MIRZA ZU-L-QARNAIN, A CHRISTIAN GRANDEE. U7 



One of Father Morando's converts in Bengal was a young Englishman, John 

 Damont, ff & the Father of the Christians [Fr. James d'Abreu (?), of Murmugao, near 

 Goa] made use of this Neophyte for the conversion of several other Heretics of his 

 country, who come to traffic in those parts of Murmugano & of Pardes, & last year 

 [1648] at least fifteen were reconciled to the Church." L 



In a list of Shah Jahan's grandees, belonging apparently to the end of the 20th 

 year of his reign (1648), the name of Zu-1-Qarnain , the Armenian, appears as holding 

 the rank of 500 with 300 horse.' 2 



In 1648 Mirza. Zu-1-Oarnain is reported as Governor in the Kingdom of Lahore. 

 ( Fr. Anthony Ceschi from Trent. . . . must reside at present in the Kingdom of Laor~ 

 as confessor and preacher to the Governor of it, who is called Mirsa, which means 

 Alexander the Great, a Christian prince in great favour with the King. His house 

 is composed of more than four hundred persons, the greater number of them 

 Christians." 3 Father Maracci added : "Father Francis Morando, a Bolognese, and 

 a great scholar in the Partian [Persian] and Industanne [Hindustani] tongue, remained 

 sixteen years at a stretch with the said Lord and his children, accompanying him to 

 all the Kingdoms where he has been Viceroy and Governor." * 



Father Anthony Ceschi di S. Croce, S.J., wrote to his parents a Brief Relation 

 on the state of affairs in the Indies in the year 1649, dated Agra, September 15th, 1649. 



" The Mission of Mogor, he says, is at present at peace with the Prince 6 and 

 the Governors of the Kingdom. Only this year are matters of the Christian faith 

 being discussed; but, though they hear them, they do not for that matter open their 

 heart to the call of God. Many of those people are baptized this year, and Mirza Lu- 

 carne (sic) [Zu-1-Qarnain] has made a generous profession of the faith. When asked 

 by the King— as being the chief of the courtiers — whether he believed that after the 

 Christian Prophet another was still to come, he answered intrepidly no ; and yet he 

 thought that his well-weighed answer would cost him his head ; but the King dis- 

 sembled and changed the topic of conversation." 6 



We hear of the Mirza again in 165 1. The Patriarch of Ethiopia, Don Alfonso 

 Mendez, S.J., writing with apostolic freedom to the Cardinals of Propaganda (Goa, 

 December 20th, 1651) once more denounces the Bishop of Chrysopolis, Don Matthew 



1 Ibid., pp. 38-39. This relation was written at Rome in April, 1649. Fr. Maracci had come as Procurator of the 

 Goa Province, probably in the beginning of 1648 or 1649. 



2 Note by Mr. H. Beveridge. Cf. B ddshdhnama , Bibl. Ind. edn., I. 748 (top of page). 



3 Cf. Jeax Maracci, S.J., op. cit., p. 22. 



+ Cf. ibid., p. 23. If Fr. Morando had by 1648 remained 16 years with the Mirza, he would have been with him 

 from 1632. Fr. de Castro, the Mirza's chaplain, writing from " Mogul " [Gorakkpur ?] on August 28, 1632, says, indeed , 

 that Father Francis Morando is with him, pending his departure for Tibet. Cf. J.A.S.B., 1910, November, p 531. 



5 Dara Shikoh, Shah Jahan's eldest son. 



5 Cf. Estratto e Registo I di lettere spirituali / con breve narratione della Vita del I Molto Reverendo Padre / Antonio Ceschi I 

 di Santa Croce I Del Borgo di Valsugana della Compagnia / di Giesu Missionario Apostolico j delle Indie / Descritione fatta 

 da I Francesco Antonio ' Paternolo /Notaro di Strigno pure di Valsugana / con la sua dechiaratione, e protesto / dedicato all' 

 immortal gloria [del Celsiss. e Reverendiss. Monsig. / Francesco / Alberti / Vescovo e Principe I di Trento. j In Trento Per Carlo 

 Zanetti / Con licenza de Superiori / 1683. /p. 181.— This is a very rare book in 32tno of pp. 240, a copy of which is in the 

 Library of the Convent of the Franciscans of Trent (ad A/42). Father Marco Morizzo da Borgo Valsugana, O.F.M., a com- 

 patriot of Fr. Ceschi, copied for me on 25-27T.I1 August 1910 the historical portions of it. 



