282 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [June, 1910. 



account of Lahore and translates his curious relation of a banquet 

 given at Lahore by Asaf Khan to the Emperor (pp. 126 — 130) ; 

 finally he adds a note on Manrique's Mission and the Catholics 

 in the time of Shah Jahdn (pp. 251—255. Cf. also J.R.A.S., Vol. 

 X, N.S., 1879, pp. 93—98). This note makes it clear enough 

 that Keene had before him a copy of Manrique's Itinerario. The 

 best proof, however, is the testimony of Father Symphorian : 

 a Capuchin Missionary of Agra, who, in his article " The Chapel 

 of Padree Santoos in Agra " (Cf. Indo-Europ. Corresp., Calcutta, 

 1878, pp. 452 — 4, and Agra Archaeol. Soc. Transactions, 1878), 

 states that Mr. Keene lent him his copy of Manrique's Itinerario. 

 Keene does not hesitate to call the Augustinian' s narrative 

 the best account of the Court life of Shah Jahan that has been 

 preserved. He found it, however, no easy reading. He com- 

 plains of ' ; archaic words and forms of spelling which interfere 

 with the reader's case, unless he be an unusually profound Spanish 

 scholar." (Cf. The Turks in India, pp. 126, 251.) 



If, instead of making only a few extracts, Keene had trans- 

 lated fully Manrique's account of the Taj, it is likely that less 

 hesitation would have been shown towards accepting it as 

 conclusive. Such as they are, the extracts in The Turks in 

 India (pp. 251 — 255) are sufficiently cogent ; and one cannot help 

 being surprised at the off-hand manner in which certain writers, 

 who were familiar with them, have passed them by or explained 

 them away. Syad Muhammad Latif (Agra, Historical and 

 Descriptive) studiously ignores them ; Mr. E. B. Havell {The 

 Taj and its Designers, in Nineteenth Century and After, 1903, 

 pp. 1039 — 49) endeavours to explain them away. 



Before we present the reader with the complete translation 

 of Manrique's narrative, of which the Goethals Indian Library 

 in St. Xavier's College possesses a copy, a short biographical 

 sketch of the writer seems necessary/ Father Symphorian's 

 article and Keene's A Sketch of the History of Hindustan (London, 

 1885, pp. 198-199) will simplify our task. 



Manrique was an Augustinian Friar who spent 13 years in 

 the East. He came to the Convent of his Order at Hugh in 

 1628 and began applying himself to the languages of Bengal, 

 Bengali and Hindustani. On September 11, 1629, he left for 

 Arakan, and continued his apostolic ministrations in Arakan and 

 Bengal until 1636, leaving Pipli for Goa on February 25. His next 

 mission brought him to the Philippines and Macao. On August 

 12, 1640, he was back at Balasore, and on the eve of Christmas. 

 1640. he arrived at Agra, where he was the guest of the Jesuit 

 Fathers Anthony de Oliveira and Matthew de Cruz. Immediateh 

 after Christmas, he went to Biana [Bayana], passing through 

 Fat h pur- Sikri. A rich Armenian merchant of Biana, to whom he 

 had letters of recommendation, sent with him one of his relatives 

 to help him in his negotiations for the release of Father Anthom 

 of Christ, an Augustinian who had been made prisoner at thi 



