Vol. VI, No. 6.] Who Planned the Taj ? 283 



[N.8.] 



fall of Hugli in 1632 and was still in durance at Agra. In January 

 1641, Manrique was back at Agra, paying visits to his confrere 

 in jail, and interviewing Subdal Khan, the governor of Agra, 

 in his behalf ; but, as the Emperor was then at Lahore, the 

 negotiations could not proceed. Subdal Khan very courteously 

 said that, as he himself was going to Lahore in a short time, he 

 might join him in the journey. Manrique gladly accepted the 

 offer, and profited by the delay to visit the principal monuments 

 of Agra. After twenty-six days passed in expectation of Subdal 

 Khan's departure, finding that he was not likely to move before 

 another month, Manrique took leave of him, of Father Anthony, 

 still in prison, and of the Jesuit Fathers, and set out for Lahore, 

 where he arrived in 21 days. There he met Father Joseph de 

 Castro, s.j., who invited him to his dwelling, promising to assist 

 him in expediting his affairs. Manrique was admitted to an 

 audience with Asaf Khan. To cut the story short, he obtained 

 all his requests, and proceeded from Lahore to Sind, while 

 Father Anthony was restored to liberty. 



Manrique w r as evidently a man of mark, having been Visitor 

 of his Order in the East. A keen and interested observer, he 

 notes down many curious observations in his Itinerario delas 

 Missiones del India Oriental (Rome, 1653, in 4°, pp. 476. 2 col.) 

 This work, now very scarce, was never translated into English, 

 though, if we remember rightly, the Hakluyt Society intended 



many years ago preparing a translation. 



In Ch. LVIII Manrique relates his experiences at Agra. In 

 the following chapter, he describes the Mogul Court and its 

 palaces. Ch. LX. is headed thus : 



' ' In which is given an account of two Mocorabas or Mauso- 

 leums of Emperors Achabar and Corrombo "J 



** Among the grand buildings of the town of Agra, the 

 chief are two Mausoleums, and, to redeem my promise, I shall 

 begin with Achabar's tomb, as being the first and the more an 

 cient." [Here follows the description, pp. 350-351.] At p. 351, 

 col. 2, we read : " The cither Mausoleum, the work, as I have 

 -aid, of Kniperor Corrombo, is dedicated to the unhappy memory 

 of his chief and cherished wife Begoma [the Begum], and is 

 situated at the other extremity of the town. This edifice not 

 being finished yet at the time, and a great portion being still 

 wanting, judging from the plan which it bore and which was 

 contemplated, I shall speak only of the portion which \\ is 

 finished. It consisted of a fine, very large, quadrangular and 

 proportionately high wall of magnificent red hewn stone : at the 

 top, in lieu of battlements, it is being adorned and embellished 

 by thick strong spikes ? (espir/ones) of the same stone. [An 

 allusion, probably, to the balustrades. A la qwtl [mural/a] par 



1 Khurram, /.'. , Shall Jahan. The word >corabd must be ft 

 orruption of the Persian Maqbard sa burial place, mausoleum. 



