My name is Michael Goerlitz, and I’m one of the research assistants working through PURM this summer on the Unstable Archives project with Professor Megan Robb. For the past few weeks, I have been contributing to the digitizing of the archives of a Persianate India woman named Elizabeth or Sharaf un-Nisa, who had left India in the late 18th century and lived in England until her death in 1822. Considering other records and documentation of East India Company men who cohabitated and engaged in relationships with native women, the archives of Sharaf un-Nisa provide a unique yet important perspective into the intersection of gender and European colonialism in South Asia. To prepare the archives for a digital exhibit, we have been working on transcribing the many letters and documents found in her or her husband’s hand, coding metadata for each item, and many other side projects. It has been an excellent introduction to archival research and I’m excited to engage with the digital humanities as well. I’ve had a phenomenal time so far working with a great team on a fascinating subject, and I’m excited for what’s to come!