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C1800
A map of the peninsula of India from the 19th degr…
Detailed c.19th map of southern India based on the ground breaking surveys made by James Rennel, this is the 3rd edition dated 1800. The map extends from present day Mumbai to Sri Lanka. Within the title panel are details of … Read Full Description
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Details
Full Title:
A map of the peninsula of India from the 19th degree north latitude to Cape Comorin.
Date:
C1800
Condition:
In good condition.
Technique:
Hand coloured copper engraving.
Image Size:
815mm
x 985mm
Paper Size:
832mm
x 1035mm
AUTHENTICITY
Genuine antique
dated:
1800
Description:
Detailed c.19th map of southern India based on the ground breaking surveys made by James Rennel, this is the 3rd edition dated 1800. The map extends from present day Mumbai to Sri Lanka. Within the title panel are details of Britain’s colonial acquisitions and to the right is an explanation of the colouring.
Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 1641220 (Southern portion only)
David Rumsey Collection: List No: 2104.048
National Library Australia: Bib ID 1641220 (Southern portion only)
David Rumsey Collection: List No: 2104.048
James Rennell (1742 - 1830)
Rennell was an important figure in Indian mapping. In 1764, at the age of twenty one, Rennell was appointed surveyor-general of the East India Company's dominions in Bengal with a commission in the Bengal Engineers. He was promoted to Surveyor-General in 1767 by Major-General Robert Clive and was later employed by the first Governor-General of India, Warren Hastings. Hastings significantly increased the scope of the Indian surveying project and Rennell spent the next thirteen years surveying not only the geographical features of the continent but also gathering information about the region’s people, culture and property holdings, in order to support the collection of taxation. He retired from active service in 1777 and returned to England to work at East India House in London. He received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society in 1791 for his work on this monumental map of India.
View other items by James Rennell
William Faden (1750 - 1836)
Important English cartographer and publisher who served as the royal geographer to King George III. Born in 1749, he rose to become one of the most influential figures in the golden age of British mapmaking. His career began in earnest when he entered into a partnership with Thomas Jefferys, an established mapmaker who had fallen into financial difficulty. Following Jefferys' death in 1771, Faden took over the business and quickly built a reputation for precision and artistic quality.
He published a vast range of maps covering Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as specialized astronomical charts. His commitment to accuracy led him to incorporate the latest scientific surveys into his prints. He was particularly known for his involvement in the early stages of the Ordnance Survey, the national mapping agency of Great Britain. In 1801, Faden published the very first Ordnance Survey map, a detailed rendering of Kent that set a new standard for topographical excellence
As his career coincided with the American Revolutionary War, Faden became the primary source for the British public and government to understand the conflict, publishing numerous detailed battle plans and maps of North America. These works were often based on eyewitness accounts and surveys from British army engineers, making them some of the most accurate records of the era.
Faden’s influence extended into the administrative and royal spheres. His title as Geographer to the King, was not merely ceremonial; he provided the crown and the Admiralty with the geographic intelligence necessary for navigating a rapidly expanding empire. His workshop at Charing Cross in London became a hub for geographers, explorers, and military officers seeking the most reliable data available. He retired from the business in 1823, selling his extensive stock and plates to James Wyld, who had been his apprentice. Faden died in 1836, leaving behind a legacy of cartographic excellence that helped transition mapmaking from an interpretive art into a rigorous scientific discipline.
