The Cadastral and the Colony: The Tate and Newland Maps of Hong Kong
Sayantani Mukherjee, Ashoka University
This project offers a preliminary survey of the 1899 and 1901 mapping expeditions in Hong Kong led by George Passman Tate and William John Newlands. Conducted under the direction of Indian surveyors mobilized from the sub-continent, the resultant maps in 1901 and 1904 were hailed as the first comprehensive topographical and cadastral maps of the New Territories.
This project proposes to explore the dynamics of leadership, skill training, and authoritative knowledge of the locale as structured between Chinese surveyors and intermediaries situated in Hong Kong and racialised as “unskilled labour”, and “trained” sub-imperial agents whose intellectual contributions were systematically decontextualized and erased within the subcontinent but weaponized as authoritative in the Chinese colonies.
Register and Request Paper
This event is free, but all participants must register in advance. Space is limited, so please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.
Register and Request PaperAbout the Map History Seminar Series
The Map History Seminar aims to support interdisciplinary research in the history of maps and mapping in any period or specialty. With scholars in many different fields, we hope to foster lively discussions and explore new and exciting scholarship that engages with the history of maps and mapping. The seminar uses a workshop model where attendees will read a pre-circulated paper from the presenter and attend ready to discuss. Some meetings will be virtual and some in person.