MXRZA ZU-L-QARNAIN, A CHRISTIAN GRANDEE. 167 



We have not discovered the year of MIrza Zu-1-Qarnain's death. We fancy it 

 was about 1656, when he would have been about 64 years old. 1 



If he died at Sambhar, it is likely that he was buried there. We should expect 

 that there was something like a family grave at Sambhar, since the Sikandar family 

 resided there so long. At any rate there must have been a Christian Cemetery at 

 Sambhar, and a number of Syrian, Armenian or Portuguese inscriptions might still 

 be discovered there. Unfortunately, I am afraid that we are only slowly awakening to 

 the fact that an Armenian scholar, with a historian's tastes and aptitudes, should be 

 deputed to compile a list of the many valuable inscriptions to be found in their 

 hundreds all over India. 



It is more likely, however, that Zu-1-Qarnain did not die at Sambhar. The last 

 years of his life appear to have been spent near the Court at Delhi. It is not pro- 

 bable that he was buried at Delhi, for his father's tomb could not have been there, 

 since Delhi was not one of the capitals in 1613. Lahore and Agra are more likely 

 places to look for his tomb. 



The oldest Catholic Cemetery of Delhi has disappeared or remains to be dis- 

 covered. It is possible that Zu-1-Qarnain was buried at Lahore, in the grave erected 

 to his wife Helena, or again at Agra. The Christians in Mogor had a special venera- 

 tion for the Agra Cemetery. Agra was to them like the mother-church in Mogor. 

 For a long time, it must have been the only consecrated ground in that direction. 

 People dying at great distances from Agra were carried thither for Christian burial. 

 There was also for many years of the 17th century a cemetery at Lahore ; yet, some 

 people who had died at Lahore were buried at Agra. Jerome Veroneo, the designer 

 of the Taj, died at Lahore in 1640, but was brought to Agra eventually. Father 

 Joseph de Castro, who died at Lahore in 1646, was translated to Agra two years later. 

 Father A. Ceschi di Santa Croce, who died at Delhi on the 28th June 1656, was simi- 

 larly transferred to Agra. In the 17th century, several persons deceased at Delhi were 

 interred at Agra, and we find there others who died at Bharatpur in the 18th century. 



We must say, however, that, though Sikandar senior died in 1613, and though 

 what is called Padres Santos' Cemetery began to be used in 161 t, his grave has not 

 been traced at Agra. He had left Rs. 3,000 for his tomb and a mortuary chapel to be 

 erected over it. Now, if that chapel had been in Padres Santos' Cemetery, it should 

 still be there, like that of Khwaja Martinus (1611). It is not there. Was it perhaps 

 at Lahore, since he left Rs. 600 to arrange a Cemetery for the Christians of that 

 place ? A mortuary chapel would have been useful in the Lahore Cemetery, while at 

 Agra there was one already. 



Left to our own resources, we can but guess. Did there exist, perhaps, at Agra 

 a special graveyard for the Sikandar family, say in close proximity to Padres Santos' 



Sikandar's eldest son (born circa 1592) ; Mirza Iskandarus was born circa 1595 (p. 374) ; 1633 at p. 374 should be 1632 as at 

 p. 380 ; 4 or 8 lakh of rupees (p. 375) should be 8 lakh of rupees or 4 lakh of scudi ; hence, the ^ilue of the scudo is calcu- 

 lated too low at pp. 379, 380 ; it should be the same as that of the cruzado, i.e., Rs. 2 ; March 6 is correct (p. 380), but 

 February 13 should be March 13 (p. 380) ; finally, all Zu-1-Qarnain's sons did not predecease their father (p. 375). 

 ] Cf. App. C 



