India Genealogy

Asia India Guide to India ancestry, family history and genealogy parish registers, transcripts, census records, birth records, marriage records, and death records.

Country Information
History: India is officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya). It is both a country and sub-continent in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and finally the most populous democracy in the world.

Religion: Four major world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium AD and these also helped shape the region's diverse culture. In the early 16th century, northern India, being then under mainly Muslim rulers,[64] fell again to the superior mobility and firepower of a new generation of Central Asian warriors. British Empire Rule: Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom after Indian Rebellion of 1857, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.

A major problem for Genealogists is the Hindu custom of either burning the body, or (preferably) consigning it to the Ganges river. Thus finding graves is a critical problem.

Genealogy records about individuals and families in India are free online and stored in archives and libraries around the world. Information on this page will help you discover your family history in India.

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More India Research Strategies
Research strategies give guidance on how to research or what records to search for first. Below are additional research strategy Wiki articles for India.
 * BYU Research Guide for India

More India Research Tools
Research tools can include resources that assist in locating correct records to search and determining the correct locality to search in. Below are links and Wiki articles to research tools in India.
 * Map of Hindu Pilgrimage Sites
 * Dictionary of Indian Biography
 * Indian Cemeteries
 * Cemeteries in South Asia
 * The Indiaman Magazine
 * Families in British India Society
 * Websites
 * India Office catalogues of private papers, prints etc.
 * Hindu Pilgrimage records
 * Maithil Brahmin genealogical records
 * Browse by topic: Pages for India
 * Today's featured article is: Families in British India Society
 * The first British outpost in South Asia was established by the English East India Company in 1619 at Surat on the northwestern coast. The British subsequently expanded their influence in India Read more...
 * After a massive rebellion against foreign rule in 1857, the British government decided to place India under the direct control of the Crown. The East India Company was abolished and Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in 1858. The British National Archives has made available online information about immigrants in the 19th century.
 * Genealogical Records of Medieval India
 * Place names have a long and varied history. A new article titled A history behind Street Names of Hderabad &amp; Secunderabad provides a taste of rich history.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in resourcing your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Learning Center - Online genealogy courses
 * FamilySearch Historical Records Collections for India
 * Family History Center locator map