Guides and Bibliographies

British India was administered by the Viceroy and Governor-General of India in Calcutta (Fort William) and after 1911 in Delhi. Governors of the presidencies (provinces) reported to the Governor General. British "residents" and political agents inn the Princely States (ruled by Indian rulers, but under considerable British control mediated by treaties) also reported to the Governor-General.

The India Office List. A valuable source. Each volume includes lists of officials arranged by province and department, chronological lists of major officials, lists of honors and awards, information on appointments and salaries, lists of government publications and parliamentary papers for the year, a substantial who's who (called Record of Services), and much additional information.  Initial table of contents and Index of Subjects and Appointments; terminal index of names.

Search India Office List as a phrase (in "") in HathiTrust Digital Library Catalog Search. You can also search the whole series full text in HathiTrust Full Text Advanced Search.

The India Office List has gone through several name changes
Location : Widener Ind 355.3 (1819-1947)
Internet Archive Full Text (1896-1951 incomplete)
HathiTrust Full Text (1819-1936 incomplete)

The Dominions Office section of The Dominions Office and Colonial Office list merged with the India Office and Burma Office list to form the Commonwealth Relations Office list.

Commonwealth Relations Office List
Internet Archive Version (1951-1968)

The British Library India Office Records holds the archives of the East India Company (1600-1858), the Board of Control or Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India (1784-1858), the India Office (1858-1947), the Burma Office (1937-1948), and some other related British agencies.
Search our Catalogue Archives and Manuscripts
Guide

A brief guide to biographical sources - India Office Library and Records. 2nd ed. London: British Library, India Office Library & Records, 1990, 59 pp.
HOLLIS Record

A general guide to the India Office Records. London: British Library, 1988, 331 pp.
HOLLIS Record
Online Version

Catalogue of the Home Miscellaneous Series of the India Office records, by Samuel Charles Hill. London : Printed by H.M. Stationery Off. for the India Office, 1927, 682 p.
HOLLIS Record

A guide to source materials in the India Office Library and Records for the history of Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan 1765-1950, by Amar Kaur Jasbir Singh. London : British Library, 1988, 187 p.
Widener | WID-LC | DS785.Z99 S56x 1988

Document Collections

East India Company (1599 to 1947). Post-1858 material (170 items) consists largely of Council of India sources plus some other records.

India Office records, home miscellaneous series, 1631-1859. 334 microfilm reels.
--Catalogue of the home miscellaneous series of the India Office records, by Samuel Charles Hill. (HOLLIS Record).
HOLLIS Record
Online Guide
Partial Full Text