author

Robert Sewell

1845–1925

An English civil servant in colonial India, he became one of the early writers to bring the history of the Vijayanagara Empire to a wider readership. His books blend archival work, chronology, and archaeology, and they still surface in discussions of South Indian history today.

1 Audiobook

A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India

A Forgotten Empire (Vijayanagar): A Contribution to the History of India

by active 16th century Fernão Nunes, active 16th century Domingos Paes, Robert Sewell

About the author

Born on June 4, 1845, Robert Sewell worked in the civil service of the Madras Presidency during British rule in India. He later served as Keeper of the Madras Record Office, a role that placed him close to the documents, inscriptions, and historical remains that shaped much of his writing.

Sewell is especially remembered for his work on the Vijayanagara Empire, including A Forgotten Empire: Vijayanagar: A Contribution to the History of India (1900), which helped introduce that subject to many English-language readers. He also worked on archaeology and historical chronology, with publications on Indian calendars, chronography, and the antiquarian remains of southern India.

Modern accounts note that his work was produced within the framework of colonial administration, and some of his archaeological record-keeping has been criticized. Even so, his books remain part of the long early record of research on South Indian history. He died on December 30, 1925.