I had selected the subject The Survey of Published Sources of Maratha History and Preparation of the Calender of Marathi (Modi) Documents (1600 to 1818)' for research under the auspices of Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. In my proposal to the Council I had stated that an attempt would be made to prepare a Calender of the document contained in the 22 volumes published by the historian V K. Rajawade, Marathyanchya Itihasachi Sadhane (Sources of Maratha History) and also another important series of Marathi (Modi) documents published from 1897 onwards by the historian, Vasudeva Vaman Shastri Khare, in his historical journal, Aitihasika Lekha Sangraha (Collection of Historical Documents).
The work on the compilation of the documents included in 22 volumes of V. K. Rajawade, published between 1909 and 1915, was completed in February 1985 and its five parts were forwarded to the Council in March 1985. The detailed Introduction to Part I of the Calendar stressed the urgency of such catalogues of sources of Maratha history. My fellowship was then extended by one more year for the preparation of the partial or specimen catalogue of documents published by Vasudeva Shastri in his Aitihasika Lekha Sangraha.
The present documents published by Khare includes Volumes 1 to 4 of the historical journal Aitihasika Lekha Sangraha (1897-1905) and covers the period from 1739 to 1774 and includes 1,260 documents. The handwritten draft extends over 750 pages of full sheets of papers, excluding Survey Notes of Khare, which were rendered into English with the assistance of the stenographer. The typed pages of the four volumes of the present Calendar extend over 500 full sheets of papers and Survey Notes cover about 258 pages. It is bound in four volumes as per original order of the publication.
The following items are included in this Calendar: (i) name of the series; (ii) volume number; (iii) document number in serial order; (iv) its content in pages; (v) dates in Saka, Suhur, and Christian eras; (vi) contents in brief; and (vii) remarks, if any, editor's notes, etc. The Survey of the documents is given in Introductory Notes prefixed to each volume of the Catalogue.
These documents deal mainly with political events during the reigns of Peshwa Madhavarao 1 (1761-72), Narayanrao (1772-73), short regime of Gangabai, wife of Peshwa Narayanrao, and Raghunathrao, his uncle (October 1773 to April 1774), establishment of the Council of twelve diplomats (Barabhai), who conducted the government in the name of Peshwa Sawai Madhavarao, son of Narayanrao, from May 1774 onwards. A detailed statement of the contents of the four volumes of the catalogue is enclosed with this Introduction.
Vasudeva Shastri Khare has brought out clearly in his Introduction to Volume I the importance of publication of private collection of records of Maratha sardars for the reconstruction of the history of the Maratha Empire. The letters published by him in his journal Aitihasika Lekha Sangraha are mainly selected from the private collection of records of the Patwardhans of Miraj, who played an important role in the expansion of Maratha power in south of India during the Peshwas' time from 1761 till the end of the reign of Nana Phadnis. They lost their importance from 1796 onwards. The present catalogue includes original and authentic correspondence from Miraj-Mala records up to 1774 and thus covers a very important period of Maratha supremacy from 1761 to 1774.
I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to former Chairmen of the Indian Council of Historical Research, Professor A. R. Kulkarni, Dr. Lokesh Chandra and the present Chairman, Professor Irfan Habib, for the award of the Fellowship of the Council which enabled me to prepare the nine parts of the Survey and Calendar of the original published sources of Maratha history. I am grateful to former Director of the Council, Shri B. R. Grover, and also to the present Director, Dr. T. R. Sareen, for their kindness and guidance. I am also thankful to Shri Tanseem Ahmad, Research Officer of the Council, for his co-operation.
The volumes of Aitihasika Lekha Sangraha were published about 75 years back and now they are not available even for reference. I got them from the Library of B.I.S., Mandal, Pune. I am thankful to Dr. M. S. Mate and Dr. G. T. Kulkarni, Secretary of the Mandal, making them available to me for the preparation of this Calendar.
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