The Travels of Dean Mahomet: An Eighteenth-Century Journey through India

by Dean Mahomet, Michael Fisher (Editor)

This unusual study combines two books in the 1794 autobiographical travel narrative of an Indian, Dean Mahomet, recalling his years as camp-follower, servant, and subaltern officer in the East India Company's army (1769 to 1784); and Michael H. Fisher's portrayal of Mahomet's sojourn as an insider/outsider in India, Ireland, and England. Emigrating to Britain and living there for over half a century, Mahomet started what was probably the first Indian restaurant in England and then enjoyed a distinguished career as a practitioner of "oriental" medicine, i.e., therapeutic massage and herbal steam bath, in London and the seaside resort of Brighton. This is a fascinating account of life in late eighteenth-century India―the first book written in English by an Indian―framed by a mini-biography of a remarkably versatile entrepreneur.

Travels presents an Indian's view of the British conquest of India and conveys the vital role taken by Indians in the colonial process, especially as they negotiated relations with Britons both in the colonial periphery and the imperial metropole.

Connoisseurs of unusual travel narratives, historians of England, Ireland, and British India, as well as literary scholars of autobiography and colonial discourse will find much in this book. But it also offers an engaging biography of a resourceful, multidimensional individual.

Genres: History, Travel, Biography, India, Nonfiction, Classics

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1794

About the author

Sake Dean Mahomet (1759 - 1851) was a Bengali traveller, surgeon, entrepreneur, and one of the most notable early non-European immigrants to the Western World. Due to non-standard transliteration, his name is spelled in various ways. His high social status meant that he adopted the honorific "Sake" (Sheikh) meaning "venerable one". Mahomed introduced Indian cuisine and shampoo baths to Europe, where he offered therapeutic massage. He was also the first Indian to publish a book in English.

Reviews

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very useful and slightly unusual edition-- it's essentially a biography of Mahomet that stops to put his Travels in the middle for the years they describe. The biographer has had a lot of work to do, sifting through the contradictory things Mahomet claimed about himself and trying to piece together the documentary evidence, but it's persuasive. At times it feels like Fisher is trying to heap on more superlatives than really make sense for an at-best-moderately-successful salesman of touristy quack medicine; I would have liked to read some quotes from the Brighton colleagues who reportedly complained about his bombastic self-promotion... but Mahomet is certainly an interesting figure, and I can't begrudge a scholar for falling a bit in love with their subject after this much research. The book itself I wouldn't necessarily recommend to non-academics, but this would make a useful teaching edition for assigning the text.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and interesting, but I'd recommend having a reason to pick up.

[Jindřich Zapletal · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as the travelogue of Dean Mahomet itself, it is of course an interesting perspective. However, the guy is a bit too aware of what his British audience wants to read. The conjunction of Mughal and 18th century high British literary styles leads to a book which can turn a crushing military defeat into a victory, and a pub brawl over a small money-changing scam into a noble clash of titans of character. Dean even seriously tells us about a prostitute who gives money to her client to save him from business failure. As a result, I had nagging doubts about basic veracity of every sentence, and I had to understand the book as speaking more about the tastes of the contemporary British society than about India.

The biographer's introduction and conclusion are both very valuable--without them, the book would be nearly unreadable. A good pre-existing knowledge of Indian geography and history of the second half of 18th century is a prerequisite.

[Holli Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the version with additional context and notes from Michael Fisher. Felt the additions were key to better understanding Dean Mahomet's life and the context of his book. I will confess that I did skim some of this as I was particularly looking for contemporary descriptions of Indians and of Madras. Happy with what I was able to glean.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very important if you want a thorough description of India in the very beginnings of the British empire.