Spying for the Raj: The Pundits and the Mapping of the Himalaya - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

An exceptional copy; fine in an equally fine dw. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered. Literally as new.; 206 pages; Physical description. : xii, 206 p. , [16] p. Of plates : ill. , maps, ports. ; 24 cm. Subject: Brahmans - India - History - 19th century. Intelligence service - India - History - 19th century. Spies - India - History - 19th century. Espionage - India - History - 19th century. Himalaya Mountains - Discovery and exploration - British. India - History - British occupation, 1765-1947. Himalaya Mountains - Surveys - History - 19th century. Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-198) and index. Summary: A pundit (or pandit) is a Hindu Brahmin who has memorised a substantial portion of the Hindu scriptures. In the second half of the nineteenth century, however, the term was used to denote native surveyors, who explored regions to the north of India for the British Raj. The British initially sent army officers to map these countries, but the task was fraught with danger. In the 1860s, Captain Thomas Montgomerie realised that the solution was to train natives from Indian border states to be surveyors, and have them explore the region covertly. These men, known as pundits, were disguised as traders or lamas (holy men). This is the first book devoted to these servants of the Raj who managed to map the Himalayas, Tibet and surrounding areas with remarkable precision, thereby helping the British to consolidate their rule in the Indian sub-continent.

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