Mapping an Empire: The Geographical Construction of British India, 1765-1843
Mapping an Empireis a marvelous manifestation of  the interconnectedness of things. On the one hand, it is a book  about a specific historical episode in which an unknown area was  mapped. Yet in the course of exploring this topic, Matthew Edney  touches on a huge variety of historical, cultural, political, and  scientific issues. As his opening sentence states,  "Imperialism and mapmaking intersect in the most basic  manner"; in order to "possess" or even comprehend a  territory, one must map it. As he investigates the century-long  British effort to "transform a land of incomprehensible  spectacle into an empire of knowledge," Edney examines the  philosophical and intellectual underpinnings of cartography, maps  as power politics, technical aspects of surveying, the arcane  operations and internal politics of the British East India  Company, and much more. The book is illustrated with beautifully  executed maps, charts, and tables, and is annotated with extensive  source notes, a bibliography, and an excellent index. Laypeople  may find parts ofMapping an Empiredense going, but their  perseverance will be rewarded by an illuminating cross- disciplinary study; students of cartography will likely find this  book invaluable.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.