A recent survey conducted in Telangana has identified nearly 190,000 ancient manuscripts, including rare royal farmans dating back several centuries. The survey was carried out under the Gyan Bharatam Mission (GBM), a national initiative led by the Union Ministry of Culture aimed at uncovering, preserving, and digitizing India’s vast manuscript heritage.

Among the manuscripts discovered is a royal farman issued in 1406 by Sultan Feroz Shah Bahmani, who ruled from 1397 to 1422. This decree, believed to be the second oldest of its kind in India, was written on Persian-style handmade paper measuring 33 by 10 inches and authenticated by ink and a royal seal. The farman, originally issued from the Bahmani capital of Gulbarga, grants land as inam (tax-free land grant) to Muhammed Ahmed, the Qazi of Kalyani. The document features a distinctive tughra (monogram) and the royal Bahmani seal, highlighting the administrative and royal practices of the period. According to M.A. Raqeeb, assistant director of the Telangana Archives, the handmade paper used for this farman is a rare example that provides insight into the production techniques of royal documents during that era.

Another significant finding includes a well-preserved farman issued by Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II in 1773. This decree appointed Maharaja Narayan Rao Bahadur as the official caretaker of a riverbank near Allahabad, a site important for the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage. The farman explicitly instructed officials to refrain from charging any fees to Hindu pilgrims undertaking the sacred bath and holy dip for spiritual purification. The order stipulated that all expenses related to maintaining the site and facilitating rituals would be fully borne by the Mughal government. It also required that this directive be communicated to the commissioner of police and all current and future officials to ensure perpetual enforcement.

Raqeeb noted that this imperial farman exemplifies the Later Mughal policy of supporting diverse religious practices through state patronage. It underscores the government’s role in protecting pilgrimage routes and sacred ghats, reflecting a longstanding tradition of imperial responsibility toward facilitating religious observances.

The GBM’s survey in Telangana has thus brought to light a substantial collection of manuscripts, shedding new light on India’s historical administrative, cultural, and religious landscape through these preserved documents. The ongoing efforts aim to digitize these materials to make them accessible for future research and preservation.