A Historical Atlas of Southeast Asia is a
definitive historical chronology of the region of South Asia from
prehistoric times through the present. It was edited and largely
authored by
Joseph E.
Schwartzberg, professor emeritus of
South Asian Studies at the University of Minnesota
. Although much of the coverage in the atlas is
principally focused on India
and Pakistan
, Nepal
and Bangladesh
are included and to some extent Myanmar
(Burma). It is highly regarded by scholars of South Asian
history for its vast amount of detail and coverage of the region's
lengthy and complex history. The atlas is divided into two main
sections: Maps and photographs and historical text which
corresponds to and explains the maps.
The initial assembly of the Atlas began in 1964 with many authors,
historians, cartographers and researchers contributing over a
fourteen year period. Although many consider the atlas to be the
ultimate resource for students and scholars alike, the authors
stress that "it is intended to supplement existing histories of
South Asia...not to be used in place of them."
The atlas was first published in 1978 by the University of Chicago
Press. About 3,300 total copies were produced and all of them sold,
which caused the atlas to become out of print. In 1992,
Schwartzberg and a new team of historians released a slightly
updated second edition titled
Second Impression, with
Additional Material and published by Oxford
University Press. This edition is now also out of print.
ReferencesScwartzberg, Joseph E., et al.
A
Historical Atlas of South AsiaChicago and London: University
of Chicago Press, 1978Revised edition: Oxford University Press,
1992