Sources for the Modern Period in India - Concepts - Chapter 1 Class 8 History - The Modern Period - History

Sources for the Modern Period in India

• The sources for the modern period in India are mainly literary , as archaeological sources are less important
  
  
• The sources include official records, survey reports, indigenous records, and foreign accounts

Official Records

• The Mughals and the British introduced the culture of recording everything , such as administrative decisions, government proceedings, and judicial verdicts
  
  
• The official records are preserved in archives and museums , such as the National Archives of India

Survey Reports

• The British conducted various surveys , such as population, revenue, land, and census surveys
  
  
• The surveys also involved mapping and topography
  
  
• The survey reports are available to us and provide valuable information on the demographic and economic aspects of the period

Indigenous Records

• The Indians wrote in English and vernacular languages , expressing their views and feelings on the British rule and the national movement
  
  
• The indigenous records include diaries, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, newspapers, books, novels, and leaflets
  
  
• Some examples of indigenous records are Poverty and Un-British Rule in India by Dadabhai Naoroji, Kesari and Mahratta newspapers by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Harijan by Mahatma Gandhi, etc.

Foreign Accounts

• The foreigners who visited or lived in India during the period also wrote about their observations and experiences|
  
  
• The foreign accounts include travelogues, memoirs, letters, journals, etc.
  
  
• Some examples of foreign accounts are An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul by Mountstuart Elphinstone, A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi (written in English), etc.