Le Golfe de Cambaye et la Rade de Suratte

Map. Original engraving. Image measures 7 5/8" x 6 1/4" This 18th century nautical map depicts the Gulf of Campay, or the modern-day Gulf of Khambhat, on the western coast of India. The map is beautifully engraved, showing mountains, rivers, cities and settlements, sandbars, and depths by soundings. Illustrated with both Dutch and Mughal ships, and embellished with a beautiful title cartouche and compass rose. First published in Leiden around 1713-1725, the map reflects Dutch commercial and hydrographic interest in the Mughal port networks of Gujarat during the height of Indian Ocean trade. This map is Pieter Van Der Aa's edition of the William Baffin's map of India, which is considered to be one of the most influential map of India published in the 17th Century and was a big improvement on earlier maps of India by Mercator and Linschoten. It is also one of the last maps published to provide a faithful recounting of William Baffin's seminal map of India, first published in 1623. The depiction of the interiors are especially interesting, The central portions of India and the Indus river is shown relatively accurately. One of the most striking feature of the map, which also first appeared in the Baffin-Roe map, is the "Longue Allee", a route lined with trees from Agra to Lahore. The Mughal Empire, founded in the northern part of India in 1526, continued to grow in size until the 18th century before it started to decline. It was eventually dissolved by the British Empire in 1857. The map is in good condition with minor wear and toning. Narrow left and right margins. Pieter van der Aa (1659-1733) was a Dutch publisher, editor and bookseller based in Leiden, Netherlands. He started his own publishing and auction house at the age of 21 and went on to produce thousands of maps. Van der Aa is credited to pioneering a separate artwork for the border. Apart from his own maps, he republished maps of various other publishers such as Blaeu, Visscher, De Wit, etc. This map is beautiful example of his distinctive style.…