MlRZA ZU-L-QARNAIN, A CHRISTIAN GRANDEE. 149 



We have from Father Anthony Botelho's pen a very important paper on the reli- 

 gions and political situation in Mogor during the six years that he was a Missionary 

 there (1648-54). The account was not, however, written before 1670 (cf. our article 

 in J.A.S.B., 1910, p. 453, n. 5). Though the good Father had at his disposal the 

 Archives of the Mission of Goa, he found it too troublesome to hunt up and consult 

 the orginal documents on sundry points, with the result that many of his statements 

 regarding the beginnings of the Mission under Akbar and Jahangir must be received 

 with caution. 1 



We publish here only the last portion of Father Botelho's account, viz., his 



RELATION ON THE CHRISTIANITY WHICH WE HAVE IN THE Foi. 4 i,. 

 KINGDOM OF THE GREAT MOGOL." 



" I could enlarge very much and write a very long account on the origin and 

 beginnings of this Christianity in the Kingdom of the Great Mogol, but that I know 

 that everything has been very well related and written in the Archives of the Secre- 

 tariat of the Province of Goa. Whereas, however, it is there, so to say, cast into a 

 well, and there are many good things and chronicles of the doings of the Fathers of 

 the Society in this Province, — and I do not know when this chronicle will see the 

 light, 3 owing to the great indifference of the Superiors and their not setting aside 

 someone to continue this chronicle with the view of publishing and printing it, 

 I am obliged to say briefly how our Fathers entered that Great Kingdom about a 

 hundred years ago. That great Empire of Mogol was then governed by King 

 Hacabar — "Hacabar" means "immortal" in Persian/ and "Patxa Hacabar" 

 means "Immortal King," — the great-grandfather of King Elamguir 5 now reigning. 

 As I have said in my Relation on the greatness of the King of Mogol, this King was 

 very warlike, and it is he who brought under his sceptre the whole of Mogol up to 



1 Father Anthony Botelho went from Surat to Mogor at the end of 1647 or in January 1648. " Before the English 

 ship was got in readiness," writes Fr. Alexander de Rhodes, S.J., " God greatly consoled me by the arrival [at Surat] of 

 our Fathers, who came from Goa and stayed some time with me in Surate. Three of them left, a few days later, for the 

 College of Agra, a distance of 40 days from Surate ; the first was Fr. Anthony Botel [Botelho], a Portuguese, a man of 

 great merit and influence, who was sent as visitor and Rector of the College which is in that town, the capital of the 

 whole kingdom ; the two others were Fr. Anthony Ceski [Ceschi], a German, and Fr. Henry [TJwens, alias] Busce [Buseo, 

 Busi], a Fleming, both of them young men, already in priest's orders, with aptitudes for learning the languages of the 

 country. The letters I received lately in Rome [1651-52 ?] tell us of the great fruits which accompany the labours of 

 these three Fathers in the Kingdom of Mogor." Cf. DE Rhodes, Voyages ct Missions, Paris, Julien, 1854, p. 399. He is 

 mentioned in 1647 in C. Beccari, S.J., Notizia e saggi diopere. . . ., Roma, 1903, p. 20, and in Jean Maracci, S.J., Relation 

 de ce qui s'cst passe. . . .presentee . . . .au mois d' Avril 1649, Paris, MDCLI, p. 21, where it is said that, as Rector of Diu, 

 therefore before his going to Mogor, he tried to penetrate into Ethiopia, but could go no further than Suakim. 



2 Brit. Mus. Add. MSS. 9855, fol. \\r — 45a. Title : Rellafao da Christandade quet emos no Reino do Gram Mogol. There 

 is in the beginning of the same volume (fol. 14) a Latin abridgment. Cf. J.A.S.B., 1910, pp. 448, 459, and 459 n. 1. 



3 He alludes probably to the history of the Society in the East by Fr. Sebastiao Gonsalves, whose death is announced 

 in the Annual Letter of 1619. Fr. Francis de Sonsa used Gonsalves' materials for his Oriente Conquistado, the two printed 

 volumes of which contains the history of the Jesuit Missions in the East from 1542 to 1585. The third volume, a MS., 

 must be still in Portugal. Gonsalves' Historia da Companha na India, ff. 252, written between 1593 and 1619, is now at 

 Lisbon, Ajuda Library MSS. §§« Fr. Cros utilised it for his life of St. Francis Xavier. Cf. A. Brou, S. Francois Xavier, 

 Paris, G. Beauchesne, 1912, I, p. ix. 



* Akbar means great. 



5 Aurangzeb took the title of 'Alamglr on his accession in May 1659. 



