This geological sketch of the Malwa in northwest India is likely the first ever made of this region. It was used to illustrate Sir John Malcolm's Memoir of Central India and Malwa (1824), a detailed report on the state of th British interests in central India after the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18).



Capt. F. Dangerfield was tasked by Major General Sir John Malcolm with collecting information about Malwa's geology and climate. Despite managing to compile an important geological sketch of the region, as well as dozens of pages of useful notes about the geology of this enormous area, Dangerfield describes his work rather modestly:

My sole aim has been, in compliance with your request, to throw together, in the absence of more perfect details, a few notes I possessed on the geology of Malwa and its adjoining provinces, as an adjunct to its geography, leaving to more experienced and scientific geologists the after task of correction and perfection of this imperfect outline.



In detail it may perhaps prove imperfect or erroneous but if it suffice to render intelligible the above remarks it will have answered the only end I had in view. It is not offered therefore as a perfect geological map; subordinate or more limited mineral beds or masses having been neglected, and only the more important or extensive noticed, and a few points having been traced merely from hand specimens. If it, however, prove generally correct, it will possess all the value I attach to it in its yet immature state.

Contrary to Dangerfield's humble description, the map is impressively detailed and gives an excellent overview of the 12 different strata identified by Dangerfield during his travels. When we remember that William Smith's geological map of Great Britain, generally considered the first scientific geological map, was only published in 1815-16, and that geological science was still very much in its infancy in 1823, Dangerfield's accomplishment is even more remarkable.



The map was finely engraved by John Walker in London. Original hand-colour. [IC2704]