Bombay & C.

Circa 1860s

Steel engraving on paper

Print size: 17 x 12 in (43 x 30.5 cm)
Sheet size: 19 x 14.25 in (48 x 36 cm)

Mapping British India: Bombay and the Subcontinent in the Age of Imperial Consolidation

This finely engraved map of India, with particular emphasis on the Bombay Presidency, was produced by Edward Weller. It reflects the mature phase of British imperial cartography, in which geographical knowledge, political administration, and military intelligence were synthesised into authoritative visual form.

The map delineates the subcontinent through a dense network of districts, princely states, presidencies, and political boundaries, distinguished by careful hand-colouring. The Bombay Presidency is prominently articulated along the western seaboard, extending inland across the Deccan plateau, while adjoining territories are defined with equal precision. Major rivers, mountain ranges—including the Western Ghats—roads, and settlements are systematically plotted, presenting India as a fully surveyed and governable imperial space.

Produced during a period of administrative reorganisation following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the map exemplifies how cartography functioned as an instrument of governance. Weller’s work combines technical clarity with institutional authority, translating complex territorial relationships into a legible political geography for officials, scholars, and educated readers in Britain.

This map occupies a significant place within the visual culture of empire, bridging descriptive geography and administrative documentation. Well-preserved examples are increasingly sought after for their historical resonance, precision, and association with one of the most important illustrated surveys of nineteenth-century British India.

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