Resources

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​The resources below take you to other websites that we do not monitor.  There may be historical, cultural or genealogical information. These links may not work and opinions made on them may be offensive or political in nature please use at your own risk.  

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Specific Geographic Regions - India​​​

• National Archive Reference Tools

• FamilySearch list of Indexed Indian records 

• Digitized List of Records help by Family Search from FSBIS

• Ancestral Findings Resources 

• Indian Immigration Archives

• Tracing Indentured Labor and Migration

 

Specific Areas or States in India

• India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) (graveyards and small archive)

• Andhra Pradesh

• Assam State Archives

• Chandigarh (Panjab Digital Library)

• Delhi- blog post

• Delhi- list of records

• Hyderabad- history of Nizams

• Jharkhand- Records kept by the Pandit Dharam Rakshni Sabha

• Karnataka- national government website

• Kerala- practical guide to genealogy in Kerala

• Kerala Christian Family Tree

• Kerala Books at Library of Congress

• Kerala Archives

• Koilukh, Bihar- Brahmin records from Pandit Kirtinand Jha

• Nagaland- how to obtain a family tree certificate

• Pondicherry (from FBIS website)

• Madras and Tamil Nadu Parish records (from Familysearch wiki website)

• Tamil Nadu Archives (Dutch Project)

• Tamil Nadu list of resources

• Wiki Tree Tamil Nadu Page 

• Tamil Nadu History

• Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

 

The Indian Subcontinent

• Tamil Diaspora

• Ceylon (Tamil People-must have account)

• History of Ceylon Tamil

• Arrival of Tamils in Sri Lanka

• Genealogy Research in Sri Lanka

• Pakistan (genealogy resources)

• Bangladesh - from FamilySearch wiki

• Sri Lanka 

 

Around the World

 

Caribbean-

• Beliz- blog post about history of Indians

• Caribbean- You tube Video how to find resources

• Tracing Caribbean Ancestors

• The Indentureship Collection

• Girmita resource 

• Guyana- (early 19th century newspapers)

• West Indian Diplomacy

• Suriname 

• Trinidad and Tobago see PDF below

 

Jamaica-

• Jamaica Legacy Tree

• The Indentureship Collection in Jamaica

• Jamaican Family History Records

• Ancestors of Paradise

• Inventory of archival holdings in Jamaica

• Jamaica Archives and Records Department

• National Library of Jamaica

• Jamaica Church Records

• Jamaica Church and Census Records

• Find My Past Search Jamaican Records

• Jamaican Genealogical Records

• Jamaica Civil Registration

• Uncovering Indo-Jamaican Stories

• Jamaica Emigration and Immigration

• The Indian Diaspora in Jamaica

 

Fiji-

• Fiji- civil registration and list of all records List

• Fiji resources 

• Fiji- (List of Girmityas)

• Fiji- (indentured laborer passes) held by Austrailia archives

• Fiji (Indian Immigration Passes 1879-1916)

• Plantation registration Fiji- book (link 2)

 

Mauritius-

• Mauritius- Mahatma Gandhi Institute

• Mauritian Genealogy Society

• Guide to Trace Ancestors in Mauritius

• MauritiusGenWeb

• Mauritius Ancestry

• Geneanet

• Mauritius My Heritage

• Archives and libraries

• Republic of Mauritius National Archives Department

• National Library of Mauritius

• Nelson Mandela Centre for African Culture Slave Database

• Centre for Research on Slavery and Indenture 

• Mauritius Collection

• SLAFNET Project

• Mauritius Registers of Birth

• Civil Status Division

• Genealogy Society 

• Colonial Office and predecessors: Mauritius, Original Correspondence

• Tribute to the Indentured Labourers of Mauritius

 

China-

• Shanghai- Sikhs in Shanghai (see the resources)

 

South Africa-

• South African Voter Rolls 

• Genealogical Society of South Africa

• Printable Shiplist

• Database of Indian Immigrants

 

 Specific Periods in Time

• • The Dutch Records at the Tamil Nadu Archives, Chennai (Madras): Cambridge University Press

  • A Guide to WW1 Indian War Diaries

  • 1860 Heritage Center- At the end of the story it has detailed info on how to research

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Girmita- Indentured Laborers from India

See many resources in specific countries 

 

Trinidad and Tobago Register of Laborers- this is a pdf, click on the photo for access to the pdf

 

• Indian Indenture Database​​

 

Religious Records-

 

Christian-

• Syrian Christians of Kerala

• European Cemeteries in India

• FSBIS list of Church Records 

• First Christians in India

 

Hindu-

• Hindu Pilgrimage Records - on FamilySearch

 

Jew-

• Jews in India

• Jews in India History

 

Sikh-

No resources yet

 

Muslim-

No resources yet

 

Buddhist-

No resources yet

 

Jain-

No resources yet

 

Zoroastrian-

No resources yet

 

Bahá’í-

No resources yet​

 

Digitized Grave Records

• Find A Grave

• Billion Graves

 

Ethnic Groups

• Roma in India-book

• Portuguese Families in India- on FSBIS

 

Indian Military Records

• Resources for Indian Army 1865 and on- FSBIS

• Indian Army List Online 1782-1947-on FSBIS

 

East India Company Resources

• East India Company Resources- FamilySearch wiki

• French East India Company-on FSBIS

• Bombay East Indian Company Civil Servants- google books

• Madras East India Company Civil Servants

 

British India Resources

• Families in British India 

• Families in British India Beginner's Guide

• General list of resources- Historic India- have not checked each one

• Madras Burial Registry

• Scottish- Indian resources

• Doctors in British India- on FSBIS

• Apothecary in British India- on FSBIS

• Directories (excellent resources)- on FSBIS

• Online Databases & Records for Research in British India

 

Websites with Suggestions For General Research

• Family Search India Wiki

• Who do you think you are 

• British India Resources (excellent resources)

• BBC- lots of resources with contact for State Archives 

• India and British India Resources- on genealogist website

• Worldwide GenNet- click on the country you are interested in

• Genealogy Star

 

Books, Articles, Films and Documentaries to Purchase or Stream

• The Last Post- Inscriptions on the French Graves in India

• Stories from Our Indian Elders- St Vincent and the Grenadines

• Indo- Caribbean Publishing- various books

• Emigrant Coolie Book

• Reddit Punjab Land Records

• Article: Indentured labour from India in 19th Century Reunion Island

• Article: A History of Indentureship

• Untangling the Knot

• BiblioVault

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How to Get Started

• Gather all the information and documents you have 

• Decide what online tree program you will use- see below

• For in-person help, go to a free Family Search center near you

• Ask everyone in your family for information

• Share what you find out

• BBC getting Started in East Indian research

 

Programs to Document your Family Tree

Free Programs-

• FamilySearch- non profit leaders in archives, largest number of world-wide records (1.9+ billion)

• Geni- tree with social media aspect, linked to MyHeritage

• Wiki Tree- for detailed source-driven genealogy

 

Membership Programs-

• Ancestry- Largest commercial genealogy company worldwide (DNA)

• My Heritage- good for non USA users (DNA)

• Find My Past- good for British connections (DNA)

• DDC Indian- DNA company- no idea about this site

• FamilyaConnect- coming soon- innovative platform for religious services and family trees- hopes to gather all Indian Subcontinent and Indian diaspora records in one place.

 

Facebook Groups

• Genealogical Society of India and its Diaspora

• Africa Asia Pacific Research

• Indian Jamaican Genealogy

• Caribbean Genealogy Research Group

• My Pakistani Heritage

• Sikh Military History Forum

• History of Punjabi Sikh Diaspora

• East African Sikhs

• Sri Lanka Family History

• SVG Indian Heritage Foundation - St Vincent and the Grenadines

• Vincy Indians Virtual Museum -St Vincent

• The Enlightened Malaysian Indian Forum 

• South Africa- 1860 Heritage Centre (laborers from India arrived)

• British India Family History Group

• Family history India

• Girmit Global

• Girmityas

• Global Girmit Association Forum

• Fiji Girmit

• Connecting Fijians

• Girmit South Africa

• East Indians of Belize

• Exploring the Lives of Girmita Women- Fiji

• Sanatani Girmitas

• Guyana Tamils and Indians

• Indiaspora

• Caribbean Hindustani  

• Historical Eras Reconnect 1947- To find family, loved ones and places separated by Partition 

• Stories of Punjab

• Save the Heritages of Bangladesh

• Ceylon Genealogy

• Genealogy Mauritius

• Girmit Mauritius

• Tamils History in Mauritius since 1979

• Asia Genealogy Research Community

 

 

Archives that may have information

•  Northeastern University Library

• Library of Congress

• Panjab Digital Library

 

 

Other links that may or may not have information

• Find a Grave

• Family Search India Records Page

• Billion Graves- has some cemeteries in India and the Diaspora

•  Family Search India Wiki

•  Online British India Records

• India GenWeb

• Researching your India ancestors ​​

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