Where the originals are kept

Much of Dr. Ambedkar’s work has been printed in the government’s Writings and Speeches series. But the original manuscripts, theses, letters, books and belongings are held in many different places. This page lists what we have been able to confirm, where it is, and how to see it. Items marked Not verified still need research — help us.

His unpublished papers: the “five iron trunks”

• After his death in 1956, “all the papers including his unpublished writings were taken into custody by the custodian of the High Court of Delhi”, and later transferred to the Administrator General of the Government of Maharashtra ¹.
• Advocate J. B. Bansod of Nagpur sued to have the unpublished writings published; the case stayed in the Bombay High Court for years ¹.
• With the consent of Savita Ambedkar, Prakash Ambedkar and family, and Bansod, the papers “contained in five iron trunks” were handed over. Vasant Moon took possession for the Government of Maharashtra on 18 September 1981, and the trunks were stored in the Education Department at Mantralaya, Mumbai ¹.
• The editors found 51 titles of unpublished writings. Fourteen more essays came from S. S. Rege, former librarian of Siddharth College. The final manuscript of Riddles in Hinduism “has not been found” ¹.
• The publishing body is the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee, set up in 1976 under the Education Department, Government of Maharashtra ². In 2003 the government said the original material “is available with the publication committee” ³.
• In 2021 the Bombay High Court took up the slow publication on its own motion; in 2022 the State said it would publish the MSc thesis as Vol. 23 ^{4 5}.
• Not verified: whether the five trunks are still at Mantralaya today.

Columbia University, New York

• MA thesis, “Administration and finance of the East India Company” (1915), manuscript — Rare Book & Manuscript Library, call number COA F15 v.12A (stored offsite) ⁶.
• PhD dissertation, The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India (1925) — on microform and online through HathiTrust ⁷.
• University Archives hold his biographical file, photographs (including the 1952 honorary degree), alumni cards and honorary-degree correspondence ⁸.
• His letters to Professor Seligman (1920, 1922) are in the Seligman papers; in the 1922 letter he says his thesis manuscript was lost when his ship was torpedoed in 1917 ⁹.
• How to see them: reading room only, with a Special Collections Research Account and photo ID; offsite items need at least 2 working days’ notice ⁸.

London: LSE, Senate House Library and Gray’s Inn

• His MSc thesis (1921) and DSc thesis The Problem of the Rupee (1923) are at Senate House Library, University of London (offsite thesis store, reference only) ^{10 11}.
• LSE Library holds his complete student file (downloadable), his signed thesis dedication to Edwin Cannan (CANNAN/717), and letters in the George Lansbury papers (LANSBURY/22–24) ^{12 13}.
• Gray’s Inn holds his admission application and his petition to be called to the Bar, and two portraits ¹⁴. Access is free but at the Inn’s discretion; write to the Archivist ¹⁵.

British Library, India Office Records (London)

The catalogue lists about 45 records under “Ambedkar” ¹⁶, including:

• IOR/L/I/1/1272 — file on Ambedkar, 1946 ¹⁷
• IOR/L/PJ/6/1443 — his 1916 journey from the USA to England ¹⁸
• IOR/Q/13/4/23 — his 1929 draft report for the Bombay committee working with the Simon Commission ¹⁹
• Round Table Conference papers (IOR/Q/RTC), Franchise Committee papers (IOR/Q/IFC), Poona Pact files (IOR/L/PO/6), and his 1942 letters to Sir Evelyn Wrench (Add MS 59545) ²⁰.

Everything must be consulted in person at the Library in London.

National Archives of India (New Delhi)

• “B. R. Ambedkar Papers received from People’s Education Society, Bombay” — Private Archives, file 434, 315 pages, digitised ²¹.
• About 158 government files mention him — for example his 1942 appointment to the Executive Council ²².

His personal library and belongings

• Siddharth College, Mumbai — he gave his collection to the college in 1952; thousands of his books, many with his own notes in the margins, are kept as the “Ambedkar Collection” ^{23 24}. His armchair is preserved there ²⁵.
• Milind College, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad) — about 1,100 rare books from his collection ²⁶.
• Rajgruha, Dadar, Mumbai — the house he built (1931–33) to hold his books; the ground floor is a museum. Book counts given vary from 35,000 to 50,000 ²⁶.
• Symbiosis Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Museum, Pune — 563 items including 74 manuscripts, 149 photographs, his Bharat Ratna and the table and chair at which he worked on the Constitution; donated by Savita Ambedkar ^{27 28}.
• Shantivan, Chicholi (near Nagpur) — a museum holding items used by the Ambedkars, given by Nanak Chand Rattu. Not verified beyond one secondary source.

Not yet verified

• Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library (New Delhi) holdings — the site could not be reached.
• Maharashtra State Archives holdings.
• Who holds the original 1955 BBC recording of his interview.
• Original letters published in BAWS Vol. 21 (Correspondence).