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Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, or the Central and Western Rajpoot States of India, Madras: Higginbotham and Co., 1880, Third reprint edition

2 volumes in 4 parts (Vol. I–II, each in two parts):
Volume I – Part I: xxix, 344 pp., including a folding map of Rajpootana and three genealogical tables
Volume I – Part II: Pages 345–724
Volume II – Part I: xxxi, 404 pp., including one genealogical table
Volume II – Part II: Pages 405–719, including one genealogical table
Bound in contemporary red half morocco over marbled boards, spines richly gilt in compartments with ornate foliate tooling and decorative cornerpieces, twin green and red morocco lettering-pieces titled and numbered in gilt; marbled endpapers (each)
9.75 x 6.5 in (24.8 x 16.5 cm) (each)

ROMANCE, RESISTANCE, AND RAJPUT HONOUR: JAMES TOD’S MAGNUM OPUS ON RAJASTHAN

Originally published in London between 1829 and 32, Tod’s Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan remains the most influential and contested British colonial account of the Rajput states. The work blends ethnography, mythology, genealogy, and personal travelogue with considerable romanticisation, drawing heavily on Tod’s tenure as the East India Company’s political agent in Western Rajputana between 1818 and 1822.

The 1880 Madras edition by Higginbotham & Co.—the third Indian reprint—reflects continued regional interest in Tod’s historiography, particularly among princely states and colonial administrators. This edition reproduces the full text, including extensive footnotes, Rajput genealogical charts, and detailed accounts of cities such as Udaipur, Jaipur, Marwar, and Bundi. Its enduring appeal lies in its visual material, ranging from plates of architectural sites and temple plans to depictions of Rajput dress, battle scenes, and fortresses.

As historian Partha Chatterjee has noted, Tod’s interpretation helped shape both colonial and nationalist notions of Rajput identity, often casting the Rajputs as noble yet tragically fallen heroes. Despite its Orientalist framework, the work remains an essential reference for early 19th-century perceptions of Rajasthan’s polity, religion, and material culture.

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