Rampur Raza Library

The Rampur Raza Library was founded by Nawab Faizullah Khan of Rampur State in 1774. The Library was taken over by the Government of India in 1975. It is functioning under the Ministry of Culture by Rampur RazaLibrary Board with His Excellency Governor of Uttar Pradesh as Chairman. It has a rich collection having 17,000 manuscripts including 150 illustrated ones, 205 Palm leaves manuscripts, 5000 miniature paintings, 3000 specimens of Islamic Calligraphy and about 60,000 old rare printed books. The holding of the Library represent archaic, languages and scripts such as Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish and Pushto etc. These cover variety of subjects such as history, philosophy, astronomy, astrology, mathematics, medicines, physical sciences, religions, Sufism, literature, art and architecture. The miniature paintings represent Turko-Mongol,Mughal, Persian, Rajput, Pahari, Awadh, Deccani and Indo-European schools whose specimens have not been published so far. The library has published 140 books in different languages and has also launched its own website for the scholars which may be visited at www.razalibrary.gov.in.

The Library is housed in a heritage palace viz; Hamid Manzil which is more than 100 years old and its impressive architectural specimen of Indo-European style is unique in Northern India, decorated with seventeen attractive marble statues of 19^th century.

The Library established a Conservation Laboratory in 1995, which has been carrying out sophisticated scientific preservation and restoration of manuscripts, specimens of Islamic Calligraphy, art objects and damaged printed books.

Acquisition, accessioning, technical work, binding, colour photo documentation, computerization and digitization:

The Rampur Raza Library collection is enriched new books and manuscript through purchase, exchange and gift. The library acquired 410 books, 892 periodicals and 4024 news papers and accessioned them properly. During 2011-12 more than 450 books were classified and 470 catalogue cards were prepared. The work of labeling and dusting (cleaning) of books are regularly done continuously. About 2800 books were cleaned on the shelves besides 1500 new labels were replaced on the books. The library maintains also keeps card catalogue up to date and nearly 1000 cards were checked during 2011-12. About 2000 books have been bound and repaired received new binding and repairs besides other registers, notebooks and photo albums were also bound. Around 1400 newspaper cuttings of important information related to culture and the Library were also collected; 2084 coloured photographs, 25 CDS and 50 DVDs have been prepared. During 2011-12, bibliographical information about 450 Urdu, Arabic, Persian, English and Hindi books have been computerized. About 1, 80,000 pages from the manuscripts of Raza Library collection were digitized during 2011-12.

The library is fully sensitive to the services of its users. During 2011-12, 100 research scholars consulted 250 manuscripts, 835 readers were issued 2,555 printed books and 13,491 general readers visited the reading room for newspapers and magazines besides large number of persons visited library Museum in Darbar Hall. The library also provides photographs of manuscripts and about 30,534 photocopies of the printed books to the scholars on payment basis during 2011-12. Moreover 932 publications of the library were either sold or gifted to the scholars. During 2011-12 four senior and two junior scholarships were awarded.

During 2011-12 the library published Umra-i-Hinood translated byZainul Bashar Ansari, Rampur Raza Library Journal in Urdu, Hindi, English edited by Prof. Shah Abdus Salam, Valmiki Ramayana in three volume translated from Persian to Hindi; translated and edited by Prof. Shah AbdusSalam and Dr. W.H. Siddiqi, 1857 Urdu Maakhiz ke Aayeene Main in Urdu by Dr. Darkhshan Tajwer.

Conservation

Conservation laboratory conserved a number of art objects on paper like manuscripts, books and miniature paintings. Before conservation treatment of any object, photographic documentation is done to keep the proof of status of the art object and also help the conservator in treatment of an object for prolonged life. Important conservation works have been completed during 2011-12. Historical document Farmans has been conserved in different sizes; Persian manuscripts Masnavi Irfan-I-Bedil,Diwan-I-Hafiz and Poetry Collection; Arabic manuscript Holy Quran; and printed books Masnavi Moulvi Manvi, Nasir-I-Hamidi, Hindustan ParHamle, Afganistan Ki Janib Se, Zahir-Ul-Arfeen, Usool-E-Maqbool, andNaqsh-I-roohani have also been conserved.

Around 406 printed books were fumigated; 10 special types of boxes of acid free mount board were prepared to store CDs of rare collection of manuscripts of Rampur Raza Library. Under the supervision of conservation laboratory, 4251 printed books of different sections (English, Hindi, Urdu, Luharu and Arabic/Persian) of Raza Library were treated as a preventive Conservation. Laboratory staff provided basic training of preventive conservation to the staff members of different sections of printed books/manuscripts of the library.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, 5th June 2012