Begums, Thugs and White Mughals

by Fanny Parkes

  THE BLESSING OF HEAVEN BE UPON THEIR HEADS

  ‘Āp ki topīyan par salāmat rahī.’

  THE PEN ARRIVED THUS FAR AND BROKE ITS POINT

  i.e. It is finished.

  Salām! Salām!

  Eland was started in 1982 to revive great travel books which had fallen out of print. Although the list soon diversified into biography and fiction, all the titles are chosen for their interest in spirit of place.

  One of our readers explained that for him reading an Eland was like listening to an experienced anthropologist at the bar – she’s let her hair down and is telling all the stories that were just too good to go into the textbook. These are books for travellers, and for those who are content to travel in their own minds. They open out our understanding of other cultures, interpret the unknown and reveal different environments as well as celebrating the humour and occasional horrors of travel. We take immense trouble to select only the most readable books and many readers collect the entire series.

  Extracts from each and every one of our books can be read on our website, at www.travelbooks.co.uk. If you would like a free copy of our catalogue, please order it from the website, email us or send a postcard.

  Copyright

  First published by Pelham Richardson in 1850 as

  Wanderings of a Pilgrim in Search of the Picturesque

  First published by Eland Publishing Limited

  61 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL in 2005

  This ebook edition first published in 2012

  All rights reserved

  Text © Eland Publishing Ltd 2005

  Introduction © William Dalrymple 2005

  The right of William Dalrymple to be identified as author of the introduction to this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This ebook contains copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

  ISBN 978–1–78060–019–2

  Cover Image: Colonel Mordant’s Cock Match by Johann Zoffany © Tate, London 2005