Cartography of the Indian Subcontinent, 1880s

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This map is titled "INDIA," and it provides a detailed view of the Indian subcontinent with various inset maps that … Read more This map is titled "INDIA," and it provides a detailed view of the Indian subcontinent with various inset maps that offer additional historical and geographical context. The main map displays the Indian subcontinent with regions labeled in Latin, indicative of the territories as known in ancient and classical times.

The map features: 1. **Geographical Features**: The Himalayas, the extensive river systems including the Ganges and Indus, and the outline of the subcontinent with its peninsular south. 2. **Political Divisions**: It might show ancient political divisions such as the Maurya and Gupta empires or regions under control of various dynasties and states before European colonization. 3. **Inset Maps**: These provide close-ups of significant regions or areas with historical importance, such as the Ganges river valley or trade routes. 4. **Historical Routes**: The map could include ancient trade routes like the Silk Road and maritime paths used by traders to reach Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. 5. **Latin Labels**: Following the convention of the time it was created, the map uses Latin for place names, which aligns with its educational and scholarly purposes. 6. **Topographical Details**: Mountain ranges, plateaus, and coastal lines are depicted, showing the diverse topography of India. This map is from the "Spruner-Menke Atlas Antiquus". The time period the map represents could span from the ancient Vedic period through successive empires like the Mauryan and Gupta empires up to the medieval period, reflecting the knowledge of India available to European scholars in the 19th century. This map would be of particular interest to historians of ancient India and those studying the historical geography of the subcontinent. See less