< Back

Dubois, Abbe J A.
Description of the Character, Manners, and Customs of the People of India; and of their Institutions, Religious and Civil.
Publisher: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, London;
Date of Publication: 1817
Stock Code: 6645
FIRST EDITION. Quarto, pp xxvii, [1], 565. Bound in later brown half calf, with 2 raised bands and maroon label to spine with gilt titles and ruling; marbled-paper-covered boards. Edges sprinkled red. Minor scattered light foxing, marginal annotations in pencil otherwise internally a clean copy. The modern binding is Fine. Translated from the original French manuscript, this is the first printing in any language of the classic account of Indian life. Dubois (1765-1848) was a Catholic missionary in India who adopted Hindu dress and customs, serving 27 years on the subcontinent. The vivid account of Indian life based upon first-hand observation became a standard work on the subject, and proved particularly popular with British colonials. £350.00