Coromandel Coast

The finest printed map showcasing the 18th Century theatre of war in the Carnatic and along the Coromandel Coast, a unique example distinguishing Hyder Ali’s domains in manuscript.

This magnificent composition focuses on a large map embracing the Coromandel Coast and the Carnatic, from Pulicat, in the north, all the way down south to Cape Comorin, as it appeared during the era running from the Third Carnatic War to the First Anglo-Mysore War, during the 1750s and 1760s. These conflicts involved the EIC and the Nawab of the Carnatic, on one side, versus, at various times, France and the Sultanate of Mysore on the other.

This main map is based on a manuscript by the military engineer Jean Bourcet and features all cities, villages, forts, major temples, roads, rivers and territorial boundaries in exacting detail. Every major battle site is marked with the symbol of crossed swords, including the date and names of the relevant French commander, employing letters as symbols to mark the outcome of each battle: ‘G’ means ‘Gagner’ (a French win), ‘P’ makes ‘Perdue’ (a French loss), ‘C’ ‘Canonade’ (a draw), ‘CR’ ‘Canonade avec un Retraite’ (a draw followed by a French retreat), while three naval battles are noted off shore.

The panels along the sides and lower part of the map contain 19 cartographic vignettes of key locations in the wars fought in the region. These are based on a series of manuscript maps made in 1777 and 1778 by Louis Marc-Antoine de Valory and Louis François Grégoire Lafitte du Brassier, French officers who were separately engaged in reconnaissance and espionage missions in various parts of Southern India.

This unique example features the territory of Mysore, ruled by Hyder Ali, coloured in a pink wash, labeled in manuscript as “Etats de Ayder Aly Kan”.