Travels In India: Jean-Baptiste Travernier (Vol. 1)

Travels in India (Volume 1 and 2) by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier stands as one of the most significant historical accounts of the pre-modern world. Between 1632 and 1668, Tavernier made six journeys from Europe to various parts of Asia, including present-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Indonesia. A trader in precious gems and, by some accounts, a physician, Tavernier was one of the foremost European travelers to the ‘East’. His observations, often cited by historians, scholars and writers, provide invaluable insights into the period. Tavernier first published his writings in French in 1676. The first scholarly English edition, complete with translation, notes and a biographical sketch of Tavernier by Dr. Valentine Ball (1843-1895), a British civil servant with the Indian Geological Service, appeared in 1889. This present edition, published in 1925, is the second English edition, edited by William Crooke. It builds upon Ball’s original translation, incorporating corrections based on subsequent developments in Indian studies. The chronicle offers a rare glimpse into pre-modern India through the eyes of a foreigner. It describes bustling trading centres, vibrant markets, towns and the courts of the time, making it an essential primary source for understanding the historical landscape of the Indian subcontinent during the seventeenth century.