on microfiche second edition, 2001

2001

The Gazetteers of
of British
British India,
India,1833-1962
1833-1962

Gazetteers are:
• treasure houses of historical,
houses of
archaeological,
archaeological, political, economic,
economic,
sociological, commercial and
statistical data
data

• among the
the prime
prime reference
reference
resources of
resources of scholars
scholarsof
of the
the Indian
sub-continent
• descriptions
descriptions of a district, state
state or
province of (British) India,
province India,
published in series,
published either privately
series, either
or under
under the
the auspices
auspices of
of aa
government
government body
body

DRAWERS OF WATER,
DEAWBES WATEK, MADRAS.
MADRAS.

Editor: Henry
Editor: Henry Scholberg,
Scholberg, Curator Emeritus,
Emeritus, Ames
Ames Library
Library of South Asia, University of Minnesota
University of

H IDC
PUBLISHER S
P U B L I S H E R S
The Gazetteers
Gazetteers of British India, 1833-1962
1833-1962
`The gazetteers
'The gazetteersofofBritish
British India
India are
are among
among the
the prime
prime reference
reference resources
resources of scholars whosewhose interest is is the
the
Indian sub-continent.
sub-continent. "" Burton Stein, Ph. D., Prof.
Prof, of Indian History, University of
of Minnesota
Minnesota

In 1815
1815 The East India Company began publishing a series series of gazetteers designed
designed to further
further the
knowledge of its territories.
territories. This
This practice continued after
after 1858
1858 and
and lasted
lasted until 1947.
1947. Some
Some of the
gazetteers continued to appear after Indian independence. This series series of
of gazetteers
gazetteers which
which have
have been
been
valuable for officials
officials of the
the East
East India Company and and subsequently the the Crown
Crown Colony
Colony of
of India, have
have also
proven of immense value to scholars to this day.day. The typical gazetteer
gazetteer is
is aa treasure
treasure house
house of
of data.
data.
IDC Publishers offers
offers three main series on microfiche: The The Imperial Gazetteers, the
Imperial Gazetteers, the Provincial Series and
Provincial Series
The District Gazetteers.
The District Gazetteers. The bibliography (1970)
(1970) lists
lists 1,344 district gazetteers,
gazetteers, published
published in the twenty
twenty
provinces of British India. Over 1,200
1,200 of these are
are available
available on
on microfiche.
microfiche.

Historical background
background administrative aspects of the Colony.
Colony. decennial census.
census. The Buchanan-
Volumes five
Volumes five to
to twenty-four go from A Hamilton Series Bengal, which
Series of Bengal,
Fifty years
Fifty years after
after the Battle of Plassey
East India Company
Company saw the need to Z, describing
describing district by district
district and begun in
begun in 1833 were not
1833 were not called
called district
the East
town by town.
town town. The twenty-fifth
twenty-fifth volume
volume gazetteers
gazetteersbut butAccounts
Accounts of of the
the District.
District.
learn about the land it had acquired
to learn acquired
is an Atlas and
and the
the twenty-sixth
twenty-sixth an
an Between
Between 18221822 and 1904 1904 there were the the
in the subcontinent of Asia. In a
Index. Bengal Statistical
Bengal Statistical & Geographical
Geographical
Despatch of 1807
Despatch 1807 are these words: "We
Reports. Hunter edited
Reports. edited aa twenty-
twenty-
opinion that a Statistical Survey
are of opinion
The Provincial Series
The Series volume
volume set Statistical Accounts in
set of Statistical
of the country would be attended with
1875-77.
1875-77. ThenThen in 1906-23
1906-23 there
there is thethe
much utility; we therefore
much therefore recommend
recommend Published
Published simultaneously
simultaneously with The
with The O'Malley Series, authored
Series, authored mostly by
proper steps
proper steps to be taken for the Imperial Gazetteer
Gazetteer waswas TheThe Imperial L.S.S. O'Malley. Whatever
L.S.S. Whatever titles
titles they
they
execution of the same." This was the
execution Gazetteer of
Gazetteer of India: Provincial Series.
India: Provincial Series. went by, they
they qualified as as district
beginning of a series
beginning series of gazetteers,
gazetteers, Unlike any of
Unlike any ofthe
the gazetteers
gazetteers mentioned
mentioned gazetteers of
gazetteers of the highest order. The
highest order.
which, valuable they may have been for above
above which were published
which were London
published in London United Provinces
Provinces provided the the best-
best-
officials
officials of the East India Company
Company and either
either by Trubner
Trübner or organized series
organized series in
in India. There were were
subsequently Crown Colony
subsequently the Crown Colony of Wm. H. Allen, the the Provincial Series
Series forty-eight districts
districts in
in the
the province.
province.
India, have also proven
proven of immense
immense was
was published
published in Calcutta by the Forty-eight district
district gazetteers
gazetteers were
were
value to scholars to this
this day.
day. Some
Some Superintendent
Superintendent of Government brought out between
between 19051905 and
and 1911.
1911.
gazetteers were commercially
commercially published
published There are nineteen
Printing. There nineteen volumes
volumes inin Then,
Then, ten years
years after
after the
the district
while others
others were governmental
governmental or this series,
series, published in 1908-09.
1908-09. Each
Each gazetteers, came
gazetteers, came four sets of BB series,
four sets series,
quasi-governmental documents. volume is devoted
devoted to at at least
least one each aa decade
each decade apart.
apart.Like
Like those
those of of
country, province or or Indian
Indian state,
state, and
and Madras, they are supplements
Madras, supplements bringing
bringing
The Imperial
The Gazetteers
Imperial Gazetteers some include
some include two. Afghanistan
Afghanistan and and statistics up toto date.
date.
Nepal
Nepal make oneone volume as do
Sir William Wilson
Wilson Hunter
Hunter
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, East East
Father of
(1840-1900), Father of the
the Gazetteers
Gazetteers A Treasure
Treasure House
House
Bengal, Assam, Mysore and and Coorg.
Coorg.
of India, brought out
out his
his Imperial
typicalgazetteer
The typical gazetteer isis aa treasure
treasure house
house
Gazetteer of
Gazetteer of India in 1881
1881 in nine
nine
The
The District Gazetteers
Gazetteers data. The author and his contributors
of data.
years later a fourteen-
volumes. Four years fourteen- are likely
are likely to be
be members
members of of the
the Indian
volume work was produced,
produced, the It is the part
part of irony that
that district Civil Service
Civil Service (I.C.S.). Typically, a
fourteenth volume of which was an gazetteers, which
gazetteers, which were manuals for for use
use gazetteer
gazetteer contains
contains aa table
table of contents
wrote:
index. In his preface the author wrote: by Collectors and Officials, were were telling the scholar that he/she
scholar that he/shewill
will find
"Every article
"Every article in the original
original edition designated as
designated as manuals
manualsin in only
only one
one of
of information on on history,
history, topography,
topography,
has been submitted to the Provincial
Provincial the provinces: Madras. Beginning in
provinces: Madras. in cultivation, livestock,
livestock, manufactures,
manufactures,
Government of India,
Government India, and through them 1853,
1853, district manuals were
district manuals were published trade,
trade, population,
population, migration,
migration, religion,
to the District Officers
Officers for criticism
criticism and there. Then
Then in the late nineteenth language,
language, education,
education, crime, etc.,
etc.,
suggestions." Sir
Sir Herbert
Herbert Risley,
Risley, W.S.
W.S. century Madras
Madras followed the the lead
lead of the
the preceded
preceded byby a list of
of sources
sources and
and
Meyer, Richard Burn and J.S. Cotton
Meyer, Cotton rest
rest of
of the
the Colony and brought out followed byby an
an index.
index.
compiled
compiled the monumental twenty-six district gazetteers.
gazetteers. From 1894 to 1919
From 1894 1919
volumes Imperial Gazetteer
Gazetteer of of India Madras
Madras published district
districtgazetteers,
gazetteers,
after Hunter's
after Hunter's death. The first
first four followed in in the
the 1900s
1900s by a series
series of
of Henry Scholberg
Henry Scholberg
volumes are devoted to descriptive,
descriptive, "Statistical Appendices,"
four "Statistical Appendices," eacheach a Curator Emeritus.
Curator Emeritus. Ames
Ames Library
Library of South
South Asia,
historical, economical
economical and decade
decade apart
apart making use of the
making use the University of Minnesota
Minnesota
Contents
Main Series
Main Series and
and subseries
subseries Order nr. Nr. of
of fiche
fiche

I. Imperial Gazetteer (3 (3 editions) (1,495)

(€1,495)
1. 1-1060 58
1. Hunter, 1881
1881 (9 v.)
v.)
2. Ed. 2, Hunter, 1885-87
1885-87 (14
(14 v.)
v.) 1-1061
1-1061 95
Risley, et al, 1907-09 (26 v.)
3. New ed., Risley, 1608
1608 218
218

II. Imperial
ImperialGazetteer.
Gazetteer. Provincial
ProvincialSeries
Series1908-09
1908-09 (19
(19 v.) 608
608
(975)
(€975)
Afghanistan and Nepal
Afghanistan 33
Andaman and Nicobar Isl. 2
Baluchistan 3
Baroda 3
Bengal 19
19

Berar
Berar 55

Bombay Presidency
Bombay 22
Burma 17
17

Central India 9
Central Provinces 10
10

East Bengal & Assam

Assam 13
13

Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
State 6
6

Kashmir and Jammu

Kashmir 3
3

Madras 21
21

Mysore and Coorg

Mysore 7
7

N.W. Frontier Province

N.W. Province 6
6

Punjab 18
Rajputana 10
United Provinces
Provinces 21
21

III. Imperial Gazetteer.

Imperial Gazetteer. District
DistrictSeries 1833-1962 (1,221 v.)
Series1833-1962 1601
1601
(20,695)
(€20,695)
Assam 114
Baluchistan 91
91
Bengal
Bengal 630
Berar (Central Provinces &) 88
Bihar 169
Bombay
Bombay (Presidency) 506
Burma 285
Central
Central India
India 11
11
Central Provinces
Provinces 430
Central States
States 95
East Bengal
Bengal & Assam 22
Hyderabad
Hyderabad State 66
Kashmir 13
Ladak 88
(for add'!
Madras (for add'l District
District titles,
titles, see
see below,
below, *) 507
Maharashtra
Maharashtra 83
Mathura 12
Mysore and Coorg
Mysore 115
115
N.W. (Frontier)
N.W. (Frontier) Provinces
Provinces 273
273
Punjab 752
Punjab States
States 128
Rajputana 109
Sind 46
Sikhim 11
11
United Provinces
Provinces 688
* Madras,
Madras, additional:
additional:
1. Twenty
1. Twenty District
District Gazetteers,
Gazetteers, known
known asas 'Madras
'Madras manuals',
manuals', 1-150 150
150
1853-1898
2. One on Madura, 1868
1868 1-744
I-744 17
17
Arcott, 1906
3. One on South Arcott, 1906 1-743 9
4. One on Malabar & Anjengo,
Anjengo, 19081908 1-745 10

IV. Imperial
ImperialGazetteer.
Gazetteer. Checklist and
and Index
Index ofof Imperial
Imperial 1-1200 1

Series, Provincial Series

Series, Provincial and District
Series and District Series
Series
 Illustration from: MARSHALL,
MARSHALL, J. and A. FOUCHER.
FOUCHER .The
The monuments
of Sanchi. Delhi, 1944.
of 1944.

'A- 'K)PTHFR\ < Cover illustration

Cover illustration from:
from: Letters from India
Letters from Indiaand
andKashmir.
Kashmir. London,
London, 1874.
1874.

General information
General
Scope
Scope 3 editions of Imperial
Imperial Gazetteers;
Gazetteers; 19 volumes
volumes of
of
Provincial Series;
Series; 1,221
1,221 volumes of District Gazetteers
Gazetteers
Number of fiches 5,868
Size of fiche 105 x 148 mm. / 90 xx 120
120 mm.
mm.
Film type Positive silver halide
Reduction ratio Varies depending
Varies depending on
on the
the size
size of the original IDC
IDC Publishers
Publishersalso
also accepts
accepts orders
for
for parts
parts of
ofthe
theSelections
Selections (main
(main
Internal headers on every fiche
Eye-legible headers fiche series). make a selection
series). You can make selection on
finding aids
finding the order form.
External Guide to all Gazetteers
Guide Gazetteers on
on microfiche:
microfiche: "Gazetteers
"Gazetteers of
of
finding aids
aids India in the British
India British period", the Netherlands, Leiden,
Leiden,
1991
1991

Bibliography of District Gazetteers:

Bibliography Gazetteers: "The
"The District
Gazetteers of British India, A Bibliography", by Henry
Gazetteers
Scholberg, Zug, Switzerland, 1970
Scholberg, 1970 [xerox
[xerox copy]
copy]

H IDC
PIIDC
PUBLISH
P U B L I S HE ERR SS