Private letters and autobiographies provide valuable insights into an individual's personal life and thoughts. They reveal emotions and perspectives that are often absent from official records.

Autobiographies give us an account of the past that is often rich in human detail. They tell us what the author could recollect, what he or she saw as important, or was keen on recounting. They also reveal how a person wanted his or her life to be viewed by others, as writing an autobiography is a way of framing a picture of yourself. However, we must be careful while reading them as they are retrospective accounts written from memory. We need to understand the reasons for silences – those wilful or unwitting acts of forgetting.

Private letters give us a glimpse of an individual's private thoughts. In letters, we see people expressing their anger and pain, their dismay and anxiety, their hopes and frustrations in ways they may not express in public statements. However, the private-public distinction often breaks down as the language of letters is often shaped by the awareness that they may one day be published.

Official accounts, such as government records and police reports, differ significantly. These include fortnightly reports prepared by the Home Department based on police information. These reports were secret at the time but are now accessible in archives. They often expressed what the higher officials saw, or wanted to believe. While noticing the possibility of sedition, they liked to assure themselves that these fears were unwarranted.

Thus, while personal sources reveal emotions and personal perspectives, official accounts reflect the viewpoint and biases of the colonial administration.