[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Dark Ages](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages) › [Travellers (1500–1858)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel) › [Storia do Mogor](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci) › [Storia do Mogor (Irvine)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine) › 281.26 # Storia do Mogor 281.26 Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 281.26 - **Language:** English ### [281.26.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.1) From what I have just said, and from what I said earlier, about the persecution, it will be clearly seen what were its causes, its commencement, its results, and its termination. In dealing with this matter, I took my part so far as my duty and my insufficient zeal impelled me. In order that the reader may be still better assured of the truth of all that I have advanced, here is the translation of a letter of thanks received from the Reverend Father Superior of the Mission upon the subject : Sir, I have received the letter that you did me the honour of writing to me, accompanied by farmans from the Mogul — farmans which were anxiously awaited by this Christian community. For, being the goal of their hopes, they contained the only remedy awaited by us all, to obtain which we have made so many efforts. But, to speak the truth, they depend entirely on the favour you have shown us — a favour, as cannot be gainsaid, worthy of eternal gratitude. This I yield to you with all my heart for all the effort, the expedition, and the charity that you have been so good as to display on this occasion towards this afflicted community. By this course we have been spared the sight, as we had feared, of the total failure of all that had caused us so much labour and exertion through so many years. ### [281.26.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.2) This mission expected no less from the ardent zeal which we all venerate in your person, and from the fervent love which you have exhibited all these years towards the members of this small company, and have also displayed to us in person on many occasions. The nature, sir, of this favour is so great, as well as the degree in which I esteem it, that words fail me to explain with the pen the feelings of my heart. Accept of them, I pray you, since the sincerer they are the more they are worthy of belief. I assure you that we recognise you, and will recognise you for ever, as the great benefactor and protector of this Mission. It is for this reason that it (the Mission) acknowledges itself under such a great obligation to return you eternal thanks from the depths of its heart. ### [281.26.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.3) You assure me that the said farmdns contain nothing which could injure us, but, on the contrary, what will be of very great service. It is upon certainty in this respect that depends their successful working. This is why the Reverend Father Martin and all of us feared greatly we might find the ruin of this Christian community in what we had sought as a means of saving it. Our fear was increased, as you know, by the effort and subterfuge by which you obtained the said farmdns. You assured us they would be favourable to us, and we have found them such. For on reading the farmdn of the dlwdn surreptitiously (par finesse), we have found in it all that we desired. We assume that the others contain the same thing and the same conditions. ### [281.26.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.4) We have made up our minds to produce the said farmdns, and for this reason we shall be greatly in need of the Mahomedan who brought them. He did not appear with them himself, but sent them by the hands of a servant. But we intend to remedy this defect, and we are on the look-out for some noble at Tanjor who will be good enough to introduce this servant to the king's presence, and support the letters by a statement to the same purport. In this way the king may not be vexed at our applying to his enemy to get deliverance from his tyranny. With such a protector we shall get the said letters delivered as soon as possible, praying the Lord our God to grant us success. It will be He who will amply recompense you. For it is to you that we owe everything, and are thereby eternally indebted to you. In that respect I offer myself most sincerely and with all my heart as always ready for your orders. I also ask, although you do not know me, for you to be assured that already for many years past I have desired to be counted among the number of your friends, for I admit myself to be under an obligation for all that, and even more in regard to you. I am, etc. \[Here two unnumbered pages are inserted, giving the following letter :\] Here is another letter received by me from Father Martin on this subject ; it will be of use as showing the intentions and the methods of the reverend fathers of the Society in this affair. Monsieur Nicolas Manouchy, ### [281.26.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.5) It is about two or three days ago that I arrived from the Mission, where I went to obtain more exact information of all that had passed in regard to the Nawab's letter which you so kindly procured on behalf of that afflicted Christian community. I write you this in order to give an account, as is my duty, of all the benefit that you have secured for us. First of all, it is certain that the letters of the nawab and the diwan were written with all the force that could be desired, and the style in which they are worded proves plainly enough the great credit you possess at that court. Secondly, although Charnaomet (Shah Muhammad) did not fulfil the promise he had given you of sending us a chobdar to take the said letters to Tanjor, no harm has ensued. For Francois Sobral, the young man who brought them, has done all that a chobdar could have done ; indeed, I believe he could hardly have done as much. It is notorious, and all the world is witness, that the above-named Sobral spoke to the minister of the Tanjor king with extraordinary firmness and courage, and carried out the business with great prudence and dexterity. Thirdly, the news written from the Mission here by the reverend fathers, that the said Sobral was a prisoner in the fortress of Tanjor was sent a little too precipitately. For the said fathers gave too much credit to a few silly Christians who had started such an irrelevant report. ### [281.26.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.6) During the whole affair the authorities at Tanjor have not even threatened the said Sobral with anything of the sort. You were entirely justified in saying that you could not persuade yourself to belief in a report of that sort. It is a great drawback that we have only natives to give us information; and if the accounts of the persecution were not more trustworthy than those about Sobral being in prison, this community would be still as peaceful as ever it was. Fourthly, the sole hindrance there has been in the affair, and the only reason why the nawab's letter has not succeeded so entirely as we had wished, is that his \[Da,ud Khan's\] resident at the court of Tanjor, to whom the diwan's letter was addressed, is absent from this court, having gone away several months ago; for if he had been here, what doubt can there be that the letter of the nawab, when presented by him, would have produced its complete effect. But there was no one but his \[the wakil's\] son, who is still a child. Thus the king and his minister, who is our chief enemy, pay little regard to him and did with him as they pleased, and persuaded him of whatever they wished. Fifthly, in spite of the King of Tanjor's not having yielded to a letter of recommendation in such strong terms as that sent by the nawab, still, it has not failed to make a deep impression on his mind; for the queen pointed out to him that his minister had deceived him, and he ought to have continued his protection of the Christians. ### [281.26.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.7) In addition to this the king was greatly irritated with Vagogipandidem (Venko Ji Panditam), and said to him that his hatred to Christians had brought him into the plight in which he now found himself. Vangogi (Venko Ji) aforesaid, ever an enemy of our holy religion, inspired the king with the idea that he could bring all to a conclusion, and that there was no necessity for displaying so much agitation. Sixthly, Sobral having demanded a reply to the nawab's letter, the minister told him that, being merely recommendatory, it required no answer. Besides, said he, the nawab is king in that country, but not in Tanjor; consequently, he had no business to interfere in the affair. He added that if the nawab gave sanction to the rebuilding of the pagoda of Canjivaron (Kanchi-varam, Canjevaram), as had been demanded of him, he (the rajah) would permit the restoration of the Christians' church. In fine, this minister betrayed a great deal of pride and much self-confidence, telling us or letting us understand that although the protector that we had sought out, and the person who had procured us the recommendation, had great credit, he had no fear of them whatever might happen. Thus he dismissed Sobral without any reply for the nawab, in spite of one having been prepared which Sobral actually saw. ### [281.26.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26.8) After its preparation the Brahmans, who are the counsellors of the king, and his chief minister came to the conclusion that it was not necessary to write, or, if it were, the answer should be sent through another channel. They tell us that this has been done, and we have not the least doubt that, to cover his tyranny, he has written many things opposed to God's law, and injurious to those who preach it and to the whole body of Christians. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.darkages.travel.manucci~en-irvine.281.26) · Pramāṇa