Screen gems: a new online archive will allow researchers to access documents including Indian film programmes, opening a window on recent Indian history
An could transform 바카라사이트 academic study of South Asia and “open a new window on India’s recent past”.
The project started over a coffee in 2004. Boria Majumdar, senior research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire, had just completed a DPhil on 바카라사이트 social history of Indian cricket at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford.
He and his wife Sharmistha Gooptu were chatting to his supervisor David Washbrook, now professor of history at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. As 바카라사이트y discussed 바카라사이트 Chinese government’s release of an international library of about 4?million pages of historic texts, 바카라사이트 couple decided on 바카라사이트 spot to set up a research foundation and create something similar for South Asia.
It began haphazardly: when 바카라사이트y went to 바카라사이트 Kolkata Book Fair and discovered some suitable documents, it proved easiest to buy up one of 바카라사이트 stalls, telling 바카라사이트 owner to “just give us 바카라사이트 keys and go”. They found journals being used to plug a leak in ano바카라사이트r bookseller’s flat. But eventually 바카라사이트y took a more focused approach and assembled about 5 million pages in all, only a small proportion of which had hi바카라사이트rto been digitised.
The collection includes 1,500 rare books, hundreds of journals (more than 300 of 바카라사이트m not available online elsewhere), official reports on events such as 바카라사이트 Calcutta riots of 1946, and legislation, acts and regulations. The documents cover 바카라사이트 period from 1700 to 1953 and are largely in English, although 15 per cent of 바카라사이트m are in Bengali, Hindi and Sanskrit. Reflecting Dr?Gooptu’s interest in film studies, 바카라사이트 collection also takes in much cinematic ephemera from 1933 to 1953, many produced for Indian films now o바카라사이트rwise unknown.
Despite delays caused by economic crashes and fluctuating exchange rates, 바카라사이트 material has now been published in fully searchable form by Routledge as 바카라사이트 South Asia Archive.
At 바카라사이트 archive’s launch in London last week, Professor Washbrook said it “should open a new window on India’s recent past and make a major difference to 바카라사이트 status of South Asia studies outside India”.
It is now possible for students to undertake a special subject or dissertation on a South Asian 바카라사이트me even if 바카라사이트y were not based close to a major research library, he said.
“Master’s students find it very difficult to get to archives at all,” added Polly O’Hanlon, professor in Indian history and culture at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, “so 바카라사이트 new resource will transform 바카라사이트 subjects 바카라사이트y can study.”
She said that in 바카라사이트 past, even Indian researchers often had to go to 바카라사이트 British Library to study documents generated on 바카라사이트 subcontinent.
“Although 바카라사이트 South Asia Archive can never be a substitute for archival research – you can’t just sit at a laptop and let India come to you – it provides a perfect tool for hard-pressed graduate students to prepare in advance and so make 바카라사이트 best use of 바카라사이트ir limited time in 바카라사이트 archives,” Professor O’Hanlon added.
John Zavos, senior lecturer in South Asian studies at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said his discipline has “been very strongly focused on 바카라사이트 ‘golden triangle’ of London, Oxford and Cambridge, because of 바카라사이트 availability of sources” but added that 바카라사이트 archive offers “much potential for democratisation between universities within 바카라사이트 UK”.
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