93

ART. IV.-Note on Manrique's Mission and the Catholics in the Time of Shah Jahan. By H. G. KEENE, Esq.

IN A.D. 1653 was published at Rome a small quarto of 470 pages, containing the "Itinerary of Missions in the East Indies, made by P. Maestro Fra Sebastian Manrique, an Eremite Monk of S. Augustine." The first fifty-six chapters describe the travels of the missionary in Burma, Bengal, and Bahar; but, in chapter fifty-seven, we find him going to Hindustan; and the next ten chapters are devoted to an account of the cities of Agra and Lahore and of the Court of "the Mogul." Then follows a journey to Multan, then one to Candahar; after which is a fresh description of the Mogul system, wealth, power, etc. Then comes a relation of the fall of Hughli some years before; and of the imprisonment and sufferings of the Catholic Priests of that place, especially of Prior Antonio de Christo, whose liberation the author undertook with success. The remainder of the book shows how the enterprising Father returned to Rome through Persia and the Levant.

He seems to have been a man of average observation, but much beset by a desire for distinction as a rhetorician, to which he occasionally sacrifices both accuracy and intelligibility. He also uses archaic words and forms of spelling, which sometimes interfere with the reader's ease.

The following extracts may be found interesting. After mentioning his arrival at Agra (where the priests knew him, "though in Mogul garb," and placed at his disposal a house formerly inhabited by the captive Prior), he relates how, on the day after Christmas, he set out for Biána, passing through Fatehpur Sikri (already a ruin). Having transacted the

business for which he went to Biána, he returned to Agra, where he visited the Prior in prison, and cheered him with hopes of liberty, which he afterwards fulfilled. The Court was then at Lahore, whither it would be necessary to repair to make intercession for the Prior. This was in 1640, and the poor man had been in prison for over eight years.

Before starting for Lahore, Manrique had time to look about him and examine the Fort and other buildings at Agra. His account of the Fort is not important, and all that is of any value had been already given by Finch. The description of the English traveller is to be found in Keene's Guide to Dehli (p. 77). The present Diwán-i-A'am had not then been built, nor the Amr Sinh gate (Amr Sinh's affair took place four years later).

The account of the Sikandra tomb is not of much more importance, and that of the Taj is hardly more graphic, though not without some interesting matter.

It was still unfinished when he saw it (it was not finished for eight years more); all that he saw seems to have been a beautiful, lofty, and squared wall (or rampart) of ruddy and famous masonry, and well-proportioned height." Four white marble palaces were in the corners, and a spacious garden within, "together with a white circular tower of Archimedean geometry." One thousand workmen laboured there daily. "The architect was a Venetian named Geronimo Veroneo, who came to India with the ships of the Portuguese, and who died in the city of Lahore a little before my arrival. To him gave the Emperor Khurram great salaries; but he was supposed to have profited so little by them, that when he died F. Joseph de Castro1 found them much less than he had expected. Of him a report was current, that the Pádsha having sent for him, and made known the desire he felt to build there (at Agra) a grandiose and sumptuous monument to his defunct consort, and to have him make and exhibit designs for it, the architect Veroneo obeyed, and in a few days produced various models of very fine architecture, showing all the skill of his art; 1 Vide infrà.

also that, having contented H. M. in this, he dissatisfied him-according to his barbarous and arrogant pride-by the modesty of his estimates; further that, growing angry, he ordered him to spend three crores, and to let him know when they were spent-a wonderful sum! But, if these mortuary chambers had really covers of gold plates, as was the case with the urn containing the ashes of the Empress, such an expense need cause no astonishment." The amount evidently "fetched" the Friar; for he falls to calculation, and shows that we are dealing with one who "in no longer time than it takes to open and shut the mouth could cause the expenditure of fifteen millions of Spanish dollars."

The best things in the book are the description of the celebration of the royal birthday, and of Asaf Khán's dinnerparty, given in the text of my work on The Tombs in India (chap. v.). There is also a curious account of the persecution of the Portuguese by Sháh Jahán.

It appears from Manrique that the siege of Hughli very much resembled that of Caunpore in our day; the place being entirely open and unwalled: the garrison moreover were enormously outnumbered. He says that they obstinately defended themselves behind earthen entrenchments for three months, during which the enemy lost many men, including two Umrahs, or commanders. It was at length resolved to apply for terms of surrender, and the Prior, F. Antonio de Christo, was sent to the camp of the Sabahdar with plenary powers. He was accompanied by a certain F. Francisco "de la Encarnacion," and two Portuguese captains. But when they saw in the enemy's proceedings that there was no hope of an honest negociation, they returned to the city, resolved to sell their lives dear. They accordingly defended themselves for three months more, during which (always according to Manrique) they slew thirteen thousand of the enemy. At length the latterwho had been largely reinforced-delivered a general assault; the inhabitants placed the women and non-combatants in the principal church, and, after a vigorous defence, surrendered on promise of life and liberty. The treaty was broken, and

men, women, and children were sent to Agra. The journey occupied eleven months, during which the good Prior did all in his power for his flock, giving his food to the poor, and his carriage to the weak, and begging for alms on the failure of his own resources.

"With these labours and sufferings, or, to speak more correctly, spiritual triumphs, the servant of God came with all his company to the Agra Court." So says the enthusiastic Manrique. The rest of the captives were divided among the princes and lords of that Court, but the monarch reserved for himself the two Augustinians and two secular priests, of whom one was a Portuguese of Santarem, named Manuel Danhaya, the other a Bengali of Serampur, named Manuel Garcia; also some of the leaders, and the women who were put into the Imperial Palace.

Many times did Sháh Jahán invite the monks and clergymen to become Muhammadans, but they repudiated his overtures with scorn, and called on the Emperor rather to turn from his own errors and conform to the Catholic faith. Long did they suffer ill-treatment and blows in the public prison. At last the Emperor sent for them, and renewed his temptations in person, not only with threats, but with large offers of what he would do for them if they yielded. The Prior spoke in return :-"Sovereign and Powerful Ruler! if to give you pleasure were not to offend the Supreme Ruler of the sky, believe me that, without any special promises of favour, we should be ready to follow your desire with much joy; but since we are bound to the Creator more than to the creature, and He who is not only Creator but Redeemer has charged us to keep His law, you will surely not take it ill that we do not embrace a faith which is in our eyes erroneous and opposed both to reason and understanding. Consider, therefore, Lord, to whom we owe obedience!"

Shah Jahan was naturally offended at reasoning of this sort, and the end was that all four of these good Christians were ordered for execution the next day. They passed the night in prayer. Next day they were conducted in chains to an open market facing the Dehli gate of the Fort-where

the railway station now is-and elephants were brought out to trample them to death like common malefactors.

But Asaf Khán, moved by pity for their constancy in suffering, threw himself at the Emperor's feet. Seeing the frame of mind of his sovereign and son-in-law, he applied rather to his sense of interest than to his compassion. He pointed out that the Portuguese, though ruined at Hughli, were still powerful on the opposite coast; and that the vengeance of the Viceroy of Goa would fall upon the ships and sea-going people, so that many of His Majesty's subjects would suffer for each of these.

1

Sháh Jahán yielded; and the valiant soldiers of the cross, after being paraded ignominiously through the town, were reconducted to prison. Garcia and Danhaya sank, and died of fatigue next day; what became of F. Francis is not stated. The Prior lived nine years in confinement. During this period he managed to raise money by drawing bills on Goa, with which he provided funds for the departure of all his flock, so saving them from "the mouth of the infernal wolf," says Manrique. FF. Garcia and Danhaya were buried in the little mortuary chapel of the Agra cemetery near the Judges Court, called by natives "Padré Santo." Their epitaphs are still to be read, and are as follows:"Aqui iazo P. Mel. Danhaya, Clerigo morto pe la fé, ena prisão a 2 d'Agosto 1635." "Aqui iazo P. Mel. Garcia Clergo, morto no carcere pe la fe, a 23 de Marco, 1634."

From these epitaphs we learn several facts connected with the persecution. First, the secular priests did not, as Manrique supposes, die "al segundo dia deste espectaculo." Next, that their sufferings spread over a long period, at least from March, 1634, to August, 1635. Lastly, that the persecution was not so severe as to prevent the victims from receiving Christian burial. Moreover the whole circumstances, ending with the visit of Manrique, the civility that he met with, and the Prior's liberation at his request, all show that it was not so much as Christians, but as recalcitrant prisoners-of-war

VOL. XI.- -[NEW SERIES.]

1 Vide infrà.

7