58 E. D. Maclagan— Jesuit Missions to the Emperor Akbar. [No. 1, 
Muhammad and to take what pleases them in Sacred Scripture to pervert to 
other ends than the favour of our Faith, and I must take care that the 
Emperor does not come out some day with a novelty. The fourth is to ask 
a general permission of Your Reverence for every time that I can conve- 
niently, with the Emperor’s permission, come and see you: and to know by 
whom I should or should not send to you: for I have many things to com- 
municate regarding this mission, which I have discovered since I learnt the 
language and continue to discover daily: in which it is necessary to show 
great prudence, discretion and consideration in managing the affairs of 
this mission: and these perhaps will not be wanting if, when all things are 
explained, Your Reverence will send your advice and orders; that with new 
strength and spirit we may carry out the mission and not abandon this 
depraved sect in spite of the many difficulties which we always meet 
with. 
‘And now I shall propose a means which has occurred to me. It is to 
open a school at Goa, of Persian for the Muhammadans, and of Hindastanil 
for the heathen, for all my children, heathen and Muhammadan, as this 
seems to be the only available means, if it could be managed; especially 
as the Emperor says publicly that he wishes all in his dominions to follow 
what faith they please. And with thisI shall conclude, begging Your 
Reverence’s blessing, ministrations and prayers, and those of all. This day 
the 27th September, 1582. 
‘As the Emperor writes? that Your Reverence will know from me why 
he has not dismissed the neighbouring chiefs and enemies* from their 
offices, I write to you what the Emperor tells me, viz., that he did not 
dismiss them then because of the Faith, but he will find some other fault 
with them as an excuse for their dismissal, and he is already preparing the 
way to dismiss Calich [Qulij-khan]* as I myself have seen, but as yet I do 
not know what he will do. 
‘The day before yesterday news came of the capture of the ships of 
the...... [a few words are here torn]. The Emperor has not yet spoken to me 
of this, but as I am writing, the Emperor’s mother® has sent forme. Your 
Reverence’s Christian servant, Rodolfi.’ 
1 J. e., the native language: not Urdi, cf. p. 72 below. 
2 Referring apparently to a separate letter from the Emperor to the Provincial 
or Viceroy. 
3 s.c. those in the Deccan. 
4 Qulij-khan had been Governor of Surat. So far from being dismissed, he 
continued to receive promotion; Blochm. Azn i. 34, see also p. 86 below. ‘Calich’ 
may however mean ‘Calichan,’ regarding whom see Danver’s Port. in Ind II. 42-3. 
5 The lady known as Mariam-makani (dwelling with the Virgin Mary). In. 
describing Akbar’s well known devotion to his mother, Coryate (Observations, p. 600, 
vol. i of Purchas) writes: ‘ He never denyed her anything but this, that she demanded 
of him, that our Bible should be hanged about an Assess necke and breten about 
the Town of Agra, for that the Portugals having taken a ship of theirs at sea, in 
which was found the Alcoran amongst the Moores tyed it about the necke of a dogge 
EL ——— 
