Map of India in English (cover title); India, Burma and Ceylon Political (map title)

Kripa Ram, Map of India in English (cover title); India, Burma and Ceylon Political (map title) , Lahore: Map House Indian Book Depot, 6 September 1940

Folded colour-printed map with the original orange printed paper cover, price Rs 8, which, when folded, is 9.65 x 6.22 in (24.5 x 15.8 cm) and opens to the size of 26.97 x 27.36 in (68.5 x 69.5 cm)

A Late-Colonial Indian Political Map Published in Lahore — Kirpa Ram, c. 1940

This late-colonial political map of India, Burma and Ceylon Political engraved by Kirpa Ram and published in Lahore by the Map House Indian Book Depot, was issued in September 1940 and reflects the administrative geography of British India during the Second World War. The Lahore Book Depot's address is given on the map as 'Outside Mori Gate (near Ganpat Road)'. The map was approved by the Director of Public Instructions, Central Provinces and Berar, with the date 6th September 1940. Produced for Indian readership and circulation, the map is printed entirely in English and presents a clear visual hierarchy of provinces, princely states, and colonial possessions through bold colour differentiation.

The cartography is notably functional and information-dense. Railways are emphasised in red, underscoring their strategic and administrative importance, while major roads, rivers, and urban centres are clearly delineated. British India, princely states, Burma, and Ceylon are all integrated into a single political field, reflecting the late imperial conception of the subcontinent and its neighbouring territories as a connected administrative unit.

The map’s Lahore imprint is of particular historical interest. Produced in one of northern India’s major publishing centres, it stands as a rare example of Indian-printed political cartography at a moment when colonial authority was increasingly contested but still firmly institutionalised. Issued only seven years before Independence and Partition, the map documents a geopolitical order on the verge of irreversible transformation.

Surviving examples with the original printed cover are uncommon. As a working map intended for practical reference rather than preservation, this piece offers valuable insight into how India was represented, circulated, and understood in the final decade of British rule.

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This lot will be shipped in "as is" condition. For further details, please refer to the images of individual lots as reference for the condition of each lot.