irstly, I would like to say that this reads as a very interesting project proposal. It is not a topic I can personally say I have heard of before, and thus I am intrigued into how this final essay, or project, will shape up. Furthermore I enjoy the knowledge displayed of the pundits and their techniques, even if only explained briefly due to the nature of this short proposal. Is this something you will look to explore further in your full project? I feel it would be interesting to shed light on the creation methods, and analyse their use, in both the context of the exploration of Indian Pundits, and the context of global exploration. Beyond this, it would be interesting to explore how this integration of techniques from the pundits challenges Ideas of science being purely European.
You acknowledge how you will be challenged by engaging with competing with the European and Indian interpretations of the Pundits. This is a good point – and do you feel you could struggle to find a balance of material from both perspectives, to create an effective judgement?
Your Primary sources, particularly those from the Pundits’ diary entries seem highly valuable. These will, and clearly already have, provide a level of personal insights into the pundits lives, and explorations in ways that some primary sources, produced for the masses, may struggle to uncover. Thus if used effectively, and acknowledged for personal biases, I feel you could uncover some key personal insights for the project.
Your final point is one that stuck with me. The overlooked nature of these Indian pundits is a classic theme of British Imperialism – do you plan to look into themes of post-colonialism and issues like the lack of representation within the Royal Geographical society? It seems clear that the pundits were not marginal figures in the history of Himalayan exploration, but central to it, and thus they should be remembered as the figures of transnational exploration and global knowledge that they were.
I am looking forward to seeing how your project unfolds – best of luck.