Pre-Cantonment Bangalore
We have attempted to draw some inferences pertaining to Bangalore’s environment and its economy at the turn of the nineteenth century, the eve of “Cantonment Bangalore” from various archival sources. An important source on the landscapes in and around Bangalore is Francis Buchanan’s Journey. Another interesting source were the sketches by Home in his “Select […]
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Shipbuilding in Beypore
“Vaya-pura was originally called north Parupa-nada (now, Beypore). It is a small town, containing 120 houses of all casts, and has hardly any trade. The situation is most beautiful, on the north side of a river, where it enters the sea. Within, the river has deep water; but, like all those on the coast, has […]
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The Great Divergence Debate
India’s position in the Great Divergence debate has remained tentative due to scanty data availability for the medieval and early modern periods. In the years 1800-01, Dr. Francis Buchanan conducted one of the first agricultural surveys in the erstwhile state of Mysore and its adjoining regions. His Journey contains a wealth of information, both quantitative […]
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History Tomorrow
The colour of the times is changing. The accelerating pace of technological, economic and social change is transforming livelihoods and landscapes; many face a danger of disappearing altogether in the not-so-distant future. We do not think it appropriate to make a normative judgment on whether this change is socially good or bad. However, we do […]
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Iron and Steel Smelting
One of our most important findings from Buchanan’s Journey relate to iron and steel smelting in erstwhile Mysore. Very few people understand that the Maidan or the vast open stretches (Bayalu Seeme) of the Deccan Plateau was the hot-bead of industrial activity; smelting iron and steel for the large-scale manufacture of weapons. Although history speaks […]
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