protect from further deterioration due to manual handling and search. Government sanctioned Rs 71.25 lakh to TSARI for digitisation, phase wise. About 30,000 files containing nearly 13.5 lakh pages have been digitalised so far. More than 17,000 files are indexed. Government of Telangana also signed MoU with ‘Noor International Microfilm International Centre of Islamic Republic of Iran’ on September 7, 2022 for digitalization, conservation and cataloguing of old Archival Records, in the presence of Minister for Information Technology K T Rama Rao and Ambassador of Iran Dr Ali Chegini at IT Hub, Hyderabad.

From the day work started on October 3, 2022, 10 lakh pages in Persian and Urdu languages have been digitized besides repairing 1,50,000 pages and 150 book form Rare Manuscripts. Books containing Farmans were also re-bounded with durable material. Ali Akbar Niroomand said that, with newly Introduced method by centre’s Director Dr Mehdi Khaja Piri which is totally herbal, books could be preserved for more than 200 years. He also said that they are planning to organize an Exhibition of the works undertaken by them at a grand scale jointly with Telangana State Archives, coinciding project completion of one year.

Elaborating digitalization and conservation efforts, Dr Zareena Parveen, narrated some interesting facts and mentioned about extraordinary collections of TSARI. For instance, Farmans which reveal the spirit of tolerance in administration of Deccan Sultans like higher posts given to non-Muslims and honouring them with titles and grants, where endorsements in Telugu and Marathi languages were made are in TSARI. They are important from calligraphic point of view. Farman of Firoz Shah Bahmani bearing tughra and royal seal (Tughra is calligraphic monogram, seal or signature of Sultan affixed to all official documents) relating to an Inam land is the oldest Farman available in the country is another such example.

Mughal records mainly pertaining to reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb are much larger having link with one another like a series and running in chronological order. None of the Indian Archives did preserve as huge a quantum of Mughal documents as in TSARI. Documents in Persian Language were written in ‘Shikista Script’ on Indian Handmade Paper. This script meaning ‘broken’ or ‘the cursive formula’ written in black indelible Indian ink, is small and difficult to read or to write or decipher. Those who have mastered this script in Persia, can only understand.

Documents bear impression of seals and its nature is mentioned on top, say as ‘Farman’ or ‘Parwancha’ (Royal orders) or ‘Nishan’ (orders by Royal family Member), Huzur, Sanad, etc. Dr Zareena says that historians described Mughal Government as a Paper Government. For effective utilization of Mughal Documents in TSARI for all those who desire to know history of the Mughal Deccan, publication work of these documents in English is in progress. About 42,000 documents are completed.

Various daily news reports give abundant information on several aspects. Asaf Jahi Records, pertaining to erstwhile Hyderabad State, huge in quantum, complete and as perfect series, and sequence, too, occupy prominent place in TSARI.

Early Asaf Jahi Period of Feudal Administration dominated by hereditary families of nobles, was replaced from 1853, by Salarjung-I’s new administrative set up. Hyderabad Secretariat Records from 1853 to 1950, which furnish historical, political, social, economic, cultural, and administrative information of erstwhile Hyderabad State, useful as source material to Research Scholars is available in TSARI.

The best and scientific way to protect and preserve this historical place and pass on invaluable information to generations and generations to come, is to constitute a team of experts with proficiency in Persian, Urdu, Arabic, English, Library Science, Documentation and Administration for an in-depth study and make suggestions for long-lasting improvement.

(Writer is Chief Public Relations Officer to the Chief Minister,

Telangana).