Westward Bound: Travels of Mirza Asbu Taleb

$36
Item Code: IDF359
Author: Mushirul Hasan
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New Delhi
Language: English
Edition: 2005
ISBN: 0195666046
Pages: 383
Cover: Hardcover
Other Details 8.4" X 5.8"
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
23 years in business
23 years in business
Book Description
From the Jacket :

India's contact with the West grew with colonization as more and more people turned towards Europe with varying degrees of admiration, fear, and respect. Mirza Abu Taleb Khan, the erudite eighteenth-century scholar from Lucknow (1752-1806) was one of the first among his community to have made the journey to the West.

Compelled by political intrigue and other adverse circumstances at home, Abu Taleb set sail from Calcutta in 1799, reaching England after a difficult journey on the high seas. Greatly impressed by the governmental, economic, and artistic achievements of late eighteenth-century England, he also recorded his impressions of what he saw and experienced in France, Genoa, Malta, Turkey, and Baghdad. After traveling far and wide for four-and-a-half years, he returned home, via Bombay, in 1803.

Abu Taleb's travelogue, a singularly important work, sheds light on the national customs and manners of Europeans, often corroborating the evidence offered by present-day social historians. His vision and understanding of cultural streams in the East and West add credibility to his writing. His observations also help to provide an alternative viewpoint on the encounter between Pax Brittanica and the sharif families of North India.

At a time when there is much talk of developing a wider and more truthful vision of the West, Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb illustrates a non-Western representation of the West, thereby enhancing its contemporary relevance.

Abu Taleb's chef d'oeuvre is his Masir-I-Talibi fi Bilad-I Afrang. The Persian original was edited and published by his son, Mirza Husain Ali, in 1812. An English translation of the work by Charles Stewart, under the title The Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa and Europe during the years 1799, 1800, 1801, 1802 and 1803, was published in 1810.

About the Author :

This new edition is enriched by an introduction and annotations by Mushirul Hasan who has introduced and edited a number of other printed texts, including My Life: A Fragment by Mohamed Ali; Inside India by Halide Edib; Zaka Ullah of Delhi by C.F. Andrews(with Margrit Pernau); and Regionalizing Panlslamism: Documents on the Khilafat Movement (with Margrit Pernau).

Excerpts From Reviews :

'The first time the genuine opinions of an Asiatic, respecting the institutions of Europe, have appeared in the English language.'

- Charles Stewart, first translator of the Persian version.

'From my first setting out on this journey, till my arrival in England I ascended the pinnacle of magnificence and luxury; the several degrees or stages of which were Calcutta, the Cape, Cork, Dublin and London: the beauty and grandeur of each city effacing that of the former. On my return towards India everything was reversed, the last place being always inferior to that I had quitted. Thus, after a long residence in London, Paris appeared to me much inferior.

I may perhaps be accused of personal vanity by saying that my society was courted, and that my wit and repartees, with some impromptu applications of Oriental poetry, were the subject of conversation in the politest circles.

Like the Arab tribes, they [the English] forsake the cities during the summer season, and seek, in the fresh and wholesome air of the country, a supply of health and vigour for the ensuring winter.

In short, the English carry their passion for mechanics to such an extent, that machinery is introduced into their kitchens and a very complete engine is used even to roast a chicken.'

- Mirza Abu Taleb Khan

CONTENTS

Editor's Prefacevii
Editor's Introductionx
Translator's Prefacexxxiii
Translator's Introductionxxxv
1.From Awadh to Calcutta1
2.The journey begins7
3.Land ahoy! Nicobar Islands11
4.The first taste of Africa21
5.England, here we come!29
6.Detour to Ireland36
7.Experience in Dublin42
8.And the Irish42
9.Ode to London52
10.Negotiating with people and culture71
11.From Architecture to taverns and clubs87
12.Arts and Sciences95
13.Trade and Industry102
14.Everybody loves a good life109
15.Government116
16.The East India Company129
17.Courts of Law135
18.The Economy: Perceptions and Contacts141
19.Social and Personal144
20.Virtues of the English155
21.Journey to the Continent161
22.Battles at home and abroad169
23.Paris, the city unfolded176
24.The French Encounters185
25.To Lyons191
26.And on to Genoa199
27.Voyage to Malta, to Dardanelles206
28.Constantinople215
29.The Crescent in Turkey226
30.Onward to Amasia234
31.The Kurd country243
32.Baghdad251
33.Pilgrimage to Karbala and Najaf259
34.Voyage on the Tigris266
35.Busra274
36.The Last Salute282
Appendices290
Biographical Notes305
Names of Places322
Glossary329
List of Events334
Index337

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q. What locations do you deliver to ?
    A. Exotic India delivers orders to all countries having diplomatic relations with India.
  • Q. Do you offer free shipping ?
    A. Exotic India offers free shipping on all orders of value of $30 USD or more.
  • Q. Can I return the book?
    A. All returns must be postmarked within seven (7) days of the delivery date. All returned items must be in new and unused condition, with all original tags and labels attached. To know more please view our return policy
  • Q. Do you offer express shipping ?
    A. Yes, we do have a chargeable express shipping facility available. You can select express shipping while checking out on the website.
  • Q. I accidentally entered wrong delivery address, can I change the address ?
    A. Delivery addresses can only be changed only incase the order has not been shipped yet. Incase of an address change, you can reach us at [email protected]
  • Q. How do I track my order ?
    A. You can track your orders simply entering your order number through here or through your past orders if you are signed in on the website.
  • Q. How can I cancel an order ?
    A. An order can only be cancelled if it has not been shipped. To cancel an order, kindly reach out to us through [email protected].
Add a review
Have A Question

For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy

Book Categories