About this Item
Very good. Map dissected and laid on linen. Size 20.75 x 34.5 Inches. This is a rare 1892 large-format dissected folding map of Nepal and nearby territories produced by the Survey of India. It is the first edition of the most complete and accurate 19th-century survey of Nepal, far exceeding earlier maps in detail and comprehensiveness. Produced during a period of inter-imperial competition in the Himalayas, this map is a product of equal parts espionage and exploration. A Closer Look The map covers Nepal and portions of surrounding territories in great detail, showing major and minor roads, railways, rivers, lakes, monasteries, temples, bazaars, hot springs, a toll house near the Nepal-Tibet border, and, of course, mountains, with elevations noted. A dashed line marked 'approximate boundary' runs northwest to southeast across the top half of the map, right through Mount Everest, foreshadowing subsequent territorial and border disputes in the Himalayas. Historical Context The expansion of British influence into the region is clear, as several conquered territories surrounding Nepal were later incorporated into the system of protectorates and associations that defined Company Rule in India. Railways, both extant and proposed, are indicated, showing the extent of their reach through northern India, to the foothills of the Himalayas, and to Darjeeling, which had been reached by a narrow (2 foot or 600 mm) gauge railway less than a decade prior. The compilation of this map by T. H. Holdich and his team was a major undertaking in its own right, merging maps from multiple sources on different scales and incorporating new intelligence. The confidential box at bottom suggests that this map was considered both valuable and secret, to be used only by top-level officials and then returned to Survey of India offices. Imperial Competition in the Himalayas Under the Shah Dynasty, which consolidated power in the 18th century, the Gorkha Kingdom became a major military and economic force in the Himalayas, bringing it into conflict with neighboring states, including Tibet, a protectorate of the Qing. In 1788, the Gorkha Kingdom invaded Tibet following disputes over trade and territory. The Nepalese were initially successful but later were forced to retreat in the face of a Qing counter-attack. Qing troops, in turn, found it difficult to advance into Gorkha territory, and a peace was eventually signed, making Nepal a Qing tributary. Nonetheless, increasing British influence in the Himalayas in the 19th century broke these ties. Although the invasion of Tibet was turned back, wars with other nearby states like Garhwal and Sikkim were more successful. Gorkha territory extended considerably to the west, east, and south, bumping into the British East India Company's ever-expanding interests in South Asia. The Anglo-Nepalese War (1814 - 1816) pitted Nepal against the East India Company and its Indian allies, some of which were occupied or threatened by the Gorkhas. After fierce fighting, Nepal agreed to a peace whereby it lost most of its recent territorial gains in exchange for autonomy from the British. In 1855, tensions between Nepal and Tibet brewed again, when Qing China was too preoccupied with several existential crises to become directly involved. Secure in good relations if not outright support from the British, Nepal invaded Tibet, but the fighting was costly and inconclusive, with the border town of Kuti (or Nilam Jong, today Nyalam) changing hands several times. Although a treaty was signed laying out grievances and proposing solutions to long-standing trade, territorial, and religious disputes, little was changed by the war. By this time, outside powers were becoming interested in the Himalayas, and tensions between Tibet and Nepal became a proxy for wider struggles between Britain, Russia, and China in Inner Asia. Although under the Rana dynasty (1846 - 1951) Nepal was strictly isolationist, it came to endorse the British presence in So.
Seller Inventory # Nepal-surveyofindia-1892
Contact seller
Report this item
