Akbar and the Jesuits
(1610)
Pierre du Jarric
Pierre du Jarric. 1926. Akbar and the Jesuits. Translated by C. H. Payne. New York: Harper and Brothers.
During the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, many European countries were vying for trade and commercial arrangements in India and other parts of Asia. Some nations, primarily the dominant Catholic nations such as Spain, Portugal, and France, also brought a religious element to their contacts, sending missionaries and religious scholars to meet with their counterparts or rulers in Asia.
A group well-suited for missionary activity was one created specifically for that purpose: the Jesuit order. Founded in 1524 by St. Ignatius Loyola, the Jesuits were used during Europe's Counter-Reformation to "take back" areas that had become Protestant--for example, reclaiming Poland and parts of Germany for the Catholic Church. The Jesuits also spent considerable time in India, China, and Japan; they were welcomed here more for their secular learning than for their religious doctrines. French Jesuits spent years in India between the mid-1500s and 1600s, including time at the court of Akbar the Great, one of India's most noted rulers. One of the French Jesuits, Father Pierre du Jarric, around 1610 compiled an account of the fathers' exploits at the court of Akbar. Known as a tolerant ruler, Akbar presided over the Mughal Empire at its height. By his death in 1605, the Mughal Empire was on a firm footing for the future.
That we may the better understand the motives which led the Great Mogor to summon the Fathers of the Company from Goa, we must bear in mind that the Viceroy in India of the Portuguese king, had, in the year 1578, sent as ambassador to his court a Portuguese gentleman named Antoine Cabral, who was accompanied by several others of the same nation. Whilst they were at his court, Akbar closely watched their behavior and manner of life, gaining thereby some idea of other adherents of the Christian religion, of which he had heard so much. He was very favourably impressed by what he saw of these persons; and showed himself so anxious to know something of the law they followed, that the ambassador did his best to explain to him its main principles, telling him also of the Fathers of the Company who were preaching it in India.
About the month of March in the year 1578, the good priest, whose name I have not discovered, reached Pateful, where the King then held his court, and was received with much kindness. It was not long before his Majesty told him the reason why he had sent for him, which was, he said, that he might clear his mind of certain doubts which prevented him from deciding whether it was better to follow the law of the Christians or the law of Mahomet. The priest, accordingly, expounded to him the main principles of our faith, at the same time opening his eyes to the worthlessness of the law of Mahomet.
Akbar heard these things with evident gladness; and so strongly was he moved to abandon his faith that, one evening while conversing with his Caziques, or Mullas, as the priests of the Mahometan religion are called, he told them frankly that he had decided to follow the counsel of the good priest, and pray to God for light to see the truth, and the path to salvation.
A few days later, he asked the same priest to teach him to speak Portuguese; for he had a great desire (or so he said) to know that tongue, that he might the better understand his exposition of the Christian law. This the priest commenced to do with much care and zeal; and the first word that he taught the King was the sweet name of Jesus.
One evening the same priest was disputing with the Mullas in the royal ante-chamber, while the King sat listening in his private apartment. In the course of the dispute, the priest said that the law of Mahomet was a tissue of errors and lies. This so enraged the Mullas that they were on the point of laying violent hands on him when the King entered and restrained them, appeasing their anger by telling them that it was no unusual thing for one engaged in a disputation to hold his own views to be true, and those of his adversaries to be false.
While conversing with the King, the priest told him one day that there were in the town of Goa some very learned and holy Fathers, who had spread a knowledge of Jesus-Christ in many parts of India; and that if he would communicate his doubts to them, he would learn from them, much better than from himself, all that he desired to know touching the Christian faith, in as much as they were much more learned in the holy scriptures.
[Another group of priests were sent to see Akbar.]
So great was the King's anxiety to see them that, during this period (as they subsequently learnt), he constantly calculated the number of days necessary for the completion of their journey, and repeatedly asked those about him when they would arrive. The moment he heard that they had come, he summoned them to his palace, where he received them with many marks of friendship, and entertained them in various ways until far into the night. Before they took their leave, a large quantity of gold and silver was brought to be presented to them. The Fathers thanked him very respectfully, but would not take any of the money, courteously excusing themselves on the ground of their calling. As for their livelihood, for which the King urged them to accept what he offered them, they said that it was sufficient happiness for them to enjoy his favour, and that they trusted to God to supply their daily needs. The King was much impressed by their refusal of the money, and for a long time could talk to his courtiers of nothing else.
Three or four days later, the Fathers again visited the King, who received them as cordially as on the first occasion. As he had asked to be shown the books of the law of the Creator (meaning thereby the holy Scriptures), the Fathers took with them and presented to him all the volumes of the Royal Bible, in four languages, sumptuously bound, and clasped with gold. The King received these holy books with great reverence; taking each into his hand one after the other and kissing it, after which he placed it on his head, which, amongst these people, signifies honour and respect. He acted thus in the presence of all his courtiers and captains, the greater part of whom were Mahometans.
Some time afterwards, he again sent for the Fathers, summoning at the same time his Mullas and Caziques, in order that they might dispute together in his presence, so that he might discover which were in truth the holy scriptures on which to place his faith. The Fathers clearly established the authenticity and truth of the scriptures contained in the Old and New Testaments, laying bare at the same time the falsehoods and fallacies with which the Koran is filled. This first dispute ended in the complete discomfiture of the Mullas and Caziques, who, unable to find any answer to the arguments of the Fathers, took refuge in silence.
Three days after the first dispute, another took place concerning the paradise which the Mahometan law promises to its followers. The Fathers assailed the infamous and carnal paradise of Mahomet with arguments so clear and convincing that the Mullas blushed for shame, not knowing what to say in reply. The King, seeing their perplexity, essayed to take up their cause; but he was as little able as they to disprove the incongruities that had been pointed out.
The Fathers now became anxious to ascertain what effect these disputes had had on the King, and whether the adoption of the Christian faith was a step that he was seriously deliberating. They accordingly made their way to the palace, the fact that they had not seen the King for some days affording a sufficient excuse for their visit. He received them with his accustomed courtesy and good-will. After some conversation on general subjects, the Fathers begged him to give them private audience; and when this was granted, Father Rodolfe Aquauiua, who was the superior of the others, thus addressed him:--"Your Majesty wrote a letter to our R.P. Provincial demanding that some Fathers of the Company should be sent to you to expound the law of God. We three have, accordingly, been sent; and we count it a peculiar happiness that God has led us to a Prince who is so powerful, and who desires so earnestly to know the divine law. This happiness was intensified when you made known to us that you had no other desire in the world but to discover and to embrace the true law. Our thoughts have been given day and night to this matter, and the means of attaining the end for which we have been sent here; and after earnest consideration, and continual prayers to God for guidance, it seems to us fitting that your Majesty should now, for the sake of your temporal and spiritual welfare, the preservation of your life, the increase of your dominions, the comfort of your conscience, and the salvation of your soul, set apart a time for hearing the interpretation of the divine law, and that, recognizing it to be true, and that there is no other which leads to salvation, your Majesty should adopt it as your own, and renounce that which is preached in all your kingdoms and provinces." In reply to these words, the King said that the matter was in the hands of God, who possessed the power to accomplish what they desired; and that, for his part, there was nothing in the world he desired more. By what he said, he gave them to understand that there were weighty reasons why he should not, at that juncture, declare himself a Christian.
Glossary
Goa
Portuguese-held port city in India.
Mahomet
Old European spelling for Mohammed, founder of Islam.
Aurangzeb, Mughal Ruler
(late 1600s)
Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb. 1867-1877. The History of India as Told by Its Own Historians. Edited by Henry M. Elliot and John Dowson. London: Truebner.
India's Mughal Empire was constantly trying to address the practical problems facing a minority Muslim population ruling over a much larger Hindu population. Some rulers, such as Akbar the Great (1556-1605), proved tolerant and accommodating to Hindus and other local religious groups. Akbar even attempted, unsuccessfully, to create a new religion that brought together elements from Islam, Hinduism, and Zoroastrianism, among others. Akbar's successors generally continued his tolerant policies.
There was, of course, another approach to the Mughal problem. Rather than accommodating Hindus, a ruler might oppress them to solve some of the problems of governance. A ruler who is remembered for doing so is Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658-1707 and even executed his brother for being too tolerant of other faiths. In the early 1680s, an advisor of Aurangzeb, Baktha'war Khan, wrote a history of the world up through the time of Aurangzeb's reign. The following excerpt not only discusses the ruler's religious attitudes, it also addresses his personality and overall attitudes.
Be it known to the readers of this work that this humble slave of the Almighty is going to describe in a correct manner the excellent character, the worthy habits and the refined morals of this most virtuous monarch, Aurangzeb, according as he has witnessed them with his own eyes. The Emperor, a great worshiper of God by natural propensity, is remarkable for his rigid attachment to religion. . . . Having made his ablutions [ritual washings], he always occupies a great part of his time in adoration of the Deity, and says the usual prayers, first in the mosque and then at home, both in congregation and in private, with the most heartfelt devotion. He keeps the appointed fasts on Fridays and other sacred days, and he reads the Friday prayers in the mosque with the common people of the Muslim faith. He keeps vigils during the whole of the sacred nights, and with the light of the favor of God illumines the lamps of religion and prosperity. From his great piety, he passes whole nights in the mosque which is in his palace, and keeps company with men of devotion. In privacy he never sits on a throne. He gave away in alms before his accession a portion of his allowance of lawful food and clothing, and now devotes to the same purpose the income of a few villages in the district of Delhi, and the proceeds of two or three salt-producing tracts, which are appropriated to his private purse. . . . During the whole month of Ramadan he keeps fast, says the prayers appointed for that month, and reads the holy Qur'an in the assembly of religious and learned men, with whom he sits for that purpose during six, and sometimes nine hours of the night. During the last ten days of the month, he performs worship in the mosque, and although, on account of several obstacles, he is unable to proceed on a pilgrimage to Mecca, yet the care which he takes to promote facilities for pilgrims to that holy place may be considered equivalent to the pilgrimage.
Though he has collected at the foot of his throne those who inspire ravishment in joyous assemblies of pleasure, in the shape of singers who possess lovely voices and clever instrumental performers, and in the commencement of his reign sometimes used to hear them sing and play, and though he himself understands music well, yet now for several years past, on account of his great restraint and self-denial . . . he entirely abstains from this amusement. If any of the singers and musicians becomes ashamed of his calling, he makes an allowance for him or grants him land for his maintenance. . . .
In consideration of their rank and merit, he shows much honor and respect to the saints and learned men, and through his cordial and liberal exertions, the sublime doctrines of our pure religion have obtained such prevalence throughout the wide territories of Hindustan as they never had in the reign of any former king.
Hindu writers have been entirely excluded from holding public offices, and all the worshiping places of the infidels [Hindus] and the great temples of these infamous people have been thrown down and destroyed in a manner which excites astonishment at the successful completion of so difficult a task. . . .
As it is a great object with this Emperor that all Muslims should follow the principles of the religion. . . and as there was no book which embodied them all, and as until many books had been collected and a man had obtained sufficient leisure, means and knowledge of theological subjects, he could not satisfy his inquiries on any disputed point, therefore His Majesty, the protector of the faith, determined that a body of eminently learned and able men of Hindustan should take up the voluminous and most trustworthy works which were collected in the royal library, and having made a digest of them, compose a book which might form a standard canon of the law, and afford to all an easy and available means of ascertaining the proper and authoritative interpretation. The chief conductor of this difficult undertaking was the most learned man of the time, Shaikh Nizam, and all the members of the society were very handsomely and liberally paid, so that up to the present time a sum of about two hundred thousand rupees has been expended in this valuable compilation, which contains more than one hundred thousand lines. When the work, with God's pleasure, is completed, it will be for all the world the standard exposition of the law. . . .
The Emperor is perfectly acquainted with the commentaries, traditions, and law. . . . One of the greatest excellences of this virtuous monarch is, that he has learned the Qur'an by heart. Though in his early youth he had committed to memory some chapters of that sacred book, yet he learned the whole by heart after ascending the throne. He took great pains and showed much perseverance in impressing it upon his mind. He writes in a very elegant hand, and has acquired perfection in this art. He has written two copies of the holy book with his own hand, and having finished and adorned them with ornaments and marginal lines, at the expense of seven thousand rupees, he sent them to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina . . . . He is a very elegant writer in prose, and has acquired proficiency in versification, but agreeably to the words of God, "Poets deal in falsehoods," he abstains from practicing it. He does not like to hear verses except those which contain a moral. "To please Almighty God he never turned his eye towards a flatterer, nor gave his ear to a poet."
The Emperor has given a very liberal education to his fortunate and noble children, who, by virtue of his attention and care, have reached to the summit of perfection, and made great advances in rectitude, devotion, and piety, and in learning the manners and customs of princes and great men. Through his instruction they have learned the Book of God by heart, obtained proficiency in the sciences and polite literature, writing the various hands, and in learning the Turkish and the Persian languages.
In like manner, the ladies of the household also, according to his orders, have learned the fundamental and necessary tenets of religion, and all devote their time to the adoration and worship of the Deity, to reading the sacred Qur'an, and performing virtuous and pious acts. The excellence of character and the purity of morals of this holy monarch are beyond all expression. As long as nature nourishes the tree of existence, and keeps the garden of the world fresh, may the plant of the prosperity of this preserver of the garden of dignity and honor continue fruitful!