Indian Antiquary Vol 41

SR No.: 032533
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 320
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 39 MB

Page 301

MISCELLANEA
DECEMBER, 1912.)
297
MAP3 AND ATLASES OF INDIA.
A. K. Johnston, 1894. The volume measures 12 THAT We have no recent Atlas or Map of by 8t inches and the maps 9 by 12 inobes within India on & scale sufficiently large to be rendily the borders, providing for a scule of 1 to 3,225,000 useful in locating most places mentioned in or 509 miles to an inch. This larger sonlu gives history and tho daily newspapers is somewhat about twice the area for the same number of atrange. There are small maps, as accurate and names as in the preceding, and district boundaries full as the best cartographers can produce, but are well defined. The fourteen principal map on scales too small to afford satisfactory ideas of (omitting the Index map and the plans of cities) distances and areas, or to include hundreds of are not simply 'sections of country, but repreplaces to which reference may be required. sent separate provinces and groups of adjoining
Among those of recent date, " Thacker's states. Reduced Survey Map of India," edited by Following this was the Map of the Indian Dr. J. G. Bartholomew, was issued in 1891. The Empire ' by the late E. G. Ravenstein, on a scale sheet measures 30 by 36 inches and is also of 1 to 5,000,000 or an inch to 79 miles nearly, available in folded form with an Index to the ten and was published by G. Philip and Sons. The thousand names appearing on it and representing sheet, with insets, measured 33 by 39 inches, and every place mentioned in the second edition of was fiuely engraved, the number of towns and the "Imperial Gazetteer of India" (1885-87). It villnges entered being considerable. The same is a fine piece of cartography to a scale of 69 publishers also insued. Philips 'Gazetteer of India miles or one degree of latitude to an inch; but (1900) by E. G. Ravenstein, containing a list of the crow.ling of so many times in so omalla abuut 13,500 names of towns, villages, railway space requires so minute etching that it often station18, Valleye, bills, tahsils, etc., with the strains the eye to locate and read them. If we approximate geographical positions only to tenths reduce the map of England to the same scale, it of a degree. This Gazetteer,' we are told was measures only 6 inches by 5, and how many of the intended as a companion to the Allas of India." place names could be entered upon it in legible Butbis prujected Atlas was given up. This map script? But much of India is more densely bas quite recently been re-issued in two sheets populated even thau England; hence the inade. with ludex of about 4,000 place names in folding quacy of so small a scale for a clear and satisfuc- case, as one of Messrs. Pbilips' Travelling Maps. tory innp of India, yet this is one of the best
Tae new edition of the "Imperial Gazetteer" of the kind published.
was naturally expected to be accompinied by an Constable's Hand-Atlas of India", published Alla planne on a scale more adapted to the area 1893, together with some forty-two small maps of so populous a territory. Sir W. W. Hunter's of physical, ethnological, meteorological and other "Statistical Account of Bengal" was accomfeatures, and plans of towns, prepared by Dr.1 panied by nineteen district mape-some of Bartholomew, give the foregoing map in eighteen double size-on a uniform scale of ld miles to an sections, together with the Index adapted to inch. As many maps on hall the scale would them. These sectional maps mensure little over have supplied an atlas of all India, showing most
by 8 inches each, so that, on the scale of by towns of importance or historical interest. But miles to an inch, each of them represents an area instead of such a boon, and simply to make the of about 560 by 420 miles, or 235,000 square miles. Atlis range in beigbt with the octavo volumes an area that would include the maps of both
of the Gazetteer, the eighteen provincial maps are England and Ireland on the like scale. This
on a scale of 63.1 miles to un inch or one to volune is so compact and full of valuable details
4.000,000 and measure only 9 by 71 inches. To that it is the best as yet available to the studeut;
Avoid overcrowding, the names on these eighteen and the Hand Gazetteer of the same publishers
and a map of Afghanistan are reduced to scarcely supplies the geographical positions of over seven
,700,-or haruly two thirds of the number in teen thousand place-naines.
the Gazetteer. With the twenty-eight small In the "xxth Orntury Citizen's Atlas", the same
physical and other general maps and sixteen map is again utilized in three sections and a
plane of towns, no fault is found they are map of Further India, each map measuring 16 by
admirably executed and serve their various pur 12 inches.
poses instructively. It is the general maps that An Atlas of India" containing sixteen maps are altogether disappointing. As map of and an Iudex of nearly ten thousand names England on this srule would measure 65 by 51 appearing on the maps, with an Introduction by inches and proportionately might contain only Sir W. W. Hunter, was next published by W. and about 200 place names, it would be comparatively