The Partition of Colonial Punjab in 1947 was one of the most significant moments in South Asian and global history. The region of Punjab was divided into two parts, East Punjab and West Punjab, acceding to the dominions of India and Pakistan, respectively. This event marked one of the largest migrations and sources of political instability in history. It is estimated that around 12 million people were displaced in the region alone. The stories and oral histories of those who experienced the event are valuable historical accounts, and in recent years, great efforts have been made to preserve these alongside other historical documents. In this article, I will present some of the diverse online repositories chronicling Punjab’s partition, which I have used in my own research.
One such initiative is The Punjab Partition Forum, an English-language blog that collects videos, photographs, eyewitness accounts, and a host of other resources documenting the lives and experiences of those who undertook the journey of migrating from one side to the other. The forum is managed by Harvinder Kaur and Ramanjit Singh and is part of ongoing research. In addition to eyewitness accounts and videos, the forum also offers an opportunity for those unfamiliar with the demographics of Punjab to acquire a deeper understanding of Punjabi society. In this pursuit, the blog prioritizes impartiality, ensuring that the narratives preserved represent the authentic voices of Punjabis, irrespective of borders.
Another invaluable online resource is the digital archives launched by Punjab University College of Information Technology (PUCIT), showcasing historical Urdu newspapers Inquilab, which dates back to the year 1922, and Zamindar. Both serve as rich sources of pre and post-partition literature, providing a contemporaneous perspective on the socio-political climate before, during, and after the Partition. Regrettably, the mentioned websites are presently unavailable; however, they are generally open for public access. Keep checking back for any updates regarding their availability.
Arguably the most extensive work has been done by the Government of Punjab, Pakistan, which hosts a digital platform called the Punjab Archives. This platform offers an extensive wealth of information on the region’s administrative history. The archive serves as a comprehensive repository of governmental records, administrative documents, and historical artifacts that provide invaluable insights into the political and administrative evolution of Punjab. It houses a vast array of documents, including land records, revenue reports, census data, and official correspondence. The archive’s collection also includes digitized records dating back to the 17th century, encompassing the Mughal Empire, Sikh Empire, British colonial period, and post-independence years. The archives provide research and reference facilities to departments, students, and scholars, both local and foreign.
The 1947 Partition Archive is the largest online repository of Partition literature and oral histories. It has recorded nearly 11,500 witness oral histories from 16 countries in over 40 languages and dialects. This crowdsourced, community-based archive has become a cornerstone in the preservation of Partition narratives, digitizing photographs, documents, and personal objects of historical value. You can use the site to explore eye witness accounts and migration routes, and can search for stories by name, age, or migrated city. In addition to that, the website hosts an extensive repository of literature available on the partition. Raw unprocessed footage is also available for access to professional researchers and their students. I first became involved in the initiative through an internship, but for those interested, there are other ways to contribute, such as helping to record oral accounts of the partition.
The Punjab Archives is probably the larger archive, offering easily accessible resources containing a host of written material as well as sizable oral histories. Most of these records have been meticulously cataloged online, making them readily available to the public domain. In contrast, the 1947 Partition Archive hosts little to no written archival material (most of the material available on there are oral histories and visual data).
Beyond formal archives, in recent years there has also been a growth in YouTube channels dedicated to documenting the oral histories of Punjab’s partition survivors. For example, Punjabi Lehar, which conducts one-on-one interviews with people who migrated. The format of the interviews is pretty basic, with the interviewer asking questions related to where the interviewee was born, what their childhood was like, how interfaith relations were growing up, and what the experience of partition was like, etc. Nevertheless, the channel has over fifteen hundred videos. The content available is largely interviews in addition to travelogs and documentaries. Similar to this, Keshu Films, Untold Partition Stories, and Mittee di Mehak also produce content around the first-hand experiences of the generation that lived through the Partition in 1947. These channels serve as digital memorials, ensuring that the voices of the past continue to be remembered.
The Lost Heer Project on Instagram.
Other social media platforms present useful resources for studying the partition. For example, @thelostheerproject is an Instagram page that focuses largely on the perspectives of women from Colonial Punjab, spanning the years 1849 to 1947. The page also features harrowing accounts of women who left their native lands to flee to the other side of Punjab. The project illuminates the untold narratives of resilience and grace that shaped the fabric of Punjab during a transformative era, and by doing so, fills a crucial void in the Partition archives by spotlighting women’s histories and perspectives. The initiative, symbolically named after the iconic figure of Punjabi folklore, Heer by Waris Shah, invites reflection on the enduring spirit of the women of Punjab. The page is curated by Harleen Singh of @thesingingsingh. Singh can be contacted to provide insights regarding archival newspapers and magazines that are valuable resources for constructing timelines and verifying events.
While these initiatives mark significant strides in preserving history, they also highlight certain gaps. Notably missing from these records are the histories of peasants, working-class farmers and craftsmen, lower castes, Christians, Ravidassias, as well as women. Despite Punjab being heavily militarized and Punjabis designated as a “martial race” during the Colonial period, military experiences are largely absent from the archives. A more in-depth exploration of the subject of militarism could shed light on the violence witnessed in Punjab during 1947. The current focus of written and oral archival work tends to be on those with larger farm estates and from major cities and villages. It is clear that a more focused exploration of these areas could provide a comprehensive understanding of the broader impact of the Partition on the relations between Pakistan and India today.
Despite these limitations, these initiatives provide researchers with much-needed and welcome resources. The Punjab Archives and the 1947 Partition Archive offer convenient online access, while Punjab Lehar and other YouTube channels host abundant interviews with survivors of the Partition. I personally found these instrumental for my undergraduate semester project on the Partition, enabling me to conduct remote research efficiently, saving time and resources. Though these various projects are still in their initial stages, the stories and documents collected span across politics, civil service, arts, and the military. Their progress will not only safeguard the past but also inform the future, making sure that these stories are accessible for generations to come.
The Digital Orientalist 
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