Gazetteers

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or directory.

Place Names in India

Marcus F C Martin, a geographer devised a simple way to understand the old English spellings for Indian places. “For example, FATEHPUR (‘City of Victory’) is a fairly common placename and by the mid-19th century it could be spelled in at least seven ways: FUTTIHPOOR, FUTIHPORE, FUTTAPORE, FUTTEHPOOR, FUTTIPOUR, FUTTYPOOR, FUTTYPORE etc. Marcus saw that the consonants were fairly accurate and could be reduced to a short code: here ‘FTP’ or, if you prefer 4 characters, ‘FTPR’. Then

a.. treat soft ‘c’, ‘ch’ and ‘chh’ as being the same;

b.. treat hard ‘c’, ‘k’ and ‘q’ also as the same; and

c.. treat double consonants as single (‘ck’ as ‘k’, ‘tt’ as ‘t’ etc);

d.. Ignore vowels, except at the beginning of a name, when they should be replaced by a wildcard, such as a dash (-).

Marcus was apparently delighted to find, using this principle, that OOMRAWUTTEE was modern AMRAOTI (both names will code to ‘-MRT’). He published a pamphlet which is long since out of print, with coded tables for the 3,900 Post Offices that existed in India in 1877, when they were renamed in standardised form and continued until independence.

The principle is quite easy to remember and helps enormously when looking up placenames in atlases and gazetteers."

Imperial Gazetteer of India

The Imperial Gazetteer of India was created by Sir William Wilson Hunter in 1881.

The third edition, published between 1909 and 1931, is available online, at the Digital South Asia Library, consisting of 24 volumes of text, and 1 volume of maps. It was first published, due to the efforts of Sir William Wilson Hunter, in 9 volumes in 1881 with a second edition of 14 volumes in 1885–1887.

Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series

In 1908/1909 the Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series was published in twenty five volumes, all of which are available online, either as pdf downloads, Digital Library of India, or Archive.org, or the later released Archive.org versions from the DLI.
Afghanistan and Nepal, Archive.org; Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Archive.org; Baluchistan, Archive.org; Baroda, Archive.org; Bengal Vol. I, Archive.org - Bengal Vol. II. Archive.org; Berar, Archive.org; Bombay Presidency Vol.I, Archive.org - Bombay Presidency Vol. II, Archive.org; Burma Vol. I, Archive.org - Burma Vol. II, Archive.org; Central India, Archive.org; Central Provinces Eastern Bengal And Assam, Archive.org; Hyderabad State; Kashmir and Jammu, Archive.org; Madras Vol. I - Madras Vol. II; Mysore and Coorg, Archive.org; North-West Frontier Province; Punjab Vol. I, Archive.org - Punjab Vol. II; Rajputana, Archive.org; United Provinces of Agra and Oudh Vol. I, Archive.org - United Provinces of Agra and Oudh Vol. II, Archive.org.

In addition, Afghanistan and Nepal Imperial Gazetteer of India is available to download as a pdf from Pahar-Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset.
Restricted access: Viewers in North America and some other countries may be able to access the Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series on Google Books or the Hathi Trust Digital Library

Other gazetteers

India

General

• General Index of Places including List of Synonimes following page 578, Oriental Repertory, Volume 1 by Alexander Dalrymple 1793 Archive.org.
• The East Indian Gazetteer by Walter Hamilton,

• A-Z 1st edition (1815) Archive.org
• Volume 1 A-H,Volume 2, I-Z 2nd edition (1828) Google Books

• A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical description of Hindostan, and the Adjacent Countries by Walter Hamilton 1820 Volume 1, Volume 2 Google Books
• The Road Book of India; or, East Indian traveller's guide through the presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay by John B Seely, Captain Bombay Army. 1825 Google Books. Although not a Gazetteer, contains many place names.
• Introduction to the Geography and History of India, and of the Countries Adjacent by Alfred Radford Symonds. Printed for ‪Bishop Corrie's Grammar School, American Miission Press, Madras 1845‬ Google Books. Includes older style spelling of place names, including some in adjacent countries.
• A Gazetteer of the Territories under the Government of the East-India Company, and of the Native States on the Continent of India A-PUTTA by Edward Thornton (1857) OOJ-Z (1854) Google Books
• "Index of Towns with latitude and longitude" page 498 A Manual of the Geology of India, 2nd edition revised and largely rewritten by R D Oldham 1893 Archive.org
• Index of place names for Constable's 1893 Area Maps from Ian Poyntz’s Historical Maps of India
• The Travellers Companion, containing a brief description of places of pilgrimage and important towns of India by Abdur Rasheed. Compiled under the orders of the Railway Board. 1907 Archive.org

Regional

• Assam District Gazetteers. Published 1905-1928, Volumes 1-10 by B.C. Allen, 1905-06; Volume 11 written anonymously, 1928. Supplementary volumes published c 1915.

There is a download available as a pdf file from Pahar-Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset as 1905 Assam District Gazetteers Vols 1 To 10

The following are mainly pdf downloads, Digital Library of India: Cachar Vol. 1, Archive.org 1905; Sylhet Vol. 2 1905, Sylhet Supplement 1915; Supplement to Goalpara, Archive.org 1914; Kamrup Vol. 4, Archive.org 1905; Darrang Vol. 5, Archive.org 1905, Darrang Supplement, Archive.org 1915; Nowgong Vol. 6, Archive.org 1903; Sibsagar Vol. 7, Archive.org 1906, Sibsagar Supplement, Archive.org 1915; Lakhimpur Vol. 8, Archive.org 1905, Lakhimpur Supplement, Archive.org 1916; Naga Hills And Manipur Vol. 9, Archive.org 1905; The Khasi and Jaintia Hills, the Garo Hills and the Lushai Hills Vol.10 1906 Archive.org., Volume10 Supplement 1915. British Library EAP file (Tiff images, may require a plug-in); Vol.11, Archive.org The Sadiya and Balipara Frontier Tract ? 1928.

• A Description of the Roads in Bengal and Bahar by James Rennell 1778 Google Books. Although not a Gazetteer, this book contains many place names.
• Bengal District Gazetteers. See Gazetteer titles for more details about the various editions.
  • Bakarganj by J C Jack 1918. Howrah by L. S. S. O'Malley and Monmohan Chakravarti 1909. Manbhum by H Coupland 1910. Murshidabad by L.S.S. O'Malley 1914. Mymensingh by F A Sachse 1917. Nadia by J H E Garrett 1910. Shahabad by L. S. S. O'Malley 1906. All Archive.org .
  • The Digital Library of India has many Bengal District Gazetteers available as pdf downloads, which also now appear on Archive.org, as Bengal District Gazetteers including Hooghly, Archive.org 1912 and 24 Parganas, Archive.org 1914. Some Districts are catalogued without the word Bengal, or the spelling of Gazetteer may vary, such as Rajshahi District Gazeteers, Archive.org 1916.
  • Various Bengal District Gazetteers are available as pdfs to download on DSpace at West Bengal State Central Library under the subject category such as Gazetteers and Gazeeteers, the latter includes Bengal District Gazetteers: 24-Parganas by L.S.S. O'Malley 1914.
  • Restricted access: For those in North America and some other countries, volumes may be accessed on the Hathi Trust Digital Library, catalogued according to a volume number, but see separate list.
  • Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers, or Eastern Bengal and Assam District Gazetteers The majority of the files are pdf downloads from the Digital Library of India

Bogra by J. N. Gupta 1910; Chittagong by L S S O'Malley 1908. Also available as a British Library EAP file (Tiff images, may require a plug-in); Chittagong Hill Tracts by R Hutchinson 1909; Dacca by B C Allen 1912 Archive.org.; Dinajpur by F W Strong 1912; Jalpaiguri by John F Gruning ICS 1911; Noakhali by JE Webster 1911 Archive.org.; Rangpur by J A Vas 1911; Tippera by J E Webster 1910

DLI mirror versions available on Archive.org: Eastern Bengal District Gazetteers plus Jalpaiguri.

• Gazetteers Of Haryana, previously part of Bengal, and of Punjab. Haryana Government website. Some links are available as searchable pdfs, others are in html format. Includes Delhi District 1883-84, 1912; Kurnaul (Karnal) District 1892, Umballa (Ambala) District 1883-84, 1892, 1923-24
• Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency Volumes 1-27, 1877-1904 Archive.org. For Sind, see below.
• The Madras Road Book. Edition- 1839, Index, Alphabetical List of the Madras Collectorates with details. Google Books. Although not a Gazetteer, this book contains many place names.
• Madras District Gazetteers
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Local Gazetteer 1908 Archive.org
• Baluchistan District Gazetteer Series published in 1907. Digital files are mainly pdfs to download, Digital Library of India, with mirror versions on Archive.org.

Zhob District Vol. I, Archive.org version ; Loralai District Vol. II, Archive.org - 2nd file, Archive.org; Sibi District Vol. III by Major A McConaghey IA 1907 Archive.org; Bolan And Chagai Vol. IV and IV A, Archive.org; Quetta-Pishin District Vol.V, Archive.org; Sarawan, Kachhi And Jhalawan Vol. VI, Archive.org; Makran Vol. VII, Archive.org; Kharan Vol. VIIA, Archive.org; Las Bela Vol.VIII, Archive.org.

Baluchistan District Gazetteer Series. Vol. IX: Index to Volumes I to VIII 1908. Pdf download, Digital Repository of GIPE-Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics [Pune India]. Other volumes are also available on GIPE. Viewers in some countries, probably including North America, may be able to access volumes on the Google Books or Hathi Trust websites.

• Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers, published 1917-1933. Earlier editions were published as Bengal District Gazetteers. Mainly pdf downloads, Digital Library of India.

Champaran; Cuttack; Hazaribagh by E Lister 1918 Archive.org; Monghyr; Palamau; Puri; Ranchi; Sambalpur

DLI mirror versions on Archive.org for Bihar and Orissa District Gazetteers.

• Gazetteer for the Haidarabad Assigned Districts Commonly Called Berar 1870 Archive.org
• Central India State Gazetteer Series. Compliled by Captain C E Luard, Superintendent of Gazetteer in Central India.This series consisted of 1. Gwalior State 2. Indore State 3. Bhopal State 4. Rewah State 5. Western States (Malwa) 6. Eastern States (Bundelkhand). Published 1907-1908. Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection.

Gwalior State Gazetteer Volume I Text and Tables, Vol I, Part II: Atlas, Vol I, Part III Village List, Vol I Part IV Photographs, the latter poor quality.

Indore State Gazetteer Volume II Text and Tables; Bhopal State Gazetteer Volume III Text and Tables; Rewah State Gazetteer Volume IV Text And Tables; Western States Gazetteer Malwa Volume V Part A, Text; Eastern States (Bundelkhand) Gazetteer. Volume VI-A-Text

• The Gazetteer of the Central Provinces of India by Charles Grant 1870 Archive.org
• Central Provinces District Gazetteers: Bilaspur District Volume A Descriptive 1910 Archive.org (Volume 7)

Central Provinces District Gazetteers: Chhattisgarh Feudatory States 1909 Archive.org (Volume 10)

Central Provinces District Gazetteers: Raipur District Volume A Descriptive 1909 Archive.org (Volume 18)

The Digital Library of India has a number of Central Provinces District Gazetteers including Jubbulpore District Vol A 1909 and Nagpur District, Vol A 1908 as pdf downloads.

DLI mirror versions on Archive.org for Central Provinces District Gazetteers, including Jubbulpore and Nagpur.

Gazetteers of Central Provinces and Berar. Digital reprints by Maharashtra State Gazetteers Department, of some individual Districts, including Nagpur (archived webpage). Transcriptions: All include District in the title: Akola 1910 (Berar) - Another version Akola akola.nic.in; Amraoti (Berar) amravati.nic.in; Bhandara; Chanda; Durg reprint of Volume A 1910 and Volumes B statistical tables from 1891-1926. Pdf download. durg.gov.in; Nagpur nagpur.nic.in; Wardha

• A supplement to the Fatehpur Gazetteer 1887 Archive.org
• The Himalayan Districts of the North Western Provinces of India Volumes I, II and III by Edwin T Atkinson published 1882, 1884, 1886 as Volumes X, XI, XII of Statistical, descriptive and historical account of the North-Western Provinces of India Volume I/Volume X, Volume II/Volume XI,Volume III/Volume XII Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek
  • The Himalayan Gazetteer or the Himalayan Districts of the North Western Provinces of India by Edwin T Atkinson in 3 Volumes (6 Parts) is available, in a reprint edition, to read online on the Digital Library of India website. Covers the regions of Kumaon and Garhwal. This area is now the state of Uttarakhand. Volume 1, part 1 Contents computer page 12; Volume 1, part 2 Contents cp 12, Index cp 536; Volume 2, part 1 Contents cp18; Volume 2, part 2 Contents cp 16 Index cp 458, includes History of the British in the area; Volume 3, part 1 Contents cp 10 Place names A-J; Volume 3, part 2 Contents cp 8 Place names K-Z. Pdf downloads: Vol. 1, Part 1 Vol. 1, Part 2 Vol. 2, Part 1, Vol. 2, Part 2, Vol. 3, Part 1, Vol. 3, Part 2. Additional files are available for Volume 3.

  DLI mirror versions on Archive.org for Himalayan Gazetteer

  • Three volumes of a reprint edition of the The Himalayan Gazetteer are available to read online on the Panjab Digital Library. It is necessary to first register to read more than the first few pages.Volume 1, Part 1, Volume 2, Part 1, Volume 3, Part 1 Possibly each volume also includes Part 2
• Hyderabad: Gazetteer Of Aurangabad 1884 Published under the orders of His Highness the Nizam’s Government. Archive.org
• A Gazetteer of Kashmir and the adjacent districts of Kishtwa̕r, Badrawa̕r, Jamu̕, Naoshera, Pu̕nch and the valley of the Kishen Ganga ; Pt. 7, Sect. 1 (of the series Central Asia, refer details below) by Charles Ellison Bates 1873 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek.

Gazetteer Of Kashmir And Ladak 1890. Full title: Gazetteer of Kashmír and Ladak : together with routes in the territories of the Maharaja of Jamu and Kashmir compiled (for political and military reference) under the direction of the Quarter Master General in India in the Intelligence Branch 1890. Pdf download, Digital Library of India. Archive.org version.

Routes in Western-Himalaya Kashmir &c Volume 1 Punch, Kashmir, Ladakh [Púnch, Kashmír & Ladákh] by Kenneth Mason. Published under the direction of the Surveyor General of India, 1922 and printed at the Office of the Trigonometrical Survey of India, Dehra Dun. Pdf download, PAHAR Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset.

• Madhya Pradesh District Gazetteers: Indore (Central India) 1971 Google Books
• Directory for the Mahi Kantha Agency , Volume 1 by F. Sorabji, 1922. Digital Library of India Collection on Archive.org. Contents digital page 10. Mahi Kantha was a political agency or collection of Princely States within the Gujarat Division of Bombay Presidency.
• Mysore was a Princely State

Manual of Coorg : a Gazetteer of the natural features of the country and the social and political condition of its inhabitants ; (with a map and four illustrations) by G Richter 1870 Staatsbibliothek Berlin

Mysore and Coorg : A gazetteer compiled for the government of India by Lewis Rice Archive.org

• Volume 2, Mysore by Districts 1876, Volume 3, Coorg 1878

Mysore: a Gazetteer compiled for Government Revised Edition

• Volume 1, Mysore in General 1897, Volume 2 Mysore by Districts 1897

Mysore Gazetteer edited by C. Hayavadana Rao published 1927-1930 in 5 volumes (Volume 2 is in 4 parts) (total 8). Volume 1, Descriptive; Volume 2, Historical (in 4 Parts); Volume 3, Economic; Volume 4, Administrative; Volume 5, Gazetteer; is available to read online on the Digital Library of India website. One volume is available on Archive.org Mysore Gazetteer Volume 2 Part 4:Historical, Modern Period c 1930

DLI mirror versions on Archive.org Mysore Gazetteer including Volume 5 reprint edition.

• North-West Frontier Province District Gazetteer series. For earlier editions, see Punjab District Gazetteers. Hazara District 1907, Archive.org version; Peshawar District 1931, Archive.org version. Pdf downloads, Digital Library of India, with mirror versions Archive.org.
• Gazetteer of the Countries Adjacent to India on the Northwest by Edward Thornton (1844). Includes Sind, Afghanistan, Baluchistan and the Punjab.

• Volume 1, A-K Google Books
• Volume 2, L-Z, together with an Appendix containing 'Routes' and an Index (A-Z) Google Books

• Punjab District Gazetteers
  • Many Punjab District Gazetteers are available to read as pdf downloads, Digital Library of India. Details as catalogued. Dates may be approximate. Some files below may be reprint editions. Titles include District, except those volumes which are Punjab States Gazetteers. See Gazetteer titles for more details about the various editions.

  Ambala 1883; Amritsar 1893; Bahawalpur State 1908; Chamba State 1910; Delhi 1883 - Delhi 1912; Dera Ghazi Khan 1893; Ferozepore 1883 - Ferozepore 1888 - Ferozepore 1915; Gujranwala 1893 - Gujranwala 1935; Gujrat 1883 -Gujrat 1893; Gurdaspur 1883 - Gurdaspur 1891 - Gurdaspur 1915; Hissar District and Loharu State 1904; Hoshiarpur 1905; Jalandhar 1883 - Jullundur 1908; Jhang 1883; Jhelam 1883 - Jhelam 1904; Kangra Vol.1 - Kangra Proper 1883 - Kangra, Vol. 2 - Kulu, Lahul and Spiti 1899 - Kangra 1904; Karnal 1892 - Karnal 1918; Lahore 1883 - Lahore 1893 - Lahore 1918; Ludhiana 1888 - Ludhiana 1904; Mandi State 1908; Montgomery 1900; Multan 1901 - Multan 1923; Muzaffargarh 1930; Peshawar 1897; Rawalpindi 1893 - Rawalpindi 1907; Rohtak 1883 - Rohtak 1911; Shahpur 1883 - Shahpur 1897 - Shahpur 1917; Sialkot 1895 - Sialkot 1920

Mirror editions of the above are also available on Archive.org including, but not limited to Ambala 1883; Amritsar 1893; Delhi 1883, Delhi 1912; Dera Ghazi Khan 1893; Ferozepore 1883, Ferozepore 1888, Ferozepore 1915; Jalandhar 1883, Jullundur 1908; Karnal 1918; Lahore 1883, Lahore 1893; Lahore 1918; Ludhiana 1888, Ludhiana 1904; Montgomery 1900; Multan 1901, Multan 1923; Peshawar 1897; Rawalpindi 1893, Rawalpindi 1907; Sialkot 1895, Sialkot 1920.

• Gazetteer of Simla District 1888-89 by RG Thomson. Pdf download Digital Repository of GIPE-Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics [Pune India]. Note: this volume had been catalogued 1988-89, but it is believed this should be 1888-1889.
• Panjab Digital Library includes a number of Punjab District Gazetteers (The spelling also includes Gazeteer/ Gazetter/ Gazeetter). It is necessary to first register to read more than the first few pages of each book, which are available to read online.
• Also see Gazetteers of Haryana, above, for reprints of some editions.

• Rajputana Gazetteer Volume 2 1879 Archive.org
• Rajputana District Gazetteers: Volume I-A Ajmer Merwara by C C Watson, ICS 1904 Archive.org
• Gazetteer of the Rampur State 1911 (A Princely State located near the United Provinces). Staatsbibliothek Berlin
• The Gazetteer of Sikkim 1894 Archive.org . (Sikkim was a Princely State)
• A Gazetteer of the Province of Sind by AW Hughes 1876 Archive.org
• The following volumes are available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, with mirror editions on Archive.org: Gazetteer of the Province of Sind by EH Aitken 1907. Pdf download, Archive.org version. This publication contains matters of a permanent character and general interest. ('A' volume) There are also additional 'B' volumes (probably seven) containing statistical tables and matters of local interest, published in 1919 and 1926-1928. The first six are available to read online on DLI

Volume I- Karachi District: Archive.org/DLI 1910 (perhaps 1919?), Archive.org/DLI, [1919], Pdf download DLI 1919, different digital file; Volume II- Hyderabad District, Pdf download 1927, Archive.org version; Volume III -Sukkur District, Pdf download 1919, Archive.org version; Pdf download 1928, Archive.org version; Volume IV- Larkana District, Pdf download 1927, Archive.org version; Volume V- Nawabshah District, Pdf download 1920, Pdf download 1926, Archive.org version; Volume VI-Thar and Parkar District Pdf download 1919, Archive.org version, different file. (Not available online: B Volume VII Upper Sind Frontier District, but it is available at the British Library IOR/V/27/63/110).

• A Gazetteer of Southern India: with the Tenasserim Provinces and Singapore Pharoah and Co (1855) Google Books
• Gazetteer of Ulwur by PW Powlett 1878. (Princely State of Alwar , Ulwar or Ulwur (Rajputana Agency)) Archive.org.
• Gazetteer of the Province of Oudh (1877-1878) Archive .org

• Volume 1 A-G, Volume 2 H-M, Volume 3 N-Z

• Statistical, Descriptive and Historical Account of the North-Western Provinces of India by Edwin T Atkinson and others 1874-1886. See separate list for details
  • Archive.org: Volume I: Bundelkhand Volume II Meerut Division PartI, The Eta District (A District of the Agra Division) 1876
  • Collection of 13 volumes, some with up to three parts (19 books in total) missing Volume 8 (in three parts) Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek
  • Digital Library of India files using search terms Statistical Descriptive. Links to pdf downloads. Some of the volumes are only catalogued by volume number (in Roman numerals), but see separate list.
  • Archive.org files, including mirror editions from DLI. Includes Vol. 8, Pt. 1 [Muttra], Vol Viii Part Ii Allahabad
• District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh compiled and edited by H.R. Nevill, published 1903-1936. There are 48 volumes, see separate list. Note some volumes appear to have more than one Part.
  • Volume 4 Meerut compiled and edited by H. R. Nevill 1904 Archive.org
  • Collection of 46 books of the 48 in the series, missing Volume 1, Dehra Dun and Volume 29 Ghazipur Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek
  • Digital Library of India files using search terms Gazetteers united Provinces. Links to pdf downloads. Some of the volumes are only catalogued by volume number (in Roman numerals), but see separate list
  • Archive.org files, (search term including Gazetteers) and more Archive.org files (search term including Gazetteer) mainly mirror editions of Digital Library of India files. Also Volume 1, Dehra Dun.
  • Restricted access, probably available to those in North America. Hathi Trust
    • Volume 3: Muzaffarnagar; more volumes, place names not given, but see separate list; more volumes, place names not given but see separate list
  • Bhagirathi - The Institute Repository of IIT Roorkee in the Archives collection of the Central Library has many Gazetteers in this series, which may be download as (large) pdfs. Selecting “Browse by title , and then letter G the following are available, (Lucknow is under D for District), including
    • Agra 1905 (Volume 8); Allahabad 1911 (Volume 23); Almora 1911 (Volume 35); Dehra Dun 1911 (Volume 1); Lucknow Division 1916 (Volume 37) probably Supplementary Notes and Statistics; Nainital 1904 (Volume 34)
• Brief Gazetteer of Most Important and Useful Place Names in Waziristan District 1935 is available to download as a pdf from Pahar-Mountains of Central Asia Digital Dataset.

Burma

• Gazetteer of the District of Rangoon, Pegu Province, British Burma : together with an historical account of that portion of the province which was formerly known as Han-Tha-Wa-Dee by Malcolm B. S.Lloyd , Captain, Madras Staff Corps, Deputy Commissioner of the Rangoon District 1868. Staatsbibliothek Berlin
• The British Burma Gazetteer: Volume I 1880 British Library Digital Collection. Volume I 1880 Pdf download, Digital Library of India, Archive.org version; Volume II A-Z 1879 Archive.org.
• Report and Gazetteer of Burma, Native and British Part I 1883 by Douglas Macneill, South East Asia Visions, Cornell University. Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection version. This volume is about Native or Upper Burma (Part II is Lower or British Burma, Part III Appendices, but these volumes are not available online (at June 2014))
• The Chin Hills: A History of the people. our dealings with them, their customs and manners, and a Gazetteer of their country, Volume II by Bertram S Carey and H N Tuck 1896 Archive.org. Contains "Gazetteer of Villages". (Volume I). The digital files lack the original photographs.
• Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan States (1900-1901) Archive.org
  • Part 1, Volume 1 includes Chapter 10, Ethnology with Vocabularies. Part 1, Volume 2 Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Part I Vol Ii, Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection version.
  • Part 2, Volume 1 A-K, Part 2, Volume 2 L-P, Part 2, Volume 3 R-Z
• The Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series Burma 1908 Pdf downloads, Digital Library of India: Volume I, Archive.org/DLI different file; Volume II, Archive.org/DLI different file.
• Burma Gazetteer: District Series. There were two series, published 1906-1907, and then 1910-1935. Published as Part A, descriptive; part B, tables. See separate list for Part A titles. The following are catalogued as Part A, or appear to be Part A. Pdf downloads, Digital Library of India.

Akyab District Vol A 1917; Bhamo District Vol A 1912; Lower Chindwin District Upper Burma 1912; Upper Chindwin District Vol A 1913; Henzada District Vol A 1915; Insein District Vol A 1914; Kyaukse District Vol A 1925; Mergui District Vol A1912; Pegu District Vol A 1917; Ruby Mines District Vol A 1915; Salween District Vol A 1910; Sandoway District Vol A 1912; Shwebo District Vol A 1929; Syriam District Vol A 1914; Thaton District Vol A 1931; Thayetmyo District Vol A 1911; Toungoo District Vol A 1914.

Some, but not all, are available as mirror editions on Archive.org:

Akyab, Upper Chindwin, Henzada (different file),Insein, Sandoway, Syriam, Thaton, Thayetmyo, Toungoo

Burma Gazetteer: Lower Chindwin District, Upper Burma 1912 Ebook Hong Kong University Library. Note: if the navigation tabs at the top of the webpage are not visible, decrease the size of the page.

Myanmar Law Library contains some online volumes of the Burma Gazetteer, which appear to be transcriptions including Volume A for Amherst c 1934, Mandalay, probably c 1925, and Tharawaddy, c 1913, and some B volumes, classified under Legal journal. If the link is not permanent, search for Gazetteer.

HathiTrust Digital Library editions accessible to those in regions such as North America.

• "Alphabetical List of Stations [of the Irrawaddy River]", page 45 with 1952 Map of the Irrawaddy River facing page 43 Inland Water Transport Board (Irrawaddy Section), published July 1952 or later. Archive.org

Afghanistan

• Refer Gazetteer of the Countries Adjacent to India on the Northwest by Edward Thornton (1844) under India, Regional
• Central Asia Part II: A contribution towards the better knowledge of the topography, ethnology, resources, & history of Afghanistan complied (for political and military reference) by C.M. MacGregor. 1871 Hathi Trust Digital Library.
• Refer Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series above

Central Asia

• The series Central Asia Intelligence Branch, QMG's Dept, 1871-78. Initial volumes by C M MacGregor pt. 1. North-West Frontier of British India. 3 vol.; pt. 2. Afghanistan; pt. 3. Balochistan; pt. 4. Persia; pt. 5. Asiatic Turkey and Caucasia; pt. 6, section 1 Khanat of Khiva by Cpt Henry Collett; pt. 6, section 2 Khanat of Bokhara by Captain John Moubray Trotter; pt 7, section 1. A gazetter of Kashmir and the adjacent districts of Kishtwar, Badrawar, Jamu, Naoshera, Punch and the valley of the Kishen Ganga by Capt Charles Ellison Bates; pt. 7, section 2. Ladak by F. Maisey.

Mostly available at the British Library UIN: BLL01002315764, last volume available at the BL in a reprint edition. Available online:

• Central Asia Part-i Vol-ii Pdf download, Digital Library of India. Archive.org version. Full title: Central Asia Part I: A contribution towards the better knowledge of the topography, ethnology, resources, & history of the North-West Frontier of British India complied (for political and military reference). Volume II
• Part II, see Afghanistan above
• Parts IV, V, see Persian Gulf etc below
• Part VII, Section I, see Kashmir above.

• Routes in Asia. Variant Title: Routes in Central Asia. Calcutta : Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, 1877-1878. "Compiled under the direction of Major General Fred. S. Roberts, C.B., V.C., Quarter Master General in India ...". Available at the British Library UIN: BLL01015549841

Section 1. Routes in Asia Minor, Armenia, Kurdistan, Georgia, Mesopotamia, and part of western Persia / compiled ... by W.J. Boyes -- Section 2. Routes in Afghanistan / compiled ... by F.J.N. Mackenzie -- Section 3. Routes in Khiva, Bokhara, Khokand, Yarkand, and Russian Turkestan / compiled ... by R.H. Fawcett -- Section 4. Routes in Persia and Balochistan / compiled ... by C.M. MacGregor -- Section 5. Routes in the territories of the Maharaja of Jummoo and Kashmir, and adjacent countries / compiled ... by M.H. Saward -- Section 6. pt. 1. Routes in Nepaul. pt. 2. Routes in Bhutan. pt. 3. Routes in Sikhim. Pt 4. Routes in Thibet. pt. 5. Routes in Burmah. pt. 6. Routes between Assam and Burmah / compiled ... by H.S. Brownrigg.

These six Sections/Volumes above are available in a microfilm series Western Books on Asia: India and the West, Monographs by Gale Cengage Learning, filmed from the Ames Library of South Asia, University of Minnesota in Pt. 6, reel 87, item nos. 2-3; Pt. 6, reel 88, item nos. 1-3; Pt. 6, reel 89, item no. 1, available at some libraries.

• Table of Distances in Russia, Central Asia, and India. Compiled at the Intelligence Branch of the War Office, May 1885, by Lieut. Wisely. Great Britain. War Office. Intelligence Division. 1885. British Library Digital file.

Ceylon

• The Ceylon Gazetteer; containing an accurate account of the districts, provinces, cities, towns, principal villages, harbours, rivers, lakes &c. of the Island of Ceylon, together with sketches of the manners, customs, institutions, agriculture, commerce, manufactures, revenues, population, castes, religion, history of its various inhabitants 1834 Google Books
• A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (excluding Walapane) by Archibald Campbell Lawrie Archive.org

Volume 1, A-K 1896, Volume 2, L-Z 1898

Mesopotamia (Iraq)

Entries from A Handbook of Mesopotamia by Admiralty War Staff Intelligence Division 1917

• "Volume II: Irak, the Lower Karun and Luristan" May 1917 Volume II Gazetteer of Towns page 371. Qatar Digital Library
• "Volume III: Central Mesopotamia with Southern Kurdistan and the Syrian Desert" January 1917. Volume III Gazetteer of Towns, page 350. Hathi Trust Digital Library.
• "Volume IV: Northern Mesopotamia and Central Kurdistan" April 1917. Volume IV Gazetteer of Towns, page 418. Hathi Trust Digital Library.

Nepal

• Refer Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series above

Persian Gulf, Oman And Central Arabia

• Central Asia Part IV: A contribution towards the better knowledge of the topography, ethnology, resources, & history of Persia complied (for political and military reference) by C.M. MacGregor. 1871 Archive.org.
• Central Asia. Part V. A contribution towards the better knowledge of the History, Ethnography, Topography, and resources of part of Asiatic Turkey and Caucasia compiled by Lieutenant-Colonel C M Macgregor 1872. Qatar Digital Library.
• Military Report on South-West Persia, Including the Provinces of Khuzistan (Arabistan), Luristan, and Part of Fars by Major and Bt. Lieut-Col. Mark S. Bell, V.C., R.E. 1885. Qatar Digital Library, ref: V 8685. Prepared in the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter Master General's Department in India.
• Gazetteer of Persia, Part III, including Fārs, Lūristān, Arabistān, Khūzistān, Yazd, Karmānshāh, Ardalān, Kurdistān Compiled in the Intelligence Branch of the Quartermaster General’s Department in India 1885. Qatar Digital Library.
• Persian Gulf Gazetteer. Part 1. Historical and political materials. Precis of Turkish expansion on the Arab littoral of the Persian Gulf and Hasa [Al-Hasa] and Katif [Al-Qaṭīf] affairs. 1904 The précis was prepared by Jerome Antony Saldana (Saldanha) Ref: IOR/L/PS/20/C238. Published by the Government of India Foreign Department, Simla. Qatar Digital Library.
• Gazetteer Of The Persian Gulf, Oman And Central Arabia by J G Lorimer, published 1908 to 1915. Volume I, Historical consists of Part I being the 'Arabian' portion of the History and Part II being the 'Persian' section of the History. Both Parts of Volume I, Historical, have the same extensive index, covering all Parts. Volume I: Historical: Part III Geneaological Tables and a Map. Volume II: Geographical and Statistical.
  • Available on Archive.org, Digital Library of India Collection.
    • Volume I Historical Part I, published 1915.
    • Volume I Historical Part II
      • Appendix R Books of reference page 2700.
    • Volume II Geographical And Statistical, published 1908.There is no Index. Introduction pages i-iii are missing.
  • Volume I, Part III of a reprint edition is available on the National Library of Australia Digital Collections-Maps Catalogue entry. It contains two maps (including the map of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia) and genealogical trees.
  • Four out of six volumes of a reprint edition are available to read online at Hathi Trust Digital Library. The volumes are Volume I: Historical: Part I (in two volumes), (missing Historical: Part II, Part III) and Volume II: Geographical and Statistical (in two volumes)
  • The Qatar Digital Library contains copies of the original editions held at the British Library. Note: these webpages may be very slow to load at times
    • Volume I: Historical: Part I IOR/L/PS/20/C91/1. The 'Arabian' portion of the History
    • Volume I: Historical: Part II IOR/L/PS/20/C91/2. The 'Persian' section of the History
    • Volume I: Historical: Part III Geneaological Tables and a Map IOR/L/PS/20/C91/3
    • Volume II: Geographical and Statistical IOR/L/PS/20/C91/4. Includes alphabetical entries for tribes, towns and regions, from ‘Abdalilah to Zubārah. It also contains fifty-six reproductions of photographs taken by British colonial officers and others.
    • 1905-1908 Map of the Persian Gulf, Oman and Central Arabia compiled in the Foreign Office, Simla, by Lieut. F.F. Hunder IOR/L/PS/20/C91/6
    • Click on “About this record” for information about the contents. To select a particular page, click on “View all items”.

British Library Untold lives blog ‘Persian Gulf tragedy’ – the death of John Gordon Lorimer 08 February 2014 (retrieved 18 June 2014)

• Gazetteer of Persia. Qatar Digital Library.
  • 1910 editions: Gazetteer of Persia, Volume III 1910. British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/15/2/2. Compiled in the Division of the Chief of the General Staff, Army Headquarters, India

  Gazetteer Of Persia. Volume IV. 1910. British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/15/2/3. Prepared by the General Staff, Army Headquarters, India.

  Index Map To Gazetteer Of Persia 1909. British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/15/2/3, f 323

  • 1914 edition: Gazetteer of Persia, Volume II 1914. British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/15/3/1. Printed at the Government of India Monotype Press, Simla, 1914.
  • 1917 edition: Gazetteer Of Persia. Vol. III. Part II: L to Z Part of the four-volume Gazetteer of Persia Provisional Edition, 1917, reprinted 1918. British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/15/4/2. Printed by Superintendent Government Printing, India, Calcutta.

  Index Map Of Gazetteer And Routes In Persia 1917 Ref: IOR/L/MIL/17/15/4/2, f 491

• Routes. All compiled in the Intelligence Branch of the Quarter-Master General's Department in India.
  • Routes in Persia 1887 Archive.org. A preliminary volume, based in part on Routes for Asia, Section IV by Macgregor
  • Routes in Persia, Section I 1898. Chiefly compiled by Captain E F H McSwiney. Qatar Digital Library.
  • Routes in Persia. Section II. Compiled by Captain J. Vans Agnew, 3rd Madras Lancers 1895. Qatar Digital Library.
  • Routes in Persia. Section III 1898. Compiled under the superintendence of Captain E F H McSwiney. Qatar Digital Library.
  • Routes in Arabia 1915. Qatar Digital Library. From the British Library IOR/L/MIL/17/16/3. This volume contains descriptions of the 'more important of the known routes in Arabia proper'. Produced by the General Staff in Simla, India.

External links

• Robert S. Cragg’s World Postmarks (archive.org link)
  • India and States Pre-Independence India and Princely States.(archive.org link). Sourced from English Names for Indian Places; a Coded Index of Indian Post Offices by Marcus F C Martin, published 1966. Available at the British Library
  • Pakistan, Burma
• "Finding the Obscure and the Elusive: Geographic Information On the Web". A presentation by James L. Tanner at Rootstech 2013 html version, pdf