The Turkish Component of the 1908 European Travelogue of Nazli Rafia, Begum of Janjira

Abstract

With the consolidation of British rule over India after the unsuccessful Revolt of 1857, contacts between Great Britain and the Indian subcontinent began to increase. The travel needs of British military officers, civilian personnel and businessmen [with or without their families] resulted in the establishment of steamship services between ports in England [London, Southampton and Liverpool] and India [Bombay, Calcutta and Madras]. Indians of wealth and influence also began to travel to Europe for studies, trade and tourism. Similarly, journeys were also undertaken by Muslim men and women for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. As the steamships to and from India usually passed by or through territories under Ottoman Turkish control such as Arabia and Egypt, wealthy Muslim travellers from India often began to break journey not only to visit parts of Turkey, but also to chronicle their experiences in the form of travelogues, written primarily in Urdu. The intention in the present article is to examine and elucidate the Turkish part of such a European travelogue. ______