A brief guide to researching Gurmukhi manuscripts and some photos of a research visit to Punjab

During the Singh Sabha movement a lot of manuscripts were edited. For scholars this creates obvious problems, so it is necessary to turn to primary sources to understand history and other issues more accurately. In some printed editions words have been changed all to often, as well as whole paragraphs, sections, pages, and chapters being excised! Another issue is that many manuscripts have never been printed, so there is ample new material out there, which is mind blowing! I have added a few photographs of my travels with a list of places you can find manuscripts, lithographs, and first editions:

United Kingdom

1. British Library ww.bl.uk

http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/

Click here for an overview:

http://www.asiamap.ac.uk/collections/collection.php?ID=219&Browse=Region&Region=5

2. Wellcome Trust Library

 http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/about-us/about-the-collections/archives-and-manuscripts/

3. Cambridge University Library

http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections/manuscripts/oriental_manuscripts/

4. Oxford University - Indian Institute Library

http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/

5. Guru Nanak Sikh Museum, Leicester

http://www.thesikhmuseum.com/contact.htm

6. John Rylands Library, Manchester

http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/

America

Some great secondary sources and first editions at the center for research libraries:

http://catalog.crl.edu/

India - Punjab

1. Amritsar

Guru Nanak Dev Ji University

http://library.gndu.ac.in/Manuscripts.asp

Khalsa College

http://www.khalsacollegeamritsar.org/library.html

Bhai Santokh Singh Library, Sri Darbar Sahib

2. Ludhiana

Jawadi Taksal

http://www.vismaadnaad.org/manuscript1.php

Panjabi Sahit Academy, Punjabi Bhawan

http://www.psaldh.org/pb/

3. Patiala


Punjabi University, Library

http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/pbiuniweb/pages/librarymanuscript.htm

Bhasha Vibhag

http://www.pblanguages.gov.in/

I had a look at a number of manuscripts related to the Dasam Granth Sahib and Court Poetry of the Tenth Guru. I made some amazing finds that I hope to share in the future!

By chance I met with Prof. Gurinder Singh Mann pictured behind me!

States Archives

http://www.e-corpus.org/punjab.html

Najabat Ali head of Gurmukhi, Persian and Urdu manuscripts in the State Archives

Central Public Library

At this library the head of the manuscript section is a great and generous individual Dr Rupinder Singh. he has recently written this essay: 'RARE MANUSCRIPTS OF MUSAFIR MEMORIAL CENTRAL STATE LIBRARY, PATIALA : A HIDDEN TREASURE' . At this Library I looked at some very old Gurmukhi manuscripts one called the Baznama related to how to look after Birds of Prey, from the Court of the Guru, as well as many others to recount!

Dr Rupinder Singh showing me an eighteenth century manuscript of the Holy Qur'an.

4. Chandigarh

Punjab University Library

www.library.puchd.ac.in

Punjab Digital Library online : 

http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/mainpage.jsp

Pakistan

Punjab University Library

http://www.pulibrary.edu.pk/

http://www.pulibrary.edu.pk/personalCollections/mianJamilAhmadSharaqpuri/List_of_collection_MianJamilAhmad.xls

http://www.qal.org.pk/

You can also search this:

http://www.e-corpus.org/search/search.php?place=organization_id_281&page=1&search=search&q=Sikh
Also see: 
https://coral.uchicago.edu:8443/display/lasa/Punjab+%28India%29


There are many more manuscript collections around the world more information coming soon!!