The European colonisation on the Indian subcontinent started with the intention of trading and establishing a trade monopoly over the Indian waters. But as time passed by, these trading intentions turned up into colonies and factories were converted into garrisons for storing armed troops. But even before the British and the French, there was a rising threat of the Portuguese and the Dutch on both the coasts of India - the Coromandel and the Malabar. Adding to this, when the Europeans arrived on the subcontinent, the gigantic Mughal Empire was having its last able ruler, Aurangzeb, after which the empire collapsed into autonomous confederations, something that happens to every empire. The Marathas were a confederacy at this point and individual clans had occupied the subcontinent into various pockets. But turning our clock to the 1720s, just before there was any clash between the Europeans and natives. This post shall discuss the European trade centres during this time and how India was mapped by the Europeans in that era.
With sea routes well-established, every European colonist wanted to have a share of India, and thus various East India Companies were formed. The Dutch had their strongholds in the East Indies, and the Portuguese were winning consecutive naval wars against a combined alliance of the Ottomans with various other Sultanates. The neighbouring empires of India were the mighty Qing Dynasty of China in the north, a short-lived Hotak dynasty of the Afghans in the west, the Kandian Empire of Sri Lanka (or Ceylon) in the south and the Burmese Toungoo dynasty in the east.
Multiple sources would list down the names of all the early European factories in India. But this post shall decipher a French map dating 1723, originally designed by Guillaume de l'Isle (1675 - 1726), with the spellings and names as per the then map. The map shall focus only on the Dakhan (or Deccan) region as that was where the factories were set up. Listing down the names of all the kingdoms existing that time in Deccan:
Royaume de Visapour (Bijapur)
Numerous interesting places are marked in this region, with certain names totally unfamiliar. Major towns such as Bombaim (Mumbai; English), Chaoul (Chaul; Raigad district; Portuguese) Dabour (Dabul / Dabhol; Ratnagiri district), Atteny (Huttany / Athani; Belgaum, Karnataka), Isselanpour (Islampoor, / Uran Islampur; Sangli district, Maharashtra) Rajapour (Rajpoor / Rajapur; Ratnagiri district), Balouva (Bolawah / Walwa, Sangli district), Banda (in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra), Ditaulli (Baicholee / Bicholi, Goa), Ponda (in Goa), Visapour (Bijapur, Karnataka), Omguerry, Vingrela (Vengurla, in Sindhudurg district; Dutch) etc. can be found. This is the time when Goa was still in its infant stage and was yet to expand as it is today. Rivers such as Mandoa (Malpurba / Malaprabha), Helevacko, Korstena (Krishna), Bate and Pasme would flow through this region.
Royaume de Golconde (Golconda)
The city of Hyderabad was yet to be found on this map and instead, one would locate the name Bagnagar (Bhagyanagar / Hyderabad) or Golconde (Golconda) as the capital of the kingdom. Masulipatam (Machilipatnam; French, English, Dutch), Bezoara (Bezwada / Vijayawada), Petapoli (Pettah Polly / Peddapalli / Nizampatnam), Dantela (Danthelaboru; Khammam district, Telangana), Penguetchpoul (Palwancha; Khammam district) etc. would be other important sites. Rivers such as Mousy (Mussy / Musi), Quachgna and Corstena would flow this land. Interestingly, one would find a Ganga river on the northern border of Golconda, which is actually denoting today's Godavari. Golconda's border would also mark the end of the Mughal Sultanate in the Deccan.
Royaume de Canara, Malabar etat du Samorin, Etat de Travancor
From Ancola (Ankola; Uttara Kannada district) to Mangallor (Koryal / Mangalore), the smaller kingdom of Canara had trade posts such as Mirzeou, Cananor (Cannanore / Kannur; Dutch), Barcelor (Basrur; Udupi district), Onor (Honnavar; Uttara Kannada; Dutch), and other settlements such as Mores Fort, Baquinor, Batecala (Betkul / Bhatkal; Uttara Kannada), Bednour (Bidanoor / Hydernagar / Nagara; Shivamogga district) etc. The Samorins are also known famously as the Zamorins of Calicut and sea-ports such as Cranganor (Cranganore / Kodungallur; Thrissur district; Dutch), Calicut (Kozhikode; English) Tenecdohor, Tanor (Tanur; Malappuram district), Cochin (Kochi; Dutch), St. Andre (St. Andrew's Basilica; Alappuzha district), Porca (Purakkad; Alappuzha district; Dutch), Fort Holland de Coilan (Quilon / Kollam; Dutch), etc. would be seen. The last tip of the Malabar - Travancore had a Dutch factory at Tangapatan (Tengaya Patnam / Thengapattanam; Kanyakumari district; Dutch).
Royaume de Madure (Madurai)
Madurai wasn't just a city but a kingdom that existed on almost every map of this era. Important sites such as Trichirapali (Trichinopoly / Tiruchirappalli), Madure (Madurai), Tutucurin (Tuticorin / Thoothukudi) and the Dutch settlements of Pumicael (Punicale / Punicoil / Punnaikayal; Thoothukudi district; Dutch), Tristendorey (Tricandore / Tiruchendur; Thoothukudi district; Dutch), Celipatan (Kayalpatnam; Thoothukudi district; Dutch), Manaparey (Manapparai; Tiruchirappalli district) and Manapar (Manapad; Thoothukudi district; Dutch) could be seen.
Le Marava
A tiny pocket adjacent to Rameshwaram was Marava, separated by Vaighei (Vaygaroo / Vaigai) River and opening to Ramanadaburam (Ramnadabad / Ramanathapuram) and Pagode de Ramanancor (Ramisseram / Rameshwaram) to Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Royaume de Tanjaour (Tanjore)
A Maratha kingdom in the Tamil heartland, Tanjore battled between the rising Nawabs of Carnatic with Trichirapali (Thiruchirappalli)being their most attacked target. And it was Tanjore where almost every European had their trade factories, including the Danes. Negapatam (Nagapattinam; Dutch), Tranquebar (Tharangambadi; Mayiladuthurai district; Danish), Caveripatan being others.
Royaume de Gingi (Jinji)
Similar to Tanjore, Gingi also finds its place in the Maratha history of the Tamil region and it was here where the French would be the most influential with the establishment of Pondichery (Puducherry; French). Fort St. David (in Cuddalore district; English), Goudelour (Cuddalore; English), Chilanbaran (Chidambaram; Cuddalore district) Porto Novo (Parangipettai; Cuddalore district; Dutch) and Trevenepatan would constantly be under the radar of several European skirmishes.
Royaume du Carnate (Carnatic / Karnatik)
Synonym to Vijayanagar or Bisnagar (Vijayanagara / Hampi) (Chandegry / Chandragiri; Chittoor district), the territory would have the next to-be metropolis of south India - Madras (Chennai; English) or Fort St. George (English). St. Thomas (Santhome; Chennai district) would be in gamble between the Portuguese and the English and would be a source of the attack to the Europeans by the native rulers. It's interesting to note that the current location of Hampi (or Vijayanagara) is in the Vijayanagara district of Karnataka, while Chandragiri is in Chittoor district. Both are separated by today's Chitradurga and Anantapur districts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh respectively, but still, on this map, both the names are placed as synonyms. Other important settlements would be Sadraspatan (Sadurangapattinam / Sadras; Chengalpattu district), Vellour (Vellore), Tripalour, Cangivouran (Kanchipuram), Nelour (Nellore), Gandicote, (Gandikota; Kadapa district; Andhra Pradesh), Paliacate (Pulicat / Pazhaverkadu; Thiruvallur district; Dutch), Tripiti (Tripanté / Tirupati) etc.
Les Laquedives / Isles de Mamalé (Lakshadweep)
The neighbouring territories to Concan (Konkan) in the north were Baglana and Balagate (Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh), while Talingas (Telinga; the root word for Telangana state) consisted of the western frontiers of Golconda. Towards the far east, the eastern borders of Golconda would touch the kingdoms of Cracola (Cicacole / Srikakulam) and Orixa (Orissa / Odisha) consisting of the English factory at Visigapatan (Vizag / Visakhapatnam; English). It's noteworthy that although Balaghat today is a smaller district under the Jabalpur division, bordering Maharashtra's Gondia and Bhandara districts to the south and Chhattisgarh's Raj Nandgaon district in the east, colonial maps show Balagate as a large territory stretching from Aurangabad to the Godavari river in the west. What is even more interesting is, that the River Godavari is mentioned as Ganga which is different from the northern river of Ganges.
Of course, the above list is incomplete as there were plenty more sea-ports and harbours having various European factories. The names got much clearer pronunciation with time and today most of these places are tier-2 cities. Ending this description of the water bodies, the usual Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal are mentioned and the coasts of Malabar, Coromandel and Gulf of Mannar (mentioned as Côte de la Pêcherie) are denoted as well.
The Mughal Emperor at this time was Roshan Akhtar Bahadur, also known as Muhammad Shah, who ruled the empire between 1719 to 1748.
The map here is a recreation of the original 18th-century map.
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