6II

II. INTRODUCTION OF SECRETARIAT RECORDS

The early Asaf Jahi Period was marked by an indigenous feudal system of administration handled on a hereditary basis by families and nobles. This system had many defects and it had become outdated or fuddy duddy and traditional. A change in the old system of administration was felt to be the need of the hour in the middle of the nineteen century. A start in this direction was made under the guidance of Salar Jung I. He took up the great task of reorganizing the administration of the State in every field and every walk of life. Salar Jung I started establishing the departments on the lines of the British Indian administration. The establishment of the 14 Secretariat Departments continued long after Salar Jung’s death. These records pertaining to new Departments are categorized as Secretariat Records. However the old daftars continued to function parallely with the newly created departments for some time. This is the reason that we find the daftars records and secretariat records simultaneously for a short period in the administration of the former Hyderabad State. The official language of Hyderabad was changed from Persian to Urdu during the last quarter of the 19^th Century (1886). The records up to 1886 are in Persian and the records from 1886 to 1948 are in Urdu, some are in English. The following 14 Secretariat departments are mentioned below.

1.   ARMY SECRETARIAT

2.   ARMY HEAD QUARTERS SECRETARIAT

3.   CABINET COUNCIL SECRETARIAT

4.   COMMERCE AND INDUSTRIES SECRETARIAT

5.   CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS SECRETARIAT

6.   EDUCATION SECRETARIAT

7.   EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SECRETARIAT

8.   FINANCE SECRETARIAT

9.   HOME SECRETARIAT

10. LABOUR AND SOCIAL WELFARE SECRETARIAT

11. LOCAL GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

12. POLITICAL SECRETARIAT

13. REVENUE SECRETARIAT

14. RURAL CONSTRUCTION SECRETARIAT