Madras Record Office - Revision history

SamantBrara: further enhance details and updated info

2026-03-22T02:25:38Z

further enhance details and updated info

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:55, 22 March 2026
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	{{Use Indian English\|date=October 2018}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=October 2018}}
	{{Infobox building		{{Infobox building
	\| name = Madras Record Office		\| name = Madras Record Office
	\| native_name_lang = ta		\| native_name_lang = ta
	\| former_names =		\| former_names =
	\| alternate_names = Tamil Nadu Archives		\| alternate_names = Tamil Nadu Archives
	\| image =		\| image =
	\| image_alt =		\| image_alt =
	\| location =		\| location =
	\| address = No. 51, Gandhi Irwin Road, [[Egmore]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]] 600 008<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/contacts.html\|title=Archives and Historical Research Department Contacts\|website=Archives and Historical Research\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>		\| address = No. 51, Gandhi Irwin Road, [[Egmore]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]] 600 008<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/contacts.html\|title=Archives and Historical Research Department Contacts\|website=Archives and Historical Research\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>
	\| location_country = [[India]]		\| location_country = [[India]]
	\| coordinates = {{coord\|13.0764\|80.2604\|display=inline}}		\| coordinates = {{coord\|13.0764\|80.2604\|display=inline}}
	\| completion_date = 1909		\| completion_date = 1909
	\| owner = [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]		\| owner = [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
	\| cost = {{INR}}2.25 lakh<ref>{{Cite news\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece\|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight\|last=Muthiah\|first=S.\|date=2015-05-17\|work=The Hindu\|access-date=2017-11-29\|language=en-IN\|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>		\| cost = {{INR}}2.25 lakh<ref>{{Cite news\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece\|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight\|last=Muthiah\|first=S.\|date=2015-05-17\|work=The Hindu\|access-date=2017-11-29\|language=en-IN\|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
	\| website = {{URL\|~~http~~://~~www~~.~~tnarchives~~.tn.gov.in}}		\| website = {{URL\|https://tamilnaduarchives.tn.gov.in/WEB/EN/\|tamilnaduarchives.tn.gov.in}}
	\| ~~map_type~~ = India Chennai		\| pushpin_map = India Chennai
	\| map_caption = Location within Chennai		\| map_caption = Location within Chennai
	\| building_type = [[Government Buildings]]		\| building_type = [[Government Buildings]]
	\| architectural_style = [[Indo-Saracenic]]<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/madras-records-office-now-known-as-the-tamil-nadu-archives-has-a-wealth-of-historical-and-government-documents/article6416326.ece\|title=An impressive record\|first=Geeta\|last=Padmanabhan\|date=16 September 2014\|publisher=\|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>		\| architectural_style = [[Indo-Saracenic]]<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/madras-records-office-now-known-as-the-tamil-nadu-archives-has-a-wealth-of-historical-and-government-documents/article6416326.ece\|title=An impressive record\|first=Geeta\|last=Padmanabhan\|date=16 September 2014\|publisher=\|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>
	\| structural_system =		\| structural_system =
	\| current_tenants = Department of Archives & Historical Research		\| current_tenants = Department of Archives & Historical Research
	\| main_contractor = P. Loganatha Mudaliar		\| main_contractor = P. Loganatha Mudaliar
	\| location_city = [[Chennai]]		\| location_city = [[Chennai]]
	}}		}}

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	==History==		==History==
	===Record keeping in Madras===		===Record keeping in Madras===
	In 1672 [[Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet\|William Langhorne]] the Governor of Madras presidency insisted on keeping records on all government transactions and its preservation for future. These records were initially stored in council room at Fort St. George which is the present day Secretariat-Assembly complex. His successor [[Streynsham Master]] also continued this tradition of record keeping. Due to increasing volume of records storage of records were scattered across various departments. It was in 1805 [[Lord William Bentinck]], then Governor of Madras presidency ordered the centralization of all Secretariat records which were scattered in the various Departments of the Secretariat and appointed a Record Keeper and supporting staff to index, look after and to issue records promptly on requisition from various departments for reference.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece\|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight\|last=Muthiah\|first=S.\|date=2015-05-17\|work=The Hindu\|access-date=2017-11-30\|language=en-IN\|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Muthiah, the principal native servant in the Political and Military Department, was appointed Record Keeper.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|~~title~~=~~TANAP~~ - ~~archives~~\|~~last~~=~~info@hicetnunc.nl~~\|~~first~~=~~Hic et Nunc - www.hicetnunc.nl~~ -\|website=www.tanap.net\|language=EN\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>		In 1672 [[Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet\|William Langhorne]] the Governor of Madras presidency insisted on keeping records on all government transactions and its preservation for future. These records were initially stored in council room at Fort St. George which is the present day Secretariat-Assembly complex. His successor [[Streynsham Master]] also continued this tradition of record keeping. Due to increasing volume of records storage of records were scattered across various departments. It was in 1805 [[Lord William Bentinck]], then Governor of Madras presidency ordered the centralization of all Secretariat records which were scattered in the various Departments of the Secretariat and appointed a Record Keeper and supporting staff to index, look after and to issue records promptly on requisition from various departments for reference.<ref>{{Cite news\|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece\|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight\|last=Muthiah\|first=S.\|date=2015-05-17\|work=The Hindu\|access-date=2017-11-30\|language=en-IN\|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Muthiah, the principal native servant in the Political and Military Department, was appointed Record Keeper.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211092352/http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|url-status=usurped\|archive-date=11 February 2005\|title=TANAP - archives\|website=www.tanap.net\|language=EN\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>

	In 1823 the records were moved into several rooms on the first floor of the Secretariat. Later on, the office was shifted to the "Pillar-godown", and in 1888 it moved to the ground floor of the Secretariat building. Due to the increasing number of records in 1909 the government decided to establish an independent record department.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|~~title~~=~~TANAP~~ - ~~archives~~\|~~last~~=~~info@hicetnunc.nl~~\|~~first~~=~~Hic et Nunc - www.hicetnunc.nl~~ -\|website=www.tanap.net\|language=EN\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>		In 1823 the records were moved into several rooms on the first floor of the Secretariat. Later on, the office was shifted to the "Pillar-godown", and in 1888 it moved to the ground floor of the Secretariat building. Due to the increasing number of records in 1909 the government decided to establish an independent record department.<ref>{{Cite web\|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211092352/http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history\|url-status=usurped\|archive-date=11 February 2005\|title=TANAP - archives\|website=www.tanap.net\|language=EN\|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>

	===Construction===		===Construction===
	When a new location was being considered for relocating the records office, one of the suggested location was the government bungalow called Grassmere. There was a debate among the officials if Grassmere should be used to house the Medical and Sanitation Department who were also eyeing the same property for its own office. But the sewage farm next door (now the [[Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium]]) had several officials questioning the wisdom of this move. This debate lasted for two years before it was decided that the building was more suited for the archives. P. Loganatha Mudaliar was given the contract to rebuild Grassmere to make it suitable for its new function as the archives. It cost {{INR}}~~2.25 lakh~~ for the reconstruction of Grassmere to make it suitable for the new Archives building. An additional {{INR}}~~1.25 lakh~~ was spent on stacks and furniture. This [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture\|Indo-Saracenic]] building was built with open spaces for future expansion and constructed to provide maximum protection to the records. The construction was completed and opened for operation in October 1909. The administrative block and six record stacks were constructed in 1909. The seventh stack was added in 1929 and the eighth and ninth were added in 1938. Further additions to the building such as the present Stationery section and Preservation Section were made in 1978 and 1994 respectively. In 1999 a new building for housing the Archival Library was constructed.<ref>{{cite web\|title=About Tamil Nadu Archives\|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/aboutus.html\|website=Archives and Historical Research\|publisher=Tamil Nadu Archives}}</ref>		When a new location was being considered for relocating the records office, one of the suggested location was the government bungalow called Grassmere. There was a debate among the officials if Grassmere should be used to house the Medical and Sanitation Department who were also eyeing the same property for its own office. But the sewage farm next door (now the [[Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium]]) had several officials questioning the wisdom of this move. This debate lasted for two years before it was decided that the building was more suited for the archives. P. Loganatha Mudaliar was given the contract to rebuild Grassmere to make it suitable for its new function as the archives. It cost {{INR}}225,000 for the reconstruction of Grassmere to make it suitable for the new Archives building. An additional {{INR}}125,000 was spent on stacks and furniture. This [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture\|Indo-Saracenic]] building was built with open spaces for future expansion and constructed to provide maximum protection to the records. The construction was completed and opened for operation in October 1909. The administrative block and six record stacks were constructed in 1909. The seventh stack was added in 1929 and the eighth and ninth were added in 1938. Further additions to the building such as the present Stationery section and Preservation Section were made in 1978 and 1994, respectively. In 1999 a new building for housing the Archival Library was constructed.<ref>{{cite web\|title=About Tamil Nadu Archives\|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/aboutus.html\|website=Archives and Historical Research\|publisher=Tamil Nadu Archives\|access-date=26 November 2017\|archive-date=26 September 2023\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926122355/https://tnarchives.tn.gov.in/aboutus.html\|url-status=dead}}</ref>

	===Curator of records===		===Curator of records===
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	==See also==		==See also==
			{{Portal\|India}}
	* [[Architecture of Chennai]]		* [[Architecture of Chennai]]
	* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]		* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]

CleanupBot II: Removed empty portal template using script

2023-08-14T10:18:59Z

Removed empty portal template using script

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:48, 14 August 2023
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	==See also==		==See also==
	~~{{Portal\|India}}~~
	* [[Architecture of Chennai]]		* [[Architecture of Chennai]]
	* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]		* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Madras Record Office
| native_name_lang = ta
| former_names =
| alternate_names = Tamil Nadu Archives
| image =
| image_alt =
| location =
| address = No. 51, Gandhi Irwin Road, [[Egmore]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]] 600 008<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/contacts.html|title=Archives and Historical Research Department Contacts|website=Archives and Historical Research|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>
| location_country = [[India]]
| coordinates = {{coord|13.0764|80.2604|display=inline}}
| completion_date = 1909
| owner = [[Government of Tamil Nadu]]
| cost = {{INR}}2.25 lakh<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight|last=Muthiah|first=S.|date=2015-05-17|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-11-29|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in}}
| map_type = India Chennai
| map_caption = Location within Chennai
| building_type = [[Government Buildings]]
| architectural_style = [[Indo-Saracenic]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/madras-records-office-now-known-as-the-tamil-nadu-archives-has-a-wealth-of-historical-and-government-documents/article6416326.ece|title=An impressive record|first=Geeta|last=Padmanabhan|date=16 September 2014|publisher=|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>
| structural_system =
| current_tenants = Department of Archives & Historical Research
| main_contractor = P. Loganatha Mudaliar
| location_city = [[Chennai]]
}}

The '''Madras Record Office,''' currently known as '''Tamil Nadu Archives (TNA)''', is located in [[Chennai]] and is one of the oldest and largest document repositories in Southern India. Documents stored and archived in TNA are invaluable to researchers working on post-independence Tamil Nadu or British-era Madras Presidency. In addition to British India records, TNA also houses a substantial collection of Dutch East India Company records from the late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and volumes relating to various southern Princely States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dissertationreviews.org/archives/2405|title=Tamil Nadu Archives, Chennai - Dissertation Reviews|website=dissertationreviews.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-08AAAAIAAJ&q=Madras+Record+Office&pg=PA621|title=The Cambridge History of the British Empire|last1=Benians|first1=Ernest Alfred|last2=Rose|first2=John Holland|last3=Newton|first3=Arthur Percival|date=1929|publisher=CUP Archive|language=en}}</ref>

==History==
===Record keeping in Madras===
In 1672 [[Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet|William Langhorne]] the Governor of Madras presidency insisted on keeping records on all government transactions and its preservation for future. These records were initially stored in council room at Fort St. George which is the present day Secretariat-Assembly complex. His successor [[Streynsham Master]] also continued this tradition of record keeping. Due to increasing volume of records storage of records were scattered across various departments. It was in 1805 [[Lord William Bentinck]], then Governor of Madras presidency ordered the centralization of all Secretariat records which were scattered in the various Departments of the Secretariat and appointed a Record Keeper and supporting staff to index, look after and to issue records promptly on requisition from various departments for reference.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/madras-miscellany-keeping-the-records-straight/article7216529.ece|title=Madras Miscellany: Keeping the records straight|last=Muthiah|first=S.|date=2015-05-17|work=The Hindu|access-date=2017-11-30|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Muthiah, the principal native servant in the Political and Military Department, was appointed Record Keeper.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history|title=TANAP - archives|last=info@hicetnunc.nl|first=Hic et Nunc - www.hicetnunc.nl -|website=www.tanap.net|language=EN|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>

In 1823 the records were moved into several rooms on the first floor of the Secretariat. Later on, the office was shifted to the "Pillar-godown", and in 1888 it moved to the ground floor of the Secretariat building. Due to the increasing number of records in 1909 the government decided to establish an independent record department.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tanap.net/content/archives/archives.cfm?ArticleID=202#history|title=TANAP - archives|last=info@hicetnunc.nl|first=Hic et Nunc - www.hicetnunc.nl -|website=www.tanap.net|language=EN|access-date=2017-11-30}}</ref>

===Construction===
When a new location was being considered for relocating the records office, one of the suggested location was the government bungalow called Grassmere. There was a debate among the officials if Grassmere should be used to house the Medical and Sanitation Department who were also eyeing the same property for its own office. But the sewage farm next door (now the [[Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium]]) had several officials questioning the wisdom of this move. This debate lasted for two years before it was decided that the building was more suited for the archives. P. Loganatha Mudaliar was given the contract to rebuild Grassmere to make it suitable for its new function as the archives. It cost {{INR}}2.25 lakh for the reconstruction of Grassmere to make it suitable for the new Archives building. An additional {{INR}}1.25 lakh was spent on stacks and furniture. This [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture|Indo-Saracenic]] building was built with open spaces for future expansion and constructed to provide maximum protection to the records. The construction was completed and opened for operation in October 1909. The administrative block and six record stacks were constructed in 1909. The seventh stack was added in 1929 and the eighth and ninth were added in 1938. Further additions to the building such as the present Stationery section and Preservation Section were made in 1978 and 1994 respectively. In 1999 a new building for housing the Archival Library was constructed.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Tamil Nadu Archives|url=http://www.tnarchives.tn.gov.in/aboutus.html|website=Archives and Historical Research|publisher=Tamil Nadu Archives}}</ref>

===Curator of records===
The head of Madras Record Office is designated as curator. Upon its completion C M Schmidt, the Registrar of the Secretariat, was put in temporary charge till Prof Henry Dodwell of Presidency College and [[Saidapet Teachers' College|Teachers’ College]] was appointed the first Curator in April 1911.

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[Architecture of Chennai]]
* [[Heritage structures in Chennai]]
* [[List of archives in India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Chennai Topics}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chennai]]
[[Category:Archives in India]]
[[Category:British colonial architecture in India]]
[[Category:History of Chennai]]
[[Category:Heritage sites in Chennai]]