An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Captivity and Ethnography in Seventeenth-Century CeylonBy Robert Knox
Length13h 55m
About this audiobook
Robert Knox's An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies (1681) is a foundational work of English travel writing and early ethnography. Combining captivity narrative, geographic description, natural history, and social observation, it offers a remarkably detailed account of the Kandyan kingdom: its government, religion, agriculture, customs, warfare, and domestic life. Knox's prose is plain, empirical, and observant, reflecting the Royal Society's appetite for reliable knowledge, while also standing within the expanding literature of European encounter in the Indian Ocean. Knox was an English sailor in the service of the East India Company whose ship was detained in 1660 by the forces of King Rajasinha II of Kandy. Held in Ceylon for nearly two decades, he learned local habits and languages through necessity rather than scholarly design. After his escape in 1679, his experiences were shaped into a text valued by contemporaries for its apparent accuracy and later admired for its narrative discipline. This book is recommended to readers interested in colonial history, Sri Lankan studies, maritime travel, and the origins of ethnographic description. It remains compelling because it records both an island society and the mind of a European captive trying to understand it.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreTravel
Length13 hrs 55 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 20, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Wau-Bun: The Early Day in the Northwest
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies
Show all chaptersShow less
6TOGETHER,
7CHAP. VI. (pt. 1)
8CHAP. VI. (pt. 2)
9PART III. (pt. 1)
10PART III. (pt. 2)
11CHAP. IX. (pt. 1)
12CHAP. IX. (pt. 2)
13A Continuation of the Author’s particular Condition after the Rebellion. Purchaseth a piece of Land.
14A return to the rest of the English, with some further accounts of them. And some further discourse of the Authors course of life.
15How the Author had like to have been received into the Kings Service, and what means he used to avoid it. He meditates and attempts an escape, but is often prevented.
16How the Author began his Escape; and got onward of his Way about an Hundred miles.
17The Author’s Progress in his Flight from Anarodgburro, into the Woods, unto their arrival in the Malabars Countrey.
18Being in the Malabar Territories, how they encountred two Men, and what passed between them. And of their getting safe unto the Dutch Fort. And their Reception there, and at the Island Manaar, until their Embarking for Columbo.
19Their Arrival at Columbo, and entertainment there. Their departure thence to Batavia. And from thence to Bantam: Whence they set Sail for England.
20Concerning some other Nations, and chiefly Europæans, that now live in this Island. Portugueze, Dutch.
21CHAP. XIV.
22Analysis
23Reflection
24Memorable Quotes
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