1616: Bertius "Description de Bengala."

These maps are very early versions of copper engraved maps. The engraving of copper to make the printing plates was a very precise and labour intensive work. So the same template of the map was used in multiple versions of the one base map.

Another version of this map can be found on the very interesting Mapping Bengal website. The same base map is used, but ending up in a coloured print. The ornaments describing the title has been improved, But the basic outlines of the map remain the same.

This version of the map includes a very primitive coordinate system. Latitude (degrees north) appears to be reasonably established, ranging from 15°N to 25°N—closely corresponding to the modern position of Bangladesh. Longitude, however, is more problematic. The map references a Meridies, a Latin term referring to south or the position of the sun at noon. The map also indicates its scale as Milliaria Germanica, a unit of measurement commonly found on maps from this period.

Navigation on these maps will have been, let us say, challenging. The dangerous (and difficult to navigate) coast of the Sundarbans are indicated on this map. The coast has Balu Char (sandbanks and shoals). Stay away from the coast!  

The map became part of the atlases that  Petrius Bertius was producing. One of the maps in the atlases is showing the kingdom of Arachan and Pegu. The kingdom of Arachan was one of the kingdoms that made up the region that is nowadays knows as Bangladesh. Interesting to see in this maps is that east is up. In modern cartography we don't do that anymore, we try to stick to the convention that North is up. That convention seem not to apply to the maps of the early 17th century. Also note that this map is not very true to scales. But always remember that we are looking at very early mapping in an age that this was unknown and barely explored countries. Barely explored by the cartographers and the explorers from western countries. These maps also show that there was an established civilisation here, that built cities and kingdoms and forts and mosques and temples.

Barely explored by the cartographers and the explorers from western countries. These maps also show that there was an established civilisation here, that built cities and kingdoms and forts and mosques and temples.

Cities are mapped as can be seen from the see. There are buildings. Chattagram, known under the name of Chittagong is an impressive collection of buildings. Chittagong changed its name back into Chattagram only recently.

Petrus Bertius, born at Beveren, Flanders in 1565, was related with Pieter van den Keere (Kaerius) and Jodocus Hondius. Both famous cartographers were brothers-in-law of Petrus Bertius. As a refugee, he settled in Amsterdam and, after finishing his studies, he became professor of mathematics and librarian at the University of Leiden. In 1618 he also became cosmographer and historiographer to Louis XIII of France and lived in Paris, where he died in 1629.

His enormous working power resulted in many geographical and theological works. He also contributed geographic materials to the works of Clüver and Herrera.

His fame among geographers was established by his text in the pocket atlas Tabularum Geographicarum and by his edition of Ptolemy’s Geographia.

The origin of the Tabularum Geographicum lies in the well-know miniature atlas Caert thresoor, published by Barent Langenes in 1598 in Middelburg. Bertius engraved 169 maps for this small but attractive atlas which was also sold for the first time in 1599 by Cornelis Claesz in Amsterdam. In 1600, Claesz published the pocket atlas with a Latin text composed by Petrus Bertius. 

From then onwards, new editions, often enlarged with new maps, regularly appeared, subsequently published by Cornellis Claesz, Jodocus Hondius, Johannes Janssonius and ultimately, in 1649, by Claes Jansz. Visscher.

Koeman divides this series of pocketbooks into two atlases: The Caert-thresoor, published by Langenes and Claesz., with five editions between 1598 and 1609; and the Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum by Petrus Bertius with ten editions between 1600 and 1650.