A Compendious History of the Indian Wars; With An Account of the Rise, Progress, Strength, and Forces of Angria the Pyrate. Also the Transactions of a Squadron of Men of War under Commodore Matthews, sent to the East-Indies to Supress the PYRATES. To which is annex’d. An Additional History of the Wars between the Great Mogul, Angria, and his Allies.

FIRST EDITION, woodcut initials and headpieces, contemporary speckled calf, boards twice ruled in gilt, spine gilt, green morocco label, 12mo, London, for T. Cooper, 1737

Published a year after the death of the author, this work contains a first hand account of attacks on Kanhoji Angria.

Angria was one of the most notable admirals of the Maratha Navy, who caused significant troubles to the European trading companies. He became noted for attacking and capturing European merchant ships and ransoming their crews. British, Dutch and Portuguese ships were often victims of these raids. Despite attempts by the Portuguese and British to put an end to his privateering activities, Angria continued to capture and ransom European merchant ships until his death in 1729. Angria’s naval prowess in capturing dozens of European trading ships and avoiding capture has led many historians to appraise Kanhoji as the most skilled Indian admiral in the maritime history of India.

Little is known about Clement Downing before he began writing of his adventures in the East Indies between 1715 and 1723. He was very active during this period, returning to England only once. Downing began as a sailor on board three East Indiamen in succession, then as mate on a coasting vessel. He was employed as part of a squadron for The East India Company’s naval force at Bombay, and as Captain of Artillery in the Mughal army operating in Gujarat. Though he served chiefly on the western coast of India, he also visited Maskat, Aden, Madras, Calcutta, Mauritius, and Madagascar. He took part in several fights with the Marathas, both on sea and land, as well as joining in unsuccessful attacks made on the stronghold of the Maratha admiral, Kanhoji Angria.

[Dewhurst, R. (1925). Orientalia – 6.]