Forbes, James, 1749–1819, James Forbes letter, Jamboseer, 1781 April 26, copied between 1794 and 1800
- Call Number:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Holdings:
- Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749–1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, Jamboseer, 1781 April 26
- Date:
- copied between 1794 and 1800
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: A voyage from England to Bombay with descriptions in Asia, Africa, and South America
- Part of Collection:
- volume 11, page 169-172
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- The collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
- Scope and Content:
- Forbes begins by mentioning that he hears that the conquest of Ahmedabad is now known in Europe, publicized through the Gazette de Leyde, an international newspaper in the 17th and 18th centuries. He says he will offer his own reflections on the city. “Ahmood Purgunna” He begins his journey by heading towards Ahmood, the capital city of its district. He passes by Baroche on the way, visiting friends, before his arrival. He laments that there is not much to describe, though it is a large town, and instead gives a brief overview of the income delivered to the Company from the city. The cotton has a very good reputation, and its economy is similar to that of Dhuboy (Dabhoi). “Jamboseer Purgunna” The next stop on Forbes’s journey to Ahmedabad is Jamboseer, a town Forbes finds slightly more interesting. He writes that, in Ahmood, “you see open fields, and only a few trees near the villages; here the fields are generally enclosed, and planted with Mangoes, Tamarinds, and Banian-trees, which add much to the beauty of the landscape.” He notes some interesting buildings, but asserts their inferiority when compared with European architecture. Near the city is a lake, surrounded by groves and temples. Forbes continues: “the Brahmins at these Pagodas are a harmless race, similar to those I have so lately described; they are protected by the English and Mahometan governments throughout Hindostan; but the Portugueze will not permit them to exercise their religion at their settlements.” The liberty afforded the indigenous inhabitants is compared with the cruelty Forbes assigns to the (Catholic) Portuguese throughout his letters. The letter closes with the area’s inhabitants presenting Forbes with a “vanyar,” likely an Asian palm civet, or toddy cat. The creature is cat-like, and apt to climb trees, eat all sorts of fruit, and, he says, steal the liquor farmers produce from palm trees. Portions of this text appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>, volume 3, chapter 29.
- Physical Description:
- 4 pages
- Genre:
- Correspondence , Botanical illustrations, Ornithological illustrations, Travel sketches, Maps, Watercolors (paintings), Drawings (visual works), Engravings (prints), and Portraits
- Subject Terms:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819. Descriptive letters and drawingsForbes, James, 1749-1819. Oriental memoirs
- Associated Places:
- EnglandItalyScotlandWales
- Associated People/Groups:
- East India CompanyForbes, James, 1749-1819
- Finding Aid Title:
- James Forbes archive
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/11734.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199969
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199969?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1