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Maps and mapping of coastal region in historical times: a study with reference to the Indian coast

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Abstract

The significance of early coastal maps, from the 16th to the 20th century, as a crucial repository of geomorphological and archaeological data is increasingly being recognised, and their integration in scientific research is becoming more critical. Before using early maps as a means of exploring historical information, it is imperative to examine their historical context and investigate inquiries such as: How was the coastline of a particular region perceived and mapped since ancient times? When did the rigorous and most accurate mapping of that coast begin? Who were the pioneer and prime historical cartographers who surveyed and mapped that region? Which country did they belong to? How did cartographic techniques evolve in historical times? The present paper addresses these questions in the context of the Indian coast and identifies some of the important cartographers and their atlases. The information provided also sheds light on the efforts made by Portuguese, Dutch, British, French, and Danish cartographers to map the Indian coastline, with a particular focus on areas where they had significant interests. The paper serves as a helpful reference for conducting archival work on historical textual and cartographic records of coastal India.

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Fig. 1

(source: Bunbury 1883)

Fig. 2

(Source: Braun and Hogenberg 1572, After an unidentified Portuguese manuscript)

Fig. 3

(Source: Albernaz et al. 1630)

Fig. 4
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Fig. 8

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Notes

  1. The word portolan is derived from portolano or portulano which refers to an Italian pilot book with sailing directions, notes on coastal geomorphology and navigational hazards (Vincent 2007; Blake John 2004).

  2. It was necessary to observe an eclipse of the moon or celestial body simultaneously from different places to obtain exact longitudinal distances between them, which was very difficult to acquire in those days (Aujac 1987).

  3. Rhumb-line is an imaginary line that intersects all the meridians at the same constant angle on the globe, as a straight line on the map (with Mercator’s projection).

  4. The most common view is that the network of lines in the early sea charts was wind-roses where directions were referred to the prevailing winds until the magnetic compass came into use. After the introduction of the magnetic compass, such networks were understood as compass-rose.

  5. Dead-reckoning refers to a method to estimate the position in terms of the direction and distance travelled.

  6. Jan Huygen van Linschoten was a Dutch man; while working in Lisbon got an appointment for a post of accountant under the Portuguese Archbishop of Goa in 1583.

  7. This information is based on a search in the online map portal- Atlas of Mutual Heritage (www.atlasofmutualheritage.nl/en), accessed on 16 Sep 2020. This website has 330 images from Van der Hem’s Atlas.

  8. Captain James Lancaster sailed around the Cape of Good Hope to India in 1591-94 and exposed the rich potential of the spice trade in the East in his country (Shngreiyo 2017).

  9. The title ‘Hydrographer to the East India Company’ was first used by Dalrymple for his newly appointed position, though this position was never found in the Company’s salary book (Cook 1993). He was simultaneously serving as Hydrographer to the Admiralty.

  10. https://hydrobharat.gov.in/home/brief-history/ (Retrieved on 7th April 2023).

  11. Bourcet was the Chief French military engineer and chief of fortification in Pondicherry, the headquarter of French East India Company.

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Acknowledgements

The work presented here is a part of my doctoral thesis. I express deep gratitude to my supervisor Dr M B Rajani, for her constant support and guidance. I thank Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, NIAS, for the institutional support and encouragement. I am grateful to Nehru Trust for providing the fellowship to conduct archival work in the United Kingdom for three months. Special thanks to all map curators and supporting staff at various archives and libraries in India and the UK, where I conducted the archival work.

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  1. Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, India

    Ekta Gupta

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Gupta, E. Maps and mapping of coastal region in historical times: a study with reference to the Indian coast. J Coast Conserv 27, 19 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-023-00949-9

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