'India Through Iconic Maps': A Map Odyssey Through the Sea, Seafarers, Battles, and Unforgettable Wars

What is always unique about exhibitions of old maps is that they provide a direct route to the geography of a bygone era that can never be distorted. Such is what a reader feels while browsing through 'India Through Iconic Maps' (Roli Books), which presents over 250 exquisite maps; this time, however, the reader can easily sense how it is something that may never have been published before.

Released a few months ago, the book holds particular significance at a time when India has been dealing with several long-standing territorial disputes with some of its neighbours. In recent times, various disagreements have persisted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), concerning Aksai Chin—which is claimed by India and administered by China—along with Arunachal Pradesh, often claimed by China as “South Tibet” but administered by India.

Moreover, China’s 2023 “standard map”, which claimed these areas along with Taiwan and the South China Sea, has been strongly rejected by India, as well as by other countries.

The journey in the book covers the rich history of the Indian subcontinent, taking into account ancient cosmographies, such as the imaginative renderings of Jain and Buddhist cosmographs. It then moves on to hand-drawn maps by Gujarati seafarers, offering an important glimpse into this odyssey.

The authors, including heritage professional Deepti Anand, archivist-curator Sanghamitra Chatterjee, and contributing author Juhi Valia, have divided the book into five sections. The book explores early interpretations and understandings of the world, and within this section, the cosmographies come vividly alive.

The maps in this section also highlight how Europeans set up settlements along Goa’s coast and in Calicut in historical India, dating back to 2500 BC. From here, the book moves to Bombay and examines how maps of Pondicherry were drawn following the arrival of the French. Alongside this, the 'Plan of the Battle of Plassey', fought on 23 June 1757, is included, detailing territories from Jodhpur to Odisha.

Several sections also trace the fortifications built by the Marathas against the Mughals and the British, leading up to the 1947 Partition and spanning many centuries. The second section, titled The Quest of Explorers, covers the 13th to 16th centuries, mapping the sea routes to India, while the third section allows readers and observers to understand how Europe connects with India.

For the South Asian history and the information seekers, the book has an edge with the maps that share the importance of the places and the identities. The book, hence, is also a reminder that map-making is a difficult art to be publicised and widely disseminated.

The authors have also attempted to keep the vocabulary for the maps descriptive. However, the pricing of the book listed as Rs. 30,000 is enough for readers to be apprehensive for ttowards checking it out. 

For the history buffs and collectors, the book can surely be a gem, one not to be missed.