The Travels of Niccolao Manucci

It’s an instinct that’s as old as man himself – the drive to leave home, see what else is out there, perhaps somewhere better to settle than the place you call home. Many a traveller has pushed geographical boundaries, to trade, spread religions, extend political influence and build ties with neighbouring countries.

Often, the accounts they left behind were riveting – telling us as much about what they saw as the prism through which they saw the new lands they reached and the people they encountered. But more than just engrossing reading, their accounts are also a valuable repository of history because they took down tiny details that no Indian would bother to write about, everyday activities, habits and customs that might otherwise have been lost to time.