TOD, James.

£4,750 · Offered by Peter Harrington · No longer available

Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajpoot States of India. First Calcutta edition of "the first systematic introduction of the Rajputs to the European world" (Freitag, Serving Empire, Serving Nation, p. 25). This copy designated the second on the title page. It is, in fact, second Indian edition based on the text of the 1829-32 Smith, Elder & Co. first. The plates were adapted from those in the London edition by local engravers. Scarce, Library Hub shows a single set at Bateman's, Kiplings home, and a defective copy of volume II in BL, WorldCat has the latter only. A British solider with the East India Company from 1799 to 1822, and from 1818 the Resident in the courts of Rajput. During his time "he was constantly surveying or collecting topographical information" (ODNB). He also gathered materials from local archives, Rajput traditional sources, and local surveyors, whom he paid to travel and conduct interviews. On his return to England, "the rest of his life was mostly spent in arranging and publishing the immense mass of materials accumulated during his Indian career" (ODNB). The resulting two volumes are an extensive survey of the history, beliefs and topography of Rajasthan. He gave a simple justification for his work: "I have fulfilled what I considered to be a sacred obligation to the races amongst whom I have passed the majority of my life... I am far less eager to court [public] approbation, than to awaken a sympathy for the objects of m

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