A Passage to Europe
The Extraordinary Travels of an Indian Prince in the Age of Revolutions
About the Book
What was an Indian prince doing in the retinue of a French envoy at Constantinople in 1796? When Ottoman Emperor Selim III, struck by the unusual sight of a fellow Muslim in a French cortège, asked how he came to be there, Ahmad Khan told him his extraordinary story.
A Passage to Europe traces the journey of Indian prince Ahmad Khan from Gujarat to Constantinople, revolutionary France, London and back again. His voyage began in 1772 with the annexation of the coastal town of Broach by the East India Company; two decades later, he reached London seeking redress. The British government looked into his case, but although his tale was true, Khan was not the man he claimed to be. Back in Bombay, authorities arrested and imprisoned him for being a spy, and then he simply vanished.
Uncovering the elusive paper trail, Rahul Markovits brings to life the remarkable journey of this unlikely traveller’s passage to Europe, revealing a story of empire, intrigue and deception at the dawn of the modern age.
About the Author
Rahul Markovits is Associate Professor (maître de conférences) in early modern history at the École normale supérieure, France. His work focuses on transnational cultural exchange during the 18th century. His PhD dissertation, Civiliser l’Europe. Politiques du théâtre français au XVIIIe siècle, was awarded the 2012 Baluze Prize in European history and won the Walker Cowen Memorial Prize 2016. He is based in Paris.
Reviews
‘An engrossing read. Rahul Markovits has pieced together a historical jigsaw, which crosses many frontiers and provides a refreshing new angle on the Age of Revolutions. Intriguing and entertaining for readers and historians alike.’ Sanjay Subrahmanyam
‘An outstanding piece of work, impressively original in its approach ... a very rich field of enquiry.’ Professor Polly O’Hanlon, University of Oxford
‘A fascinating and scholarly epic of trans-cultural sleuthing. This intriguing research tracks a Mughal prince’s progress across two continents and explores his elusive identity. Was he really a Mughal prince? Was it really his brother in the coffin? In unearthing the story behind the story, A Passage to Europe challenges Euro-centric accounts of imperial endeavour.’ John Keay
