Beginnings of Modern Education in Mithila: Selections from Educational Records Darbhanga Raj 1860-1930

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The script of the book was prepared about a decade back. I am deeply grateful to Dr. K. K. Datta, my most revered preceptor and the ex-Vice Chancellor of the Patna University, who very kindly spared me some of his valuable hours for going through the book. He thought of arranging with some local publishers to get it published. But perhaps the more pressing affairs in the University left him no time to help me in the matter. Lack of necessary pursuance on my part also threw it in the background. I owe a heavy debt of gratitude to Prof.Dr. B. P. Sinha, the ex-Hony. Joint Director, for having included it in the publication programme of the Institute. I am also highly thankful to our present Director, Prof. A. L. Thakur, for his keen interest in the publication and manifold valuable suggestions in the matter of printing etc. My thanks are also due to the proprietor of the Himachal Press, who has taken sincere personal interest in the publication of the book.

As a member of the State Regional Records Survey Committee, Bihar, I early took up the survey of the old records of the Darbhanga Raj and submitted to the Secretary of the Indian Historical Records Commission the results of my investigations in the form of an article for the Trivandrum Session (1958) of the Commission. He was very much impressed with the potentiality of the source for advancement of historical researches and immediately wrote me back an encouraging letter to continue my investigation and contribute a paper to the Indian Archives. Enthused greatly by it I paid several visits to the Record Room till I finished the survey of the entire series of educational records there.

1. L. No. F. 8-1/58 Pub. I, from T. Roychoudhuri, Director of the National Archives of India, dated the "I have read with great interest your article which you have submitted for publication in the Indian Historical Records Commission brochure of papers. May I now request you to contribute an article to our Journal, The Indian Archives, with which you are probably already familiar? Though the exact choice of the subject will naturally rest with you but as a general idea, I would suggest an article on some hitherto unknown collection of records or manuscripts pertaining to modern Indian History. The article may include a critical appraisal of the potentialities of such records for the advancement of historical research.

I trust you will be in a position to agree to my request. I shall appreciate it very much if you will kindly let me have your reply at an early date." In response, I contributed "A Peep into the Darbhanga Raj Archives", which is published in the Indian Archives, Vol. XII, Nos. 1-2, January-December, 1958. The annual reports of the Bihar Regional Records Survey Committee from 1954 onwards contain reports of my survey of the raj records during the particular year.