{"product_id":"2026770000162-secondhand-francois-valentijns-description-of-ceylon","title":"François Valentijn's Description Of Ceylon","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good             ,              ex-library\u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good         ,          price clipped\u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Ex-library with usual markings\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA landmark work in the historical literature of South Asia, François Valentijn's Description of Ceylon presents a meticulously edited and translated edition of the Dutch clergyman and historian François Valentijn's eighteenth-century account of the island of Ceylon, brought to scholarly audiences through the expert editorship of Sinnappah Arasaratnam. The text chronicles the geography, natural history, peoples, customs, and political landscape of Ceylon as observed and recorded during the era of Dutch colonial dominance, offering an invaluable primary source for understanding the island's society and administration in the early modern period. Arasaratnam's authoritative introduction and annotations situate Valentijn's observations within their broader historical and colonial context, illuminating both the richness and the biases inherent in European accounts of Asian territories. The work maintains a tone that is scholarly yet accessible, making it an essential reference for historians of Sri Lanka, the Dutch East India Company, and the wider Indian Ocean world. As a rare intersection of colonial documentation and critical historical scholarship, it remains an indispensable resource for anyone seeking a detailed portrait of Ceylon before the modern era.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48887913152731,"sku":"2026770000162-SECONDHAND","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/1cebae15-5753-4bf1-a5cb-363e1401f92a.png?v=1781748863","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026770000162-secondhand-francois-valentijns-description-of-ceylon","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}