2026-04-16T03:07:29Zhttps://oai.catalogue.archives.ncbs.res.in/oai:archives.ncbs.res.in:/repositories/2/resources/1152026-02-26T12:21:52ZArchives at NCBSTata Institute of Fundamental ResearchAR-011https://catalogue.archives.ncbs.res.in/repositories/2/resources/115Conservation indicaDarbar Collections1908 - 199828 Minutes185 Sheets4 Linear FeetThe majority of the materials are in stable and good condition, though many paper records exhibit folds, creases, and edge wear consistent with age and handling. Pages have yellowed due to natural ageing but remain largely legible. Some correspondence letters and older documents show tears, brittleness, and insect damage, resulting in partial loss of text and occasional difficulty in reading. A few records display minor staining and surface dirt. Bound volumes remain structurally intact, though some bindings are fragile. Photographs show slight fading and curling at the edges. Artefacts and material objects are generally well preserved, with minor signs of age-related wear.enggujThe Darbar Collection documents the perspectives of landed elites in Surendranagar District, Gujarat, specifically Darbar community members whose historic role in grassland governance, conservation, and wildlife management shaped regional land-use patterns. Through one oral history and associated materials, the collection sheds light on how former princely families and landholders negotiated ecological and political shifts in Gujarat, including the post-independence reconfiguration of rural land rights and the emergence of conservation as a state-led agenda. The narratives offer insight into everyday practices, governance structures, and evolving attitudes toward wildlife and grassland ecology across generations.The collection has the oral history interview of Chatrajeet Singh, a Darbar community member. His interview explores traditional views on wildlife, landscape governance, and the historical transitions in land control and conservation authority from princely estates to state departments.
It also presents the second part of the archival records of the Chotila princely family, offering a rare window into the socio-political, economic, and environmental landscape of pre- and post-independence Saurashtra. The Vidi registers, maintained by Chhatrajeet Singh since the 1970s, provide detailed records of grassland and forest estate management, documenting staff appointments, monitoring of illegal activities, expenditures, and leases granted to Maldharis for grazing. These registers offer crucial insights into historical grassland management and the economic and ecological practices of the period. Complementing these are correspondences between princely family members and colonial officials, including disputes over land, revenue records, and the purchase of topographical maps, which reveal administrative negotiations, bureaucratic procedures, and engagement with colonial knowledge systems.
The 12-bore I. Horliss shotgun, approximately 120 years old and used until 1945, provides complementary evidence of elite leisure, hunting practices, and the social and technological dimensions of firearms in princely and post-colonial India. It demonstrates how hunting mediated authority, regulated land use, and reflected interactions with wildlife, highlighting the role of material culture in shaping historical understandings of governance, status, and ecological knowledge.The collection is arranged into three series, each of a particular form. Series 1 has a oral history interview. Series 2 has lease agreements, letters, and other archival archival documents. Series 3 has an artefact.Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.Grasslands--Managementwildlife conservationLand tenure