Ralph Fitcher Bhramankahini by Ralph Fitch [Hardcover]

"Foreign visitors have been arriving in the Indian subcontinent for many ages. Their purposes for coming to this land were different, but they wrote about their experiences from their own socio-political-cultural perspectives. At the very end of the 16th century, the first English traveler to India, Ralph Fitch, arrived. Crossing the Mediterranean, the Syrian coast, and Baghdad, he reached the Persian Gulf port of Basra through the Tigris River. From there, his sea journey took him to the port of Hormuz. Captured by the Portuguese at Hormuz, he was brought to Goa. To travel between Hormuz and Goa, Ralph Fitch became directly acquainted with the coasts of Gujarat and Konkan. The tale of how he managed to evade the Portuguese's watchful eyes to reach Agra, Prayag, Benaras, Patna, and finally Bengal through the Ganges is thrilling. His travel narrative along the Ganges is very engaging. His experiences at the Mughal court are also essential for understanding the subcontinent of the 16th century. Not only as the first English traveler to India, but he is also eternally memorable in the history of Alipurduar as the first European traveler. The historical value of Ralph Fitch's travel account to India remains immense today."