Library

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The Sarmaya Archive boasts of a rich, ever-growing library, ranging across topics such as history, art, architecture, archaeology, aesthetic theory, natural history and even historical fiction.  To know more, please write to us at connect@sarmaya.in.
The books are non-issuable.

Library -

A few highlights from the Sarmaya library, across genres

Video Resources


Bombay to Basra: On the Highways of World War One 1914-21 'The talk narrates the dense, ceaseless movement of Indian Army followers from Bombay to Mesopotamia (Iraq) and back, and the political consequences of this first mass circulation of South Asian labour into the Persian Gulf.' Dr. Radhika Singha taught Modern History at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and is now a Visiting Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida. An interest in the history of Indian labour and its trans-national circulation, developed slowly into a book titled The Coolie’s Great War: Indian Labour in a Global Conflict 1914-1921, ( Hurst 2020). Instead of accounts which cast World War one as an external event to which India contributed, she sought, through a focus on non-combatant labour, to place this colony more centrally within this global conflict. In her talk she will focus on the dense ,ceaseless movement of Indian Army followers from Bombay to Mesopotamia (Iraq) and back, the glimpses we catch of it in various accounts of the war, and the political consequences of this first mass circulation of South Asian labour into the Persian Gulf.




True to Their Salt - The British Indian Army and An Alternative History of Decolonization 'The British held India by an army predominantly comprising Indian soldiers, and relied on their fidelity. This loyalty stood the test of time but was eventually breached during the Second World War, leading to India's independence. True to Their Salt is a radical retelling of how India came to be colonized by a handful of Europeans in the 18th century, how they held sway over the country for almost two centuries, and their sudden departure from India in 1947, all told from the perspective of Indian soldiers.' Ravindra Rathee started his career as a journalist with the 'Times of India' in Delhi. After graduating from St Stephen's College, he did an MA in politics at the University of Hull as a British Chevening Scholar. For the past two decades, he has worked in the city of London. This is his first book, stemming from extensive research on the military life of his grandfather. This event took place on 9th February 2024, at Durbar Hall, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai.




The Great War: Literary Responses in Prose and Poetry to the First World War "The Great War, or Jang-e-Azeem as the First World War was referred to, saw the service of over 1.3 million Indians of whom 74,000 never made it back home. For their families, the war was something they could never fathom. Soldiers from the Indian sub-continent won over 12,908 awards for bravery, including 11 Victoria Crosses. Yet this unprecedented show of valour remains largely unsung and unrecognised - particularly in India. The Indian response to the War was, and continued to be, complex and varied. The talk hopes to shed some light on that ambiguity and the range of voices and concerns." - Dr. Rakhshanda Jalil for Sarmaya Talks. Dr. Jalil is a multi-award winning translator, writer, and literary historian. She has published over 25 books and written over 50 academic papers and essays. Some of her books include: Liking Progress, Loving Change: A Literary History of the Progressive Writers Movement in Urdu (OUP, 2014); a biography of Urdu feminist writer Dr Rashid Jahan: A Rebel and her Cause (Women Unlimited, 2014); a translation of The Sea Lies Ahead, Intizar Husain's seminal novel on Karachi (Harper Collins, 2015) and Krishan Chandar's partition novel Ghaddar (Westland, 2017), among others. She runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture. She is the Editor of the Taj magazine. This event took place on 17th November, 2023, at Durbar Hall, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai.






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