One of the earliest modern cartographers of the world, Philipp Clüver (aka Cluverius) was born in Danzig in 1580, and is widely regarded as the founder of historical geography. He is the creator of this stunning — if almost unrecognisable — map of India. Titled India Vetus, meaning ‘Old India’, this map was part of a larger series called the Introductio in Universam Geographiam (published in Amsterdam in 1641), Clüver’s most important work of six volumes. It was loosely based on Ptolemy’s map of the world, and contained descriptions and engraved maps of all countries, with a focus on human and historical considerations.
The map features a heavily truncated view of the Indian Peninsula, with the Bay of Bengal being termed the Sinus Gangeticus. The island of Sri Lanka is incorrectly placed on the left side, and is labelled as Taprobana. This is believed to be an interpretation of the word Tamraparni (or Tambapanni, meaning copper-coloured) by the ancient Greeks. Taprobana became the name that Sri Lanka was known by, and was subsequently used in many of the oldest maps of the world.