As its tell-tale title suggests, it is a monumental work, in fourteen volumes recording a collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads entered into by the erstwhile British Govt. of India with the native Indian States and the neighbouring countries. Each Volume has been so compiled as to give the various Treaties, Engagements and Sanads entered into with native States falling into one contiguous geographical area. Volumes I to X and XII fall into this category. Volume XI, XIII and XIV deal with Treaties, Engagements etc. with territories which now form part of foreign countries. Their destinies were however governed by the then British authority of India under the compulsion of the then prevailing forces of history. It is a work of immense historical value and research utility and undoubtedly a veritable mine of information equally for the historians, research scholars, statesmen, diplomats, public servants, educationists, administrators, and serious students of contemporary history. It will prove a valuable source of reference for Govt. Deptts., Public libraries and also libraries of all educational institutions of higher learning, including universities and colleges. A serious work of this kind will help stimulate more enterprising research on the source material provided in these volumes. They throw a flood of light on the evolution and expansion of the old British empire in this part of the world and the craft and the strategy employed by them before which the hetrogenous native states and their weak rulers were no match. They had thus no option but acquesce to the terms and conditions dictated to them. Such a useful work should be the proud possession of all concerned including the research scholars, historians and libraries in India and abroad.
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