The MAHSA project is excited to announce an open access search portal for historic Survey of India (SoI) maps. In collaboration with the University Library and British Library, anyone can now enjoy 480 historic map sheets, as well as the geospatial data for 1245 maps from South Asia.
Access to historic maps is often restricted in South Asia, so our digitised repository of IIIF map sheets, hosted by Cambridge University Library, is an important milestone for the democratisation of cultural heritage and cartographic archives in the region.
Our database also allows researchers to geospatially search the British Library’s collection for the first time. Scholars can now see their historic map(s) of interest, on the map. Even for those maps without images, our extensive metadata enables users to find the relevant sheets at the British Library itself.
Scholars and members of the public can use our Arches Database to:
- Find 480 map sheets of India & Pakistan with geospatial data and IIIF URLs.
- View those high-resolution map sheets on the Cambridge University Library collections site.
- Access the metadata for 1245 map sheets.
- Locate map sheets at the British Library using the same catalogue standard.
To start your search now:
- Go to https://databasemahsa.org/en/search
- Click the saved searches icon on the top right
- Click ‘Maps with IIIF Images’
- Choose your map on the left-hand search panel
- Click on the relevant map title to view its metadata
- Scroll down to find the IIIF URL (‘View IIIF Image’)
- Click the link to view the map on the Cambridge Digital Library
Alternatively, you can start your search at the Cambridge Digital Library:
- Go to https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/surveyofindiamaps
- Select a map to view
- To access geospatial information and metadata, click ‘View entry on MAHSA database’
We hope you enjoy exploring the database!
MAHSA Project & Cambridge University Library