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
The archive has a vast collection of photographs, letters, official documents, maps, plaques, stamp blocks, sketches, newspaper clippings, which were preserved by various family members, now collected and stored in a cupboard at one of the family residences in Bhavnagar.
a. Large Bundles: 13
b. Medium bundles: 10
c. Loose files and papers
d. 50 photographs mounted on cardboard
e. 15 wooden stamp blocks (book printing)
f. Several loose photos
2. The collection roughly holds lac documents from two generations i.e. from the time of Diwan Sir Prabhashankar Pattani as well as his sons Diwan Anantrai Pattani and Diwan Batukrai Pattani who also assisted with administration in other princely states of Porbandar and Limbdi.
3. The collection also consists of creatives and objects collected by the grandchildren of Sir Pattani like paintings, tapestries, pottery works, photos, vinyl records, jewellery, furniture, etc.
4. Personal library collection of Sir Pattani with more than 6000 books that cover subjects ranging from Theosophy, Literature, Science, Philosophy, History, and Geography, etc. has books in English, Gujarati, Hindi, Sanskrit and some in foreign languages too.
5. Diverse subjects associated with this archive have been identified as photography, visual arts, typography, material culture, business history, political history, and cultural studies; and several more are likely to emerge as materials are reviewed and catalogued.
6. The expanse of the archive ranges from regional history to subjects of national importance as well as international relations. The material records matters related to the princely state of Bhavnagar, other princely states of the Kathiawar region, the Bombay Presidency, the Independence movement of India, and so on. Parts of historical material related to this archive have been identified in the British Library, London, and archival collections of Mahatma Gandhi.
7. Condition of the material: The papers are nearly more than 100 years old and the collection has continued to deteriorate as it is passed on from one generation to another. Several papers are in an extremely fragile state and need immediate conservation.
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.
Contribution
We accept all archival contributions related to Sir Pattani or Pattani family archives. To contribute you may fill the form given below: