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A foundational 18th-century map of India by the "father of Indian cartography", James Rennell, issued as a summary of his groundbreaking surveys on the Subcontinent.
The map provides excellent detail of the political boundaries in India at the end of the 18th century, as British colonial rule was strengthening. Dozens of regions and principalities are delineated.
The map features an illustration at the bottom right in which locals are seen addressing a personification of Britannia.
The map was published by Rennell, in London in 1782. The engraving of the cartography was done by J. Phillips, while the writing was engraved by W. Harrisson.
James Rennell
James Rennell (1742-1830) was a pioneering English geographer, historian, and oceanographer. He was responsible for the first approximately accurate map of India and published the Bengal Atlas (1779). Both works were important for British colonial interests in the Subcontinent.
Rennell is best known for his survey of India, the first scientific survey of the Subcontinent ever conducted. While serving in the Royal Navy from 1756 to '63, Rennell learned the skills of an expert colonial surveyor. He accompanied Alexander Dalrymple to the Philippines in 1762. Rennell joined the East India Company in India. He served as surveyor-general of Bengal (1764-77) and of Bihār and Orissa (1767-77). He left India in 1777, returning to London where he continued to work on geographical research and publishing until his death in 1830.
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