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==Starting The FIBIwiki contains lots of guidance for starting out on your 'British India' research==The FIBIS online ''Beginners' Guide'' will continue to be expanded in the future. It is recommended that you read through all of this information page before contacting FIBIS for personal research services (Members) or research advice (non-Members). You may also find Peter Bailey's slideshow [http://www.fibis.org/BL.pps "Your First Visit to the IOR"] helpful. (The slideshow takes about a minute to download with broadband). The slideshow is also available on [http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CSjQMdsMZZQ YouTube ] *[[Birth, marriage and death records]]*[[Church records]]
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==Scope of FIBIS' Interest==
The main focus of FIBIS activities is the ‘sub-continent’ of India but we are the society is also interested in all areas and activities of the British in South Asia including the following between the founding of the [[East India Company]] in 1599 to ‘Indian Independence’ in 1947:
[[Afghanistan]], [[Aden]], [[Andaman Islands]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Benkulen|Bencoolen]] (Sumatra, Indonesia), [[Burma]] (Myanmar), [[Ceylon]] (Sri Lanka), [[China]], [[Macao]] & [[Hong Kong]], [[Indonesia]] (Borneo, Labuan etc.), [[Malaysia]], [[Mauritius]], [[Iran|Persia]], [[Singapore]], [[Straits Settlements]].
Also included are the activities of the East India Company in [[Home Establishment | London]] and [[St. Helena]].
British India was divided into three [[Presidencies]]:
*[[Bombay (Presidency)|Bombay]], which covered the smallest area on the west and north of the country, including extending through [[Sind]] and to the coastal area of what is now [[Pakistan]], including [[Karachi]] and also included [[Aden]] *[[Bengal (Presidency)|Bengal]], which covered the east of the country and included [[Burma ]] and what is now [[Bangladesh]] and extended west to parts the [[North West Frontier Province|North West Frontier]] to include most of what is now modern day [[Pakistan]], including [[Lahore]], [[Multan]], [[Peshawar]] and [[Rawalpindi]]
*[[Madras (Presidency)|Madras]], which covered the southern portion of India
Also note that administrative boundaries changed from time to time and it is important to check 'border' districts in the adjoining area. The above map is adapted from Plate 21 of the (1931) revised atlas of the ''[[Imperial Gazetteer of India]]''. Such small scale maps cannot show every enclave of territory, and this map is not to be taken as an authority for boundaries. For more detail see the provincial maps in the ''Imperial Gazetteer'' atlas, and large scale published ''Survey of India'' topographical maps.
==Main sources Recommended steps for informationyour research== ===The very first steps===*Search the main online databases. There are three free websites: # [http://www.search.fibis.org/ FIBIS database] contains information from many sources. # The [[Mailing listsIGI]]FamilySearch - which is the website of the Mormon Latter Day Saints Church (LDS) *# [[British Library]] – Asian & African Studies Reading Room – , [http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]. Contains only a small proportion of the total records. The commercial site [[findmypast]] and the Familysearch web sites host a large volume of transcriptions based on the India Office [[APACChurch records|church records]] housed at the British Library. (AsiaSome more recent records are not available for privacy reasons on [[findmypast]]. Alternative records are available for later births and marriages in the [[IGI]]). *Search the archives of the India List. You may find that someone else has already researched the family tree you are interested in. Read how to do this, and more about the India List, in the Fibiwiki link [[Mailing lists]]. When you have some identifying details of a person such as name, Pacific date and Africa Collectionsplace(presidency), you might wish to join the India List and send an email to the list, asking whether anyone has any knowledge of the family. *Consider joining your local genealogy society as most large societies provide members free online access in their libraries to commercial sites such as Findmypast and Ancestry. This is especially relevant as the church records at the British Library are now digitised and available through findmypast. Some libraries may also offer free access to websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry, see [[Miscellaneous tips]]. ===The National Archivesnext steps=== *Read the Fibiwiki article [[Birth, marriage and death records]] and all the associated articles and links *By now, you may have some occupational details. **For officers and soldiers in the Military, read [[Armies in India]] and all the associated articles and links which are relevant to your research.** Look at [[:Category:Occupations]] (TNA) – formerly , and read the Public articles and links about occupations relevant to your research. ===Further steps===*Look at [[:Category:Research methods]], and [[:Category:Records Office (PRO) ]] and read the articles.*Browse the remaining categories on the [[Main Page]] ===Visiting the British Library=== {{#widget:YouTube|id=UGZQlMGocPQ}}== Related articles ==* [[British Library]]* [[IGI]]* [[Birth, marriage and death records]]*[[General Register OfficeChurch records]] (GRO)*[[National Army MuseumMiscellaneous tips]] (NAM)== External links ==*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]*[National Maritime Museumhttp://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]*[https://familysearch.org/ Familysearch] (NMM) {{#widget:Google PlusOne|size=small|count=true}}
[[Category:Research methods]]
