Library Genesis

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On the basis of input from one of my collegue, I share a link to an online library. Check it HERE. Well I have not been able to locate any desired book on this site but there are many good articles and books available from this site. The books and articles are directly downloaded to your system in pdf format.

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Archives of TATA

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Check the archives of the Tata Sons. It may interest historians, historians of economic history, historians of colonialism and people related to business activity from all over the world.
Quotes from the first page of the site.
"The history of the Tata Group runs concurrently with the story of India’s industrialisation." As a student of history, I read it with caution. While making this comment, there is at the back of my mind, the name of Tagore and Carr Company. I intend no offence to the claim of the site. I write with an appeal to the craft of history.
Second Quote:
"The Tata Central Archives is the first Business Archive in India. We collect, and retain letters, documents, images, printed books, group publications and ephemera of potential historical and critical significance to the Tata Group, one of the largest and most respected business houses in India." I have just watched the document sheet. There are some titles which attract. I have not fully through the contents. I may go through them at a later date.

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Centre de Sciences Humaines New Delhi

Centre de Sciences Humaines ( CSH ) is based in New Delhi. It has a wesbite at www.csh-delhi.com.

According to the site description, “The Centre's activities are primarily oriented towards the study of issues concerning the contemporary dynamics of development in India, in its regional and international context.”

As per the history of the Centre given of the site, it has shifted to New Delhi from Kabul. At that time, it was working as the French Archaeological Delegation in Kabul and on arriving in India, it became French Archaeological Mission in India. The CSH was created by it in 1990. It is stated there that “n 1995, there was a shift in the research focus and the CSH became a centre specialising in contemporary India and South Asia.”

It is part of 27 research centres of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The object of the Centre is and I quote from the site that “As a research centre, the overall objective of the CSH is to examine India as an emerging power on the international scene, and to analyse the various transition processes that affect India and the South Asian region.”

It conduct many research projects with a pre-defined objectives already given on the site.

It provides the information on its activities through a news magazines which is interestingly titled “Pattrika” which is a Hindi term for magazine. The Pattrika is available online.

There are no online full length papers available on the site. However, the papers which are being produced by the Centre through research has been mentioned there with required glimpse of the contents of the papers.

I have come across the activities of the centre through the email listing of H-Asia and edited by Frank Conlon on November 3, 2010.

In battle of Wandiwash, the British company defeated the French company. I continue to read about the British empire especially its rule in India. The question comes to mind again and again that what scenario would have been there if British did not win that battle. Well, in history, you can not think like that. Even then, there remains a streaks of French presence in India. The times have changed. Now, India as a nation has matured. However, it attracts attention rooted in fascination for those nations which once ruled over India. The activities of the present governments of erstwhile imperial powers in their erstwhile colonies attract attention of any student of history. I have not gone through whole of the site and papers displayed there. But, the presence of such an institution in India definitely attracted my imagination and curiosity. The aim of the blog is to collect the the material/source on history at one place. No doubt, the institutions which are engaged in undertaking the research also come under such intellectual interest. Therefore, I include it in the list.

Kudhabaksh Oriental Public Library Patna Online

It is a pleasure to write about the online Kudhabaksh Oriental Library Patna.

It is after a long time, I am putting such a writeup on this blog. This blog was envisaged to emerge as a source of original sources and related comments along with discussion on the intricacies and methodology of the craft of history. I was surprised to find this online source and that in case of India by the Indians.

First, the main attraction of this heritage site is the availability of the Rare sources online for the rest of the humanity to use. It was envisaged by the founder and his father for that. The present version was also envisaged in prophetic words by the Prime Minister of India, Jwahar Lal Nehru when on his visit to the library he wrote and I quote, "I should like to see them reproduced by the latest techniques, so that others can see them and share in this joy." That has been achieved with marvellous success in its present avatar.

The contents and format provoked in me such a sequence of thoughts which will be out of place to bring it here. However, some of the major features are the availability of the different kinds of primary sources online as envisaged by Jwahar Lal to be presented ‘by the latest techniques so that others can see them and share in this joy”. The feeling of joy is definitely there but the actual vision of its original founders remained unachieved. Anyhow, one can find in its Online Catalogues Persian and Arabic Volumes. In the collection, one can find poetry, histories, encyclopaedias, biographies, work on jurisprudence, Islamic laws, theology, medicine treatises, Quran based literature, Metaphysical and philosophical literature and miscellanies.

The Rare Collections , which was reported to have been procured by Maulvi Khudabaksh beyond borders such priceless items of antiquity, are beyond description.

In order of the things, the Album section (it is a publication of the library) deserves special mention. It is worth visiting for any antiquarian and research scholars.

I had always been critical of the government departments and e-governance policy of Indian government. However, in this case, NIC Bihar State Unit under the Department of Information Technology had accomplished the job in a manner in which such activities should be performed. They have developed the site from all perceivable requirements. The address is nicely placed. The administration of the library is described in the required in manner. However, there is some shortcoming in the navigation feature. But, on the whole, it is a online source which is precious gift for Digital Historians.

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RTI as a Research Tool in History

Is anyone surprised by the title of this post?


Well, I am not giving any thesis here. I am not going to talk about invention which I may use in research in history in India or on India. I believe that whatsoever I am going to say here had been somewhere already referred to on H-Asia list from where I am presently de-listed because I have given @satyam.net.in email address.


Now I come to the point. I fear the infringement of copyright of some website as well being of plagiarism, so I will suggest the readers to visit the motive(about) page of the National Security Archive of USA. I intently emphasis that the readers from India attentively read that how the George Washington University has used Freedom of Information of Act. I believe or you may say that I have assumed that it is somewhat similar to Right to Information Act 2005 of India. I could have done some more google on it but a recent research says that every search on google produce CO2 which is not environment friendly, therefore, I am only giving importance to the content of the page. The page further gives detail on how the archive of university is using FIA for the collection of data - an important step in the historic research. It has also shared its other and further activities.


Now, I just wonder that can the similar thing be done in India by the people engaged in the field of history?

Well, I know that there are people who had sought information on the case of Subash Chander Bose. I think, that it can be a good question or experiment to execute in India. I think if I am able to frame my idea well, I can do PhD which I have not yet done and now Sixth Pay commission will not allow me to attach word Professor to my name if I do not do or get it done or purchase PhD. (No apologies if I have trampled on the tails of many of PhDs and ready to face the music if any agency want to prosecute me for saying such a thing in such a generalized manner for all the PhDs).


And one more important point which I will like to make full force and emphasize. I have visited three of the de-classified documents on Columbian police. All the pages were in PDF form and I have not faced any difficulty in reproducing them on my computer. In case of online resources in India, you face such difficulties. Has anyone recently visited Digital history of India? For me, I now generally route my search through the pages of Wikipedia.

Russell, R. V. : The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India

The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India by R. V. Russell is now available on Gutenberg Project from the last year.


It was one of the book coveted by me. I have read one volume by Ibbetson but when I reached this Volume, I developed some conflict with the library people. I did not return to the library. Since then, I was just repenting my decision. Now, along with J. Mills Book (that book is yet not available on Gutenberg Project but readily available from different sources), I have two books which I will read thoroughly.


The book was published in 1916. The project of such surveys had started by 1881 when the first Census of India was published. This book has been highly criticized by the nationalist historians. There is some valid arguments which they have used. By mere survey of the bibliography, it can be seen, that it was mere a work of civil servant. The very diction while discussing various castes, tribes, clans of different states, one can observe that the writer is giving mere opinion.


Further, it is only after 1920, that nationalist historians started writing about India. They started with criticism of the contents of the history. There was no serious research as such. There were many reasons for that. Even today we find that new titles are published in which totally untouched sources are used. However, the proximity of the time of publication of this book and the emergence of Nationalist Historiography of Modern India, makes it an important book. One should remember that the Discovery of India, the books by Bhandarkar, R. K. Mokerjee, and later J. N. Sarkar, et al came later.


In addition to that I have plucked out some photographs. The photographs in itself are a treat to the eyes. In the hand of a research scholars, they can be very good source especially, the upanayan yagyana photograph by Arya Samajis whom Russell had treated with supportive terms.

24 Books online: Courtesy of the UK

British Council Library India has nearly 2500 books on India. According to the website of the British Council Library in India, they possess some rare books on India. Those books were published from the 17th century to 1947. Out of that collection, the Library has displayed 24 complete books (The news section claim that it has displayed 25 books.) in pdf. format.

Some of the major authors and titles are listed below.

Joseph Davey Cunningham: A History of the Sikhs. 1849

Andrew H.L. Fraser: Among Indian rajahs and ryots: a civil servents recollections and impressions of thirty-seven years of work and sport in the Central Provinces and Bengal, 1911

Edward Balfour: Cyclopaedia of India 1885

Sir William Jones and others: Dissertations and miscellaneous pieces relating to the history and antiquities; the arts, sciences and literature of Asia - Vol.1 1792

Joseph Dalton Hooker: Himalayan journals; or, notes of a naturalist in Bengal, the Sikkim and Nepal Himalayas, the Khasia mountains etc. - Vol.1, 1854

Dosabhai Framji Karaka: History of Parsis; including their manners, customs, religion and present position, 1884

There are in this manner twenty four titles available online.
It is further reported that it is a pilot project. If the readers will respond, then they may bring more books from their collection online. The email for the feed back is k.elavazhagan@in.britishcouncil.org

The Quasi Commercial Library of Gods

I have been browsing this site for long.


It is all Nine:

Exactly nine years back, on ninth March, 1999, this site became alive on the cyberspace.


It is a library of “electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics.”


I kept thinking about writing about this site. I thought out numerous titles for this site. During the course of the tumult in thoughts, I had been going through the contents of this site. The site owner, John B. Hare, California, equates it to a ’Public library’. I had thought of calling it Gyan Marga as per Advita Philosophy of Shankaracharya. I had even thought of calling it a Concert of Gods. I had been thinking of similar titles also. Finally, I decided to make a noting on this site on this very day, which is an anniversary of the site. I however, call it Quasi Commercial because I am unable to break away from the present realities. The owner has called it Sacred-Text.


I was undecided about writing on the contents of this site. It is beyond my capabilities and learning. Hence, I am only making a note of it here on my blog for the time being. No doubt, I will definitely come out with separate posts on the contents of this site which as per the owner is all about the texts and the texts written by dead people a long time ago. However, there are text which were not written at all by any identifiable being. In order to use the terminology of scholars of Linguistics, in which the owner of the site himself is trained, it is site of texts which is full of Shrutis and some Smritis (revealed and written out of memory).

Personal Library of Arvind Gupta

Arvind Gupta Toys. This is the name of the personal library of Arvind Gupta which is available on line at Arvindguptatoys.


Who is Arvind Gupta? Well those who had been watching the UGC programmes on Dordarshan Network or presently watch Gyandarshan, they would have definitely watched his programmes. A Kadar clad lanky, broad headed and bearded person has been showing to the rural children how to make experiments with commonly found items. If one can remember, then recollect a person who had been using cardboard, pins, safety pins, glass of water, bottle straws etc to perform the general experiments in Physics which form the part of +2 syllabus even.


I suggested this site to one of my colleague who is professor of Physics. He himself is a highly versatile personality. One can just watch his lessons on Physics with amazement. He has used flash software to demonstrate the lessons on light, conduction, electricity current and many such items. He has also developed lessons in the field of biology explaining numerous process and diagrams which has been produced with the help of a Botany scholar who has recently completed his doctorate degree. After learning about the site of arvind gupta and you tube resources, one day he came back exulting with great happiness because he had filled his laptop with many live demonstration of topics in Physic. I casually remarked that many of them are available on the site of Arvind Gupta also. He retorted back that along with You Tube contents, the whole of Arvind Gupta site has been dumped on his laptop. He was beaming with energy as he felt that he could now show an active experiment virtually on every topic which he had been teaching undergraduate of science. This is what the Arvind Gupta Toys are all about.


However, being a history teacher, how I am interested in this site. Well, two of my posts, one on E. H. Carr and other on D. D. Kosambi, are based on the contents available on this site.


Then who is this Arvind Gupta? I straightway quote the whole citation on him which runs as follows:


“Shri Arvind Kumar Gupta, after graduating from IIT Kanpur, in 1975, joined TELCO, Pune and worked there for a few years. In 1978, he took one year’s study leave from TELCO to work with the grassroot village science teaching programme for children in the tribal district of Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh.
While working in Hoshangabad, he developed many useful low-cost teaching / science teaching aids using locally available materials. The possibilities of using ordinary things for doing science and recycling modern junk into joyous products appealed immensely to children. Shri Gupta’s first book “Matchstick Models
and other Science Experiments” was translated into 13 Indian languages by various Popular Science groups and sold more than half a million copies. His science models and toys were widely featured in daily newspapers and magazines across the country. Since then he has written 10 books and translated over 45 books on science, environment and education. He has conducted science workshops for children and teachers in over twelve hundred schools across the country. Shri Arvind Gupta has presented over 70 TV
programmes on science based fun activities, innovative toys and teaching aids on the national television. These films have been made by the NCERT and the UGC countrywide classroom. He was also featured as the Green Guru on the popular TV programme titled “Living on the Edge”.


Shri Arvind Gupta’s outstanding contribution in designing science teaching aids for young children has been recognized by several international organisations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, International Toy Research Association, Halmstad University, Boston Science Centre, MIT (Media Lab), Walt Disney Imagineering and Research, Auhof Rehabilitation Centre, Hilpolstien, Germany and the International Play Association, Finland. As a UNESCO consultant on science education he has been invited to share his experiences in science teaching with teachers of several developing countries. He has been actively associated with the Bombay Natural History Society, Conservation Society of Delhi, Spastic Society of North India and the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti. He is an advisor to the National Book Trust on popular science books. He has received several awards for his outstanding contributions. These include Eklavya Award (1982), the inaugral National Award for Science Popularisation amongst Children (1988), Hari Bhau Mote Award of the Marathi Vigyan Parishad (1988), a special award given by the National Association for the Blind for designing teaching aids for pre-school blind children (1991), Granthali award for his book Khel (1992), Ruchi Ram Sahni Award for science popularisation (1993) and the Hari Om Ashram Award by the UGC (1995).”


Gutenberg of India: Gutenberg of India, is the remark made by a reputed newspaper on the website of Arvind Gupta. Well it is not that. It has rather its own feature and contents.


The site as such is not attractive. However, the main page has three main section consisting of links. They are viz Books, Toys and Films. All the three sections can give there own introduction if one explore each link. However, I here point out the book section. The Book section has further four sections which are English, Hindi, Marathi and Combinations. Those who are interested in Hindi literature or Sahitya, they may explore Hindi and Combinations section. They may take months together to explore the literature available on those two links. The English Books section in itself is divided into subsections. The main sections are : Books by Arvind Gupta, Books on Maths/Science Activities, Books on Education, Books on Environment/Anti-War/Peace, Isaac Asimov’s “Science Fact” Masterpieces (Virtually whole of the work), Children’s Books, English Translations of Russian Classics, Newberry Medal Winners, Inspiring Books, Books by Laurie Baker, Science Comic/ Picture Books by Prof. Jean-Pierre Petit, Books by D. D. Kosambi, and some secondary links.


It is under the links “Inspiring Books” and “Books by D. D. Kosambi” hat the students of history may find some old books which can be used as secondary sources. These books are available in form of Zip files or PDF files. They are easily accessible, a feature which you do not find even on Digital Library of India, which aims at bring one million books online.


On the whole, as per one newspaper report, there are 7000 books available on this site. Remember that online Liberty Library has 1000 books and Gutenberg has by now 20000 books. In any case, apart from the contribution to the popularization of science in India, Arvind Gupta’s site is an example of best ICT source and model which can be developed in the field of learning, teaching and knowledge sharing.

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Source of Photograph: A social Website promoted by Tina Munim Ambani (link will appear soon)

Online Library of Liberty - It attracts

Online Liberty Library

The main page of this library declares, “to encourage study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals”.

The library is being run as an educational enterprise by Liberty Fund, Inc. in Americas and Europe. According to the main page of the site, it is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Presently, the online library has one thousand books available on-line. Apart from them, there is a section wherein one can find original documents. Many documents are related to the history of America.

In addition to that there is a forum which has numerous articles written by experts. When this feature is compared with Gutenberg project, this library acquires its own character. The Gutenberg project also has articles on different authors but they are written in association with Wikipedia project. The articles written on Liberty Library are exclusive. In addition to that there is feature of Timeline for each author. It makes good source for an academic and scholarly work. The Timeline feature definitely score for Liberty Library over and above Gutenberg. The second feature is that there is a group of classifications over which the available material is spread. It helps the user to undertake a study as per some established school of thought or a time period already decided and accepted by academic and intellectual world. That is other thing that I will still go with Gutenberg project.

The books placed in the Liberty Library belongs to Enlightenment period. This is the period which becomes basis for the study of eighteenth and nineteenth century historic development. I am interest in these two centuries. Therefore, it attracts me more.

The Liberty Library has adopted Amargi as its logo. It is a cuneiform symbol from Sumerian culture. It literary means return to mother. This is the main concept of the library which is to seek a social order which has a real liberty. No doubt, somewhere is the concept reflects the core ideas of Rousseau and
Enlightened period of literature.

Social Scientist on Digital South Asia Library

Social Scientist is an important History Journal on Indian History. The digital form of the Social Scientist is available on Digital South Asia Library.

It is a chance finding. I have not found enough sources and authoritative writings on Indian history. The digital versions of the Journal are available from 1972 to 2001. It is a hurried posting and rest of the comments later.