In an antique land by Amitav Ghosh

"In an antique land" by Amitav Ghosh. This book is published by Penguin in 2009 and has 336 pages. This book is dubbed as 'History in the guise of traveler's tale'.

Amitav Ghosh, a social anthropologist, became interested in a the mention of a slave in ancient documents from catalog MSH6. He was presumably an Indian slave of a Jewish merchant Abraham Ben Yijû who stayed in Indian port city of Mangalore for about 30 years between 1450 - 1500 AD. Author became interested in the history of middle Eastern Jews and started his research. He did not even know the name of slave.

Amitav learned Arabic in Tunisia. Dr. Issa of University of Alexandria Placed him in a small Egyptian hamlet of Lataîfa. Here he interacted with local folk. Understood their beliefs, language, there way of thinking and areas of interest. Then he shifted to another hamlet Nashâwy and interacted with the inhabitants. Damanhour was the nearest town.

He researched documents, retrieved from a synagogue years ago and now scattered all over the world, to retrace the lives of Ben Yijû and his slave. His quest took him to Mangalore and he was successful in finding the name of slave. Where he came from. Where did Ben Yijû go from Mangalore. What happened to his family. What happened to his slave etc.

Author also formed a bond with people of Lataîfa and Nashâwy. He became one of them. He kept in touch with them through letters even after leaving Egypt and visited them twice in subsequent years.

This book can not be categorized in any particular genre. The story toggles between author's stay in Egypt and story of the slave unearthed from ancient documents. Both narratives are fascinating. I started this book with a doubt in my mind. Will I like this unusual off beat book. But I liked it.

Author's writing about his stay in Egypt is factual and unbiased. He simply states the things as they are and as they appear to him without being judgmental. His writing about the slave is factual where document evidence is available and speculative in absence of it, however he declares that this is a speculation.

This book is enchanting. Non fiction readers should read it.