ROAD MAP OF INDIA 1939 EDITION

Lewis, Brigadier C. G.

£30.00

Availability: In stock

SKU RMOI1939ED2 Categories ,

Product Description

ROAD MAP OF INDIA 1939 EDITION

Cartographer: Brigadier C. G. Lewis
Publisher: The Survey Of India, Calcutta
Price: £30
Publication Date: 1939
Edition: Updated to 1939
Format: Heliozincograph
Condition: In good condition, unframed
Sheet Size: Sheet Size: 109.8cm x 79.4cm
Scale: 1 inch to 50 miles: 1:3168000

Condition:

Original wrappers. Spine worn and split. Original fold lines into 30 sections with minor age toning and marks. A few short closed tears to the margins. Minor wear to the fold intersections with a small amount of loss. In good, clean condition overall. In original and unrestored condition.

Location: Map Drawer C: FS: Folder 1220

Description:

The 1939 Road Map of India produced by the Survey of India is a detailed and authoritative representation of the country’s road infrastructure during the final years of British rule. The map served both civilian and military purposes, especially given the global context of World War II at the time.

Key Features of the Map

Road Infrastructure

  1. Trunk Roads:
    • These are the major highways connecting principal cities and regions. The map would highlight well-maintained, metalled roads, which were essential for transportation between key urban centres like Bombay (now Mumbai), Calcutta (now Kolkata), Madras (now Chennai), and Delhi.
    • Trunk roads linking ports and strategic military locations (important during World War II) are prominent. Roads connecting major trade routes, like those leading to Karachi, Lahore, and Cawnpore (now Kanpur), are significant.
  2. Secondary and District Roads:
    • Smaller, less well-maintained roads that connect towns and rural areas to the larger trunk roads are shown. These roads might be unmetalled or still under construction in some areas, particularly in less developed or mountainous regions.
    • The map marks roads under construction or planned, as infrastructure development was ongoing during this period.

Geographical Features

  • Rivers: Major rivers such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus, Godavari, and Yamuna are clearly marked, as they often influenced the development of roadways due to the need for bridges or ferries.
  • Mountain Ranges: The Himalayas, Vindhyas, Western Ghats, and Eastern Ghats are shown, with roads depicted passing through or around these ranges, depending on the terrain.
  • Deserts and Forests: Regions like the Thar Desert and dense forested areas (such as in Central India and along the Western Ghats) are marked, as these features impacted road accessibility and development.

Railways

  • The map includes major railway lines, given the importance of rail transport during British rule in India. These would be shown alongside or near the road network, with key railway stations marked in cities and towns across the subcontinent.

Strategic Locations

  • Ports: Major ports, crucial for both trade and military logistics, are highlighted, including Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, and Karachi.

Cities and Towns

  • Major cities like Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Madras, and Lahore are clearly marked with distances from each town to the next.
  • Provincial Capitals and important commercial centres, such as Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Peshawar, are prominently displayed.

Administrative and Political Boundaries

  • British India Provinces: Boundaries of provinces such as Bombay Presidency, Bengal, Punjab, and Madras Presidency would be clearly delineated.
  • Princely States: Autonomous princely states like Hyderabad, Mysore, Kashmir, and Travancore would be shaded or coloured differently from British-administered territories to highlight the distinction in governance.
  • International Borders: The map would show India’s borders with neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, and Burma (now Myanmar), and the North-West Frontier Province would be clearly demarcated, reflecting the political geography of the time.

Key and Symbols

  • A key explains the symbols used for different types of roads (e.g., metalled vs. unmetalled), railways, bridges, ferry crossings, and military installations.
  • Distances: Distances between major cities and towns would be indicated, often in miles, for the convenience of travellers and officials.
  • Bridges and Ferries: The map would mark important river crossings, including both permanent bridges and ferry routes.

Strategic Importance

The map’s production during World War II suggests that it would have been used not only for civilian purposes but also for military planning and logistics. As such, it reflected the infrastructure vital for troop movements, supply routes, and access to key regions. Roads to ports and airstrips, as well as routes leading towards the North-West Frontier (near Afghanistan) and Burma (due to the Japanese advance in Southeast Asia), would have been of particular strategic significance.

Language and Notation

  • All text and notations would be in British English, using the spelling conventions of the time.
  • The map included standard Survey of India cartographic symbols for natural and man-made features, ensuring clarity and consistency across their maps.

Conclusion

A 1942 Road Map of India by the Survey of India is a highly detailed, practical, and strategic tool for navigating the country’s complex network of roads during a pivotal time in both Indian and global history. It reflected the country’s administrative divisions, infrastructure development, and the importance of certain routes during the British colonial period, with special emphasis on the needs of wartime logistics.

Heliozincography: A Short Description

Heliozincography is a printing process that was developed in the 19th century to reproduce maps, plans, and other illustrations with great detail. The term is derived from heliography (a photographic process using sunlight) and zincography (a method of printing using zinc plates).

Key Features of Heliozincography:

  1. Combination of Photography and Printing:
    • Heliozincography involved transferring photographic images onto zinc plates, which could then be used to reproduce maps or drawings. The process started with a photograph of the original map or illustration, which was then used to prepare a printing plate.
  2. Zinc Plates:
    • The process utilized zinc plates as the medium for printing, replacing traditional stone or copper plates that had been used earlier in lithography and engraving. Zinc offered a cheaper and faster alternative for producing detailed prints.
  3. Application in Cartography:
    • Heliozincography was widely used for map reproduction, especially by government survey departments, including the Survey of India and the Ordnance Survey in Britain. It allowed the mass production of accurate and detailed maps.
    • For example, the Survey of India under Colonel Sidney Gerald Burrard would have used heliozincography or similar methods to reproduce maps from surveys like the 1911 Baramulla and Anantnag survey.
  4. Advantages:
    • Cost-effectiveness: Zinc plates were cheaper to produce than copper or stone plates.
    • Speed: It allowed for quicker production of multiple copies, which was especially useful for distributing maps and technical drawings.
    • Precision: The photographic component of the process ensured a high degree of accuracy in reproducing details.
  5. Process:
    • The original image (such as a map or drawing) was photographed, and the photographic image was chemically transferred onto the surface of the zinc plate.
    • The plate was then treated with chemicals so that only the lines or details to be printed remained on the surface, while the rest was etched away.
    • Ink would adhere to the raised parts of the plate, and the image would be transferred onto paper through a printing press.

Historical Use:

  • Survey of India: The heliozincograph was widely used by the Survey of India for producing accurate and reproducible maps of regions such as Kashmir. Given the difficulty in producing detailed maps of mountainous terrain, the precision of this process was essential for both administrative and military purposes.
  • Ordnance Survey: In the UK, heliozincography was used by the Ordnance Survey to reproduce topographical maps with the necessary detail for military and civilian use.

Conclusion:

Heliozincography played a crucial role in the mass production of accurate, detailed maps and technical drawings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It combined the emerging technology of photography with traditional zinc plate printing, providing a fast, cost-effective method for disseminating important geographical and technical information, particularly in fields like cartography.

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