Wed Apr 30 19:25:42 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Researchers Gain Access to British Library’s Trove of Kerala History
**Kozhikode, Kerala – May 1, 2025** – Researchers in Kerala will have unprecedented access to a wealth of historical documents pertaining to the state’s history, thanks to resources at the British Library in London. Arani Ilankuberan, Head of South Asian Collections at the British Library, made the announcement during a workshop at the University of Calicut.
The workshop, jointly organized by the university’s Political Science department and the Mahakavi Moyinkutty Vaidyar Mappila Kala Academy, showcased a selection of the library’s holdings, including documents in Malayalam, Sanskrit, and Arabi-Malayalam detailing Kerala’s medieval past. Among the highlighted items were gold and silver plates bearing treaties signed between the Zamorin of Calicut and the Dutch East India Company in 1691 and 1710, respectively.
According to Abbas Panakkal, a researcher attending the workshop, these artifacts and the broader collection offer invaluable insights into Kerala’s historical interactions with global powers. Other British Library officials, including Pasquale Manzo (Sanskrit documents) and Marina Chellini (documents from north India), emphasized the collection’s significance for studying Indian culture and history more broadly. The library’s scientifically organized system will facilitate easier access for researchers.
First Piper 