In the late 18th-century, Peshwa Madhavrao commissioned a map of the colonial city of Bombay. The map, like many others made in the early modern era, is an illustrated representation of the space, rather than a measured drawing of the region. The map may look like a painting but it points out important geographic features like creeks and inlets into the sea and man-made features such as docks and fortifications. In addition to visual cues, such the boats, fish showing direction, there are inscriptions in Marathi that identify areas and who has control, eg. "Ingraj" or English for the small island of Mahim.

The map is my favourite object in the collection of the The Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, formerly the Victoria and Albert Museum, in Bombay (now Mumbai). BDL has turned 150 years old earlier this week! As a former employee and life-long friend of the BDLM, happy birthday to the Museum!