Political Correspondence with India

Correspondence of the E I C Court of Directors and of the Secretary of State for India with the Governments of Bengal/India, Madras and Bombay. The main sub-series consist of Political Letters (In), Dispatches (Out) and Collections to Dispatches - also to be found (for the period 1808-1858) are the Board of Control's copies of the EIC Political Drafts and EIC Political Previous Communications (unofficial first drafts). It should be noted that the term 'Foreign' in the lists is used in two different senses. In the case of pre-1847 correspondence (eg Foreign Letters from Bengal 1805-1825) it refers solely to matters relating to other European Powers in India ( French, Danes etc). In the later series of Foreign Letters from India commencing in 1859 the term 'Foreign' covers all non-secret political matters. See also Foster's Guide pp 14-15 and 23, and Moir's Guide pp 42-44, 52-53.

(1) EIC Political Committee records [IOR/L/PS/1]; (2) EIC Political Home Correspondence [IOR/L/PS/3]. For pre-1792 overseas correspondence on political matters: see under IOR/E/4 and IOR/L/PS/5. For enclosures to Foreign and Political Letters from India 1830-1858: see the series Board's Collections [IOR/F/4]. For the continuation of IOR/L/PS/6 after 1874: see the series IOR/L/PS/7. For Indexes and Registers: see IOR/Z/L/PS/6.

Available for research unless otherwise stated