Travels of Mirza Abu Taleb Khan in Asia, Africa, and Europe,

An entertaining account of Khan's impressions and remarks on the travels he made West from his hometown in Calcutta, between 1799 and 1803. The voyage took him to Africa, Ireland, England and France, where he recorded social encounters and reactions to the countries' various practices with upfront honesty and often much wit and humour. Following his European tour, Khan's voyage continued through present day Turkey and Iraq where his remarks on encounters between Islam and European modernity are particularly poignant.

The narrative's vital and controversial account of British imperial society is also notable as it is one of the earliest examples of a colonial subject addressing the cultural dynamics of metropolitan Britain. The accounts Khan makes from his stay in London are also intriguing because he crossed paths with many notable figures form the period including Sir W. Ouseley (who possessed a great taste for Oriental literature'), Mr. Rousseau ('a celebrated in the preface to many of his books he inserted my name by way of remembrance'), Mr. Christie ('The auctioneer also paid me much attention... shewing me the articles he had for sale') and Thomas Daniel ('In the house of Mr. Daniel I saw the portraits of many of my Indian acquaintance... most accurately delineated') among many others.