About The Archives

Sir Prabhashankar Pattani, the erstwhile Diwan of the princely state of Bhavnagar, was a visionary whose foresight and political wisdom placed Bhavnagar in the league of states that braced themselves for the emergence of a new India. Personal records, paintings, correspondences, photographs, books, and several artefacts provide a glimpse into the vivid world of Sir Prabhashankar Pattani, re-creating a landscape of a time when the nation was young and excitedly bracing itself for freedom.

The archives hold the key to several significant historical events during pre-independent India while also revealing the nature of a statesman administrator of the highest order and his commitment to the nation, community, and family. Some rare books and records from Sir Pattani’s library collection show the intellectual dynamism and wisdom of a state administrator who ushered significant educational reforms for the state while encouraging foreign education. The scope of the archives is not just limited to excite historians and researchers but also to administrators, communities, and individuals who are interested in chronicling the social, cultural, political, and economic position of Bhavnagar in pre-independent and post-independent India.

Deeply passionate about preserving and reviving the history of the family, community, and the region, Avni Pattani with Sir Prabhashankar Pattani Open Window Charitable Trust has embarked on her journey for archiving the life and times of Sir Pattani and his family.

Collection

When we first began in December 2020, we started with what seemed like a collection comprising a lakh papers, a few photographs, maps, and office records—but as we’ve continued to receive more collections, the sheer volume and diversity of materials and formats have not yet been fully comprehended. From handwritten letters, reports, and rare books to photographs, negatives, film reels, artworks, objects, etc, the Pattani Archives now holds a wide range of archival materials, each carrying its own story.

The scope of the archive spans from regional histories to subjects of national importance and international relations. The materials document the workings of the princely state of Bhavnagar, other Kathiawar states, the Bombay Presidency, the Indian independence movement, and more. Select historical records connected to our archive have also been traced in institutions like the British Library, London, and in collections related to Mahatma Gandhi.

As we step into the fifth year of the archives, we’ve discovered new ways to offer access while the cataloguing processes continue. Drawing from various community engagement experiences over these years, we have identified some subjects, and themes that might be of interest. Apart from that the collections are also identified by its donors and types of archival items. Visit our Collections page to learn more.

Charter

MISSION

To preserve the endangered archive in possession of the Pattani family in Bhavnagar with historical collections and narratives from the late 19th to the late 20th century spanning over 3 generations and make them accessible for public engagement and academic discourse.

VISION

To establish a platform and introduce necessary resources that will encourage a culture for archiving historical narratives in the region, allows for creative interpretation of knowledge systems and adds to the cultural development of the place and its people.

OBJECTIVES

To preserve the family legacy – the tangible and intangible histories passed on from three generations of Sir Prabhashankar Pattani and establish a family archive that would eventually transition to becoming a regional archive.
Setting up a resource centre in the city of Bhavnagar and preserving the narratives of this region for public engagement.
Inculcating a culture for studying history and historical evidence - to enhance research-based scholarship about vernacular history
To encourage studies/ fellowship programs / Post-doctoral studies emerging from the Archival papers on various themes and knowledge systems found relevant by researchers/ scholars/historians.
Engaging with creative practices to allow for more interpretations of historical information
The long-term goal is to develop a framework for regional archiving and to add similar collections from the region to the Archive in the future.
To actively distribute and publish/translate writings/ thoughts/ literature by and about Sir Pattani

ACTIVITIES

1. To catalogue, digitize and conserve the materials in the archives.

2. Preserve all the materials with the best possible infrastructure, products and services.

3. Make material available for researchers and scholars as per the prescribed access policies.

4. Launch a web portal with a catalogue interface at the back end, and ensure the digital space is continually updated and maintained.

5. Raise funds and find support in terms of resources to execute the objectives. Formalizing the entity and identifying members who will play an important role in this project.

RELEVANCE

Pattani Archives if situated in Bhavnagar can develop a regional affinity for scholars and users to be able to make contextual relationships. In the longer run, such an institution can always find ways to connect globally through different intangible means.

CODE/POLICIES

● All employees of the archive will abide by the Employee Confidentiality Agreement.

● All oral history recordings will be created and disseminated as per the permissions shared by the participant via an Oral History Consent Agreement.

● All materials about the Pattani Family will be preserved and disseminated as per the MoU between the family and the archive.

● All materials contributed by other members of the community will be collected against an Undertaking form and discussion of rights between the contributor and the Archive.

● Only registered users will be given access to physical and digital material at the Archives. All users will sign the User Agreement which outlines fair usage policy and abide by it strictly.

● Access to a copy of digital material will be granted based on user identification and costs for use of the material will be levied as decided by the committee.