This map detailed map of the southern portions of India, offers a detailed cartographic representation of southern India in the first half of the 19th centuries.
The map reflects the territorial boundaries and European settlements in India during the British colonial period. The map distinguishes territories using color-coded borders, which are explained in the legend. These include:
- Red for British possessions.
- Purple for the Rajah of Mysore.
- Green for the Mahratta Countries (Maratha Confederacy).
- Orange for The Nizam's Dominions (Hyderabad State).
- Yellow for The Rajah of Sittarra (likely the Satara Kingdom).
- Blue for Travancore (a princely state in southern India).
European settlements are marked in different parts of the map. For instance:
- French Settlements include Pondicherry, Karical, and Mahe.
- Dutch Settlements are marked at Policol, Pullicate, Sadras, and Porto Novo.
- Danish Settlements are noted in Tranquebar.
- Portuguese Settlements include Goa and its dependencies.
The strategic importance of these settlements is underscored by the presence of European powers in these coastal areas, often for trade purposes, competing with each other and the local kingdoms.
One of the notable features of this map is the mention of the route of British prisoners from Condapoor (also known as Kondapur) to Madras, following their capture during the conflicts with the Mysore Kingdom. This route is marked on the map and documented as the parallel line of dots. This reference is linked to the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784), during which British forces were captured by Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, and taken as prisoners. In March 1784, following the Treaty of Mangalore, these prisoners were released and returned along this route to Madras, which was then under British control.
The route is documented under the authority of Captain Wheeler, a British officer who was likely involved in either the transport or surveying of the area during the events surrounding the conflict. The Cavery (Cauvery) River, mentioned in another note, was also critical for the geographical layout and control in the region, acting as a natural boundary in southern India.
During the early 19th century, British India was characterized by both consolidation of territories and increasing dominance over rival European powers, as well as local princely states. The East India Company had steadily expanded its influence through a combination of military force and diplomatic treaties. By this time, it had control over large swathes of the Indian subcontinent, although independent kingdoms such as Mysore, Hyderabad, and the Maratha Confederacy remained in power, albeit under increasing pressure.
The map reflects British expansionist policies following the Anglo-Mysore Wars and Anglo-Maratha Wars, which weakened the local kingdoms and allowed the British to exert greater control. Key British settlements such as Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta served as administrative and military hubs that supported British dominance in trade and governance.
As the map notes, several European settlements were still active in southern India, although their influence had waned compared to that of the British. The French maintained control over enclaves like Pondicherry and Mahe, while the Dutch and Danes retained minor outposts such as Tranquebar and Pullicate. The Portuguese, among the earliest European powers in India, still held the vital region of Goa. These settlements were mainly coastal and focused on trade, with each European power maintaining a foothold in India’s lucrative markets.
James Wyld Sr. (1790-1836) was a British cartographer and one of Europe’s leading mapmakers. He made many contributions to cartography, including the introduction of lithography into map printing in 1812.
William Faden, another celebrated cartographer, passed down his mapmaking business to Wyld in 1823. The quality and quantity of Faden’s maps, combined with Wyld’s considerable skill, brought Wyld great prestige.
Wyld was named geographer to Kings George IV and William IV, as well as HRH the Duke of York. In 1825, he was elected an Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He was one of the founding members of the Royal Geographical Society in 1830. Also in 1830, his son, James Wyld Jr., took over his publishing house. Wyld Sr. died of overwork on October 14, 1836.
James Wyld Jr. (1812-87) was a renowned cartographer in his own right and he successfully carried on his father’s business. He gained the title of Geographer to the Queen and H.R.H. Prince Albert. Punch (1850) described him in humorous cartographic terms, “If Mr. Wyld’s brain should be ever discovered (we will be bound he has a Map of it inside his hat), we should like to have a peep at it, for we have a suspicion that the two hemispheres must be printed, varnished, and glazed, exactly like a pair of globes.”