Dr Francis Buchanan, later known as Francis Hamilton or Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, was a Scottish physician who made significant contributions as a geographer, zoologist, and botanist while living in India. He was born at Bardowie, Scotland, and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1783. He also studied botany. He first served on merchant ships to Asia and then joined the Bengal Medical Service in 1794. Buchanan's training was ideal as a surgeon naturalist for a political mission to the Kingdom of Ava in Burma under Captain Symes. The Ava mission set sail on the Sea Horse and passed the Andaman Islands, Pegu, and Ava before returning to Calcutta. Subsequently Buchanan-Hamilton was asked to survey South India. He conducted a survey of Mysore in 1800 and a survey of Bengal from 1807-1814.
For the survey of Bengal he was asked to report on topography, history, antiquities, the condition of the inhabitants, religion, natural productions (particularly fisheries, forests, mines, and quarries), agriculture (covering vegetables, implements, manure, floods, domestic animals, fences, farms, and landed property, fine and common arts, and commerce (exports and imports, weights and measures, and conveyance of goods). His conclusions were made into a series of reports, of which these papers are the manuscripts. He also collected and described many new plants in the region, and collected a series of watercolours of Indian and Nepalese plants and animals, probably painted by Indian artists, which are now in the library of the Linnean Society of London.
He succeeded William Roxburgh to become the superintendent of the Calcutta botanical garden in 1814, but had to return to Britain in 1815 due to his ill health and in the same year he inherited his mother's estate and in consequence took her surname of Hamilton, referring to himself as "Francis Hamilton, formerly Buchanan" or simply "Francis Hamilton". However, he is variously referred to by others as "Buchanan-Hamilton", "Francis Hamilton Buchanan", or "Francis Buchanan Hamilton". From 1815 until 1829 he was Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh replacing Dr William Roxburgh.
Published
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These are handwritten [copies] of manuscripts of the statistical surveys undertaken by Francis Buchanan-Hamilton within the districts of Dinajpur (Bangladesh and India), and Puraniya (Purnia), Shahabad, Bhagalpur, Runggopur, Patna and Gorakhpur in India. Each survey consists of 2 or 3 foolscap volumes. These were rebound in the 1990s.
The material was arranged chronologically.
The acquisition was from the East India Company and from Henry Thomas Colebrooke.
In the Catalogue of English Manuscripts (RAS Collections Archive), opposite p.78, there is a note to say that "A manuscript copy in fourteen folio volumes of the Statistical Reports drawn up by Dr Buchanan Hamilton on the districts of Puraniya, Shahabad, Dinajpur, Bahar and Patna, Gorukpore, Runggopur, and Bhagalpur, in the province of Bengal, has been deposited in the Library of the Society, for the use of the members, by the liberality of the Hon. Court of Directors of the East India Company".
However this catalogue on p.78 and the Register of Donations for 4 November 1826, report that Memoirs on Dunajpur, Ringgopur and Puraniya were given to the Society by Henry Thomas Colebrooke.
The material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2020.
Printed versions of the statistical reports were produced. Some of these are available in the Library Collections. More details can be found in the Library Catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.
Some sketches referred to in these reports can be found within the collection of European manuscripts of the India Office in the British Library (Mss. EUR. G. 25 Foll. 78).
Open. Please contact the archivist using the email address given here. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Dinajpur consists of 2 bound volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Dinajpur (222 pages)
* Book II: Peoples of Dinajpur (160 pages + 20 pages of appendices containing lists and tables)
* Book III: The Natural Production of Dinajpur (122 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Dinajpur (299 pages). Inserted between pp. 20-21 is a photograph with the label "Doorway at Dinajpur said to be from Bau-nogor".
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Dinajpur (232 pages)
* List of all the Market places in each division Expressing for its situation to the corresponding Numbers in the Map.
* Alphabetical index of most of the native names of person, places & things having the manner in which there are written in the Native Characters.
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Puraniya (Purnea) consists of two bound volumes and some loose material. The first volume contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Puraniya (224 pages)
* Book II: People of Puraniya (333 pages
*) Book III: The Natural Productions of Puraniya(103 pages)
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Puraniya (308 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Puraniya (137 pages)
* Book VI: An account of part of Nepal (131 pages)
* Index or Key to the Map of Puraniya (100 pages)
* Index of Native Words used in the account of Puraniya with the native characters annexed (197 pages).
The loose material consists of:
* A further copy of Book 3: An account of the natural productions of Purinaya (127 pages). This was presented by H.T. Colebrooke on 4 November 1826. There is a loose cardboard front cover and the sewn binding of the manuscript has disintegrated. .
The Library Collections contain the printed "An Account of the District of Purnea in 1809-1810" by Francis Buchanan (Patna, 1928). The material within this volume is representative of the the handwritten manuscripts, though there are some diffrerences in the appendices.
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Shahabad consists of 2 volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Shahabad (295 pages)
* Book II: People of Shahabad(167 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book III: The Natural Production of Shahabad (142 pages)
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Shahabad (199 pages)
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Shahabad (100 pages)
* Index to the Map (48 pages)
The Library Collections contain the printed "An Account of the District of Shahabad in 1809-1810" by Francis Buchanan (Patna, 1934). The material within this volume is representative of the the handwritten manuscripts, though there are some differences in the appendices. The collections also contain "Journal of Francis Buchanan kept during the survey of the district of Shahabad in 1812-1813, Edited with Notes and Introduction by C.E.A.W. Oldham (Patna 1926)
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Bhagalpur consists of 2 volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Bhagalpur (314 pages)
* Book II: People of Bhagalpur (208 pages)
* Book III: The Natural Production of Bhagalpur (246 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Bhagalpur (295 pages)
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Bhagalpur (132 pages)
* List of hills in Bhagalpur (35 pages)
* Index to the Map (117 pages)
* Index of native words of Bhagalpur (93 pages)
The Library Collections contain the printed "An Account of the District of Bhagalpur in 1810-1811" by Francis Buchanan (Patna, 1939). The material within this volume is representative of the the handwritten manuscripts, though there are some differences in the appendices. The collections also contain "Journal of Francis Buchanan kept during the survey of the district of Bhagalpur, Edited with Notes and Introduction by C.E.A.W. Oldham" (Patna 1930).
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Runggopur consists of 3 volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Runggopur (269 pages)
* Book II: People of Runggopur (217 pages + appendix of 29 pages with lists and tables)
* Book III: The Natural Production of Runggopur (246 pages)
* A List of the Specimens of Wood from Goyalpara to Calcutta by Doctor Francis Buchanan"(3 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Runggopur (247 pages)
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Runggopur (123 pages)
* Appendix concerning the nations bordering on the Ronggopur district (182 pages)
* Index to the Map (52 pages)
* Index of native words of Runggopur
The third volume contains further copies of:
* Book III: The Natural Production of Runggopur
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Runggopur
There is also a further loose manuscript of "A List of the Specimens of Wood from Goyalpara to Calcutta by Doctor Francis Buchanan".
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Behar and the City of Patna consists of 2 volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Behar and Patna (470 pages)
* Book II: People of Behar and Patna (257 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book III: The Natural Production of Behar and Patna (167 pages)
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Behar and Patna (211 pages)
* Book V: An Account of the Commerce in Behar and Patna (1198 pages)
* Index to the Map (137 pages)
* Index of native words of Behar and Patna (74 pages)
The Library Collections contain the printed "An Account of the Districts of Bihar and Patna in 18011-1812" by Francis Buchanan (Patna, 2 volumes). The material within this volume is representative of the the handwritten manuscripts, though there are some differences in the appendices. The collections also contain "Journal of Francis Buchanan (afterwards Hamilton) Patna and Gaya in 1811-1812, Edited with Notes and Introduction by V.H. Jackson (Patna 1925).
Published
The Statistical Survey of the District of Gorakhpur consists of 2 volumes. The first contains:
* Book I: Topography and Antiquities of Gorakhpur (339 pages)
* Book II: People of Gorakhpur (291 pages)
* Book III: The Natural Production of Gorakhpur (190 pages)
The second volume contains:
* Book IV: State of Agriculture in Gorakhpur (204 pages)
* Book V: State of Arts and Commerce in Gorakhpur (196 pages)
* Index to the Map (43 pages)
* Index of native words of Gorakhpurr (186 pages)