Telangana-Iran Agreement to Digitise Rare Manuscripts

The Department of Heritage Telangana signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Noor International Microfilm Centre, Iran Cultural House, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, New Delhi, on 15 June 2026 for the digitisation, preservation, conservation, and cataloguing of rare manuscripts, paintings, books, and archival records. The agreement covers about 737 manuscripts, 3,091 paintings, 14,522 library books, and 101 Dastawazats, which are archival records.

Digitisation of Manuscripts and Archives

The collaboration covers collections in Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and other languages. Experts from the Noor International Microfilm Centre will carry out digitisation, indexing, cataloguing, repair, and preservation work at no cost to the Telangana government, and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will bear the funding.

Telangana State Archives and Research Institute

The Telangana State Archives and Research Institute in Hyderabad signed a separate Memorandum of Understanding with the Noor International Microfilm Centre on 7 September 2022 for the repair, conservation, digitisation, and cataloguing of Urdu and Persian historical manuscripts and documents. The institute houses over 43 million documents, and about 80% of them are in classical Persian and Urdu, with records dating back to 1406 AD from the Bahmani, Qutb Shahi, Adil Shahi, and Mughal dynasties.

Gyan Bharatam Mission and Conservation Methods

The Telangana State Archives and Research Institute was also working under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national initiative of the Union Ministry of Culture, in April 2026. The mission aims to digitise over one crore manuscripts across India.

Important Facts for Exams

• Persian, Urdu, and Arabic are among the major languages found in Telangana’s archival collections.
• Dastawazats are archival records used in historical documentation.
• Royal orders are called farmans in Indo-Persian administrative records.
• The Bahmani, Qutb Shahi, Adil Shahi, and Mughal dynasties are linked with Telangana’s archival history.

Rare Items in the Collection

The digitisation work includes rare manuscripts such as the Ramayana and Bhagavata Mahapurana in Persian, Quran verses on gold-coated papers, and a 10.5-metre-long royal scroll. Herbal technology is being used for restoration to extend the lifespan of the materials beyond 200 years.