Storia do Mogor 339
Storia do Mogor (Irvine) 339
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339.1
Manifesto wherein is explained for the Information of the Ignorant the Pastoral of the Lord Archbishop Primate, thereby proving the Lord Dom Carlos Thomas to be a Veritable Prelate within this Diocese and the Indies, and therefore all he did and pronounced is valid and juridical. The Lord Primate states in his Pastoral attached to the principal door of the church in Madraspatam that the Lord Dom Carlos Thomas entered this country without producing his powers to the prelates, to whom he should have showed them.
339.2
This is untrue, most untrue, and therein was the Lord Primate wrongly informed; since the Lord Dom Carlos Thomas showed and presented to the Lord Bishop Dom Gaspar Affonço a Brief wherein His Holiness declared him to be his Apostolic Visitor. This can be testified to and proved by the said Lord Bishop, for he had the Brief in his possession. The Lord Dom Gaspar Affonço was the authority to whom the Lord Patriarch was required to show his powers in this country. Hence all that the said Lord Patriarch did is valid, and must be respected and obeyed. The fathers of Madras named in the Pastoral are not absolved, for that pastoral is founded on wrong information sent to him by them. Were the Lord Primate rightly informed, he would never have given them absolution. It is to be clearly seen from the pastoral itself, in which the said Lord is cited to appear, and he is called on to show his powers, sed sic est [but so it is], that he did show them, and they are at this moment in the hands of the Lord Bishop Dom Gaspar Affonço. Thus it is certain that this act validates all the Patriarch did and shall hereafter do. São Thome, on the 2nd of February of 1705. (Signed) Dom Guilhelmo de La Valle. (Signed) Friar Diogo do Sacramento.
339.3
The judicious reader can detect the passion of the above individuals, and how much truth there was in the allegation of their manifesto — viz., that the Lord Dom Carlos Thomas, Patriarch of Antioch, showed and presented his powers under his Commission to the Lord Bishop of Mailãpur, Dom Gaspar Affonço. For the contrary is established by the letter that this same Most Illustrious Lord Bishop of Mailãpur [231] wrote to the Capuchin Fathers in Madras, which is as follows : Very Reverend Fathers,
339.4
I reply briefly. I have received a copy of the Lord Primate's letter in which he lays it down that the Lord Patriarch ought to have presented his letters at the Primacy of Goa. On the whole it appears to me it was enough to present them to any bishop. My mistake was to recognise him without asking him to produce the Letters for his Commission, and it was an error to obey him [without his doing so]. You, Reverend Fathers, respected the obedience I gave to him, and supposing that I and you, Reverend Fathers, did obey him, I judge that what he did is not null and void. Thus it seems to me you, Reverend Fathers, ought to make use of the Pastoral sent you, and of the absolution granted to the Reverend Father Guardian. In regard to what concerns the letter of the Lord Primate you, Reverend Fathers, may act as you judge to be most just. I hold it to be good for you, Reverend Fathers, to publish the Pastoral sent to you, and if under cover of this, you make known the Lord Primate's letter, you may act as to you seems best. The certificate that was given to the Reverend Father Michel Ange is becoming justified, and if there is anything overlooked in my reply I will see to it a few days hence. May God have you in his keeping. São Thomé, 9th October, 1704. The festival of the Rosary may be carried out by your Reverences as seems fit, but it would be preferable to move more slowly. Of your Reverences the humble servant and friend, (Signed) Bishop of Melliapur (Mailãpur).
339.5
To certify that this writing is genuine the notary public of this town of Madras draws up this certificate. The copy above given agrees with its original de verbo ad verbum, and for such I, João Gago Pexouto attest it. Madras, on the 13th January, 1705. (Signed) João Gago Pexouto. There can be no doubt that the missionaries who come from Europe bring with them much zeal. They expect on their arrival in these Indian lands that their labours will be very fruitful. [232] But they know nothing, and have no experience of these people, nor the fitting way of dealing with them. I can give the following example. In the year 1680, being at the city of Aurangābād, I received a letter from a reverend father, a discalced Carmelite, whose name was Petro Paulo.
339.6
Hearing me spoken of, he wrote informing me of his arrival at Surat from Persia. Then, without any beating about the bush, he went on to say I must speak to the king, Aurangzeb, and tell him to send an immediate order for the erection of a church at the port of Surat. He must also issue an order throughout his empire that missionaries should be admitted everywhere, and openly allowed to convert Mahomedans and Hindus. If he raised objections to these demands, he (the Carmelite) would force the King of Persia to declare war against India by land and sea. He would also take other measures by teaching a secret to the Mahrattahs. He knew about a matchlock that could be fired five to seven times after only once loading it, and whenever he chose to do so. He really did know such a device, as I will explain presently. I replied to his letter by saying that when the Saviour of the world came to this earth He showed humility in spite of His omnipotence, and by His tender words won over to Himself people in many parts of the world. I had not done what he asked, in order not to risk the loss of both our lives without any profit; and I advised him against communicating that secret to the Mahrattahs, for as soon as they had learnt it they would kill him.
339.7
In the year 82 [1682] I came across this reverend father in the city of Goa. He paid me a visit, and espying a matchlock in my room, he loaded it with five charges of powder, each with a ball rammed down on it. He then gave a salvo of five shots with great ease. But when he placed the powder-horn to the fire-pan, he did it so that no one could see. I was much amazed, and the Lord Viceroy Dom Francisco de Távora having been told, he employed me as negotiator to get the Carmelite to teach them this secret. As a reward ten thousand xerafins (ashrafis) were offered, and other gifts. But the Carmelite informed me that the secret could be confided to no one but a leading member of his own house. The [233] above-mentioned friar went to Rome and came back to Surat as archbishop [of Ansira (Ancyra)], bringing a number of missionaries. In a short time he died of a purgative administered to him by the Jesuit fathers, who, after his death, realized fourteen rupees for the dose.
339.8
On February 3, 1705, there arrived here in Madras a missionary priest of German race, called Andre Guilhermo Wil Thomacey, who had been one of the company brought out by the above archbishop. He had lived four years in the army of the Mogul; so I asked him what results he had obtained in all that time in that army. He answered me that he had worked a great deal with those people in the arts of medicine and mathematics. The only gain was to be changed from a very active man into one very weak and depressed. Owing to having been ill-treated for his complaint, he was unable to start in the monsoon for Europe.
339.9
I have already mentioned that King Aurangzeb was preparing to take the field for a fresh war, but his fast-month was the cause of his not moving. Yet, busy as he was with his prayers, he did not forget to make such efforts as were necessary. To this end he wrote different letters pledging his word, as he is used to do for the deception of the princes. There was one of them who ruled over several districts called Saguer (Sagar), lying in the kingdom of Bíjãpur. He was induced by flatteries to attend the Presence, and was given many honours, and appointed a Chahãr Hazãrí, or commander of 4,000 horse. This was accompanied by the gift of an elephant, horses, and a set of robes which he put on in the royal presence. Full of joy, he set out on his return to his tents, but on the way was attacked by violent fever. On the following day the flesh from his whole body began to peel off; on the third day he quitted his grandeurs along with his life.
339.10
King Aurangzeb made himself master [234] of the dead prince's lands, which adjoin those of a prince who is called Aguengivar (Wãkinkerah). They are also within the same kingdom of Bíjãpur. This powerful and valorous lord kept an army of eighty thousand matchlockmen, besides men armed with swords and spears. In past years Aurangzeb has made every effort to reduce this prince. The king sent against him the general Ranmastãcan (Ranmast Khãn), but he and his soldiers were killed. A second time Aurangzeb, unwilling to desist, ordered the famous general Diler Khãn to undertake the attack. But he succeeded badly, and leaving his dead behind him, had to flee at full gallop with his hands to his head. Not for a contretemps like this would Aurangzeb relinquish his purpose, but sent a third expedition under Rub Calacan (Ruhullah Khãn); but he was afraid to venture into the enemy's territory. By judicious letters he obtained his recall to court, and after a short time died. At the present moment Aurangzeb, previous to attacking Maisur, purposes to clear out this place (Wãkinkerah), in order that the cavalry of the Mahrattahs may not find a refuge there. Time will show what will happen; if this aged king is able to live on for some years, he will succeed in taking these principalities of the Karnãtik. But he knows that his generals make no genuine efforts, and therefore he is obliged to go in person if he wishes to carry out his designs.
339.11
He continues to show himself devout and abstinent. During the fast he says his prayers for twenty-four hours on end, his head on the ground, eating nothing, and never moving his body. The queen, Udipurl, beholding all this make-believe, roused him, and told him he had been so many hours at his prayers that it was necessary for his majesty to eat something. Upon this he raised his head and sharply reproved the queen for having withdrawn him from the delights he was enjoying, by which he suggested that he had entered into heavenly glory, and now despised earthly enjoyments. From time to time he plunges into similar fits of devotion [235], and among the ignorant common people the belief in his false saintship goes on increasing. Yet his army is a filthy, dirty place, more like a scourge sent by God, judging by the daily mortality of men and animals. The common people are dealt with as mere animals after they are dead. Their bodies are searched to see if they have any money, and after the feet have been tied together with a rope, they are dragged out of the camp and thrown into the first hole to be found. The same is done to the animals, and both serve as aliment for wolves, dogs, and crows.
339.12
A great stench is caused in this way, and no measures are taken to get rid of this filthiness. Many a time, under such circumstances, I have found myself unable to bear the evil smell, and been forced to urge my horse to the gallop to get away from it, holding my nose as I did so. Sometimes I was even compelled to vomit, human nature being unable to bear such a grievous thing. The flies are in such numbers that there is no means of eating your food in peace. Travellers setting out from this army are not protected against the attacks of the Mahrattahs and other robbers; and when you are delivered from this peril, you fall into the hands of the juncaneiros (customs officers), or publicans. These take what they please unjustly and by force, and if they know that anyone has money on him, they rob him, cut his throat, and bury him.
339.13
This is the condition into which the saintly rule of this king has fallen. The existing pretenders to this empire number seventeen princes of full age. First there are the sons of the king, already old men, as can be verified from their ages previously given. Then his grandsons are men with grey beards, some of them already forty-five or forty-six years of age, some younger. There are great-grandsons, some of whom have reached twenty-four or twenty-seven years. I say nothing of great-great-grandsons, or the women of the blood-royal belonging to his family. What an event to behold will be the tragedy following the death of this old man! One only of these princes can succeed, and thereby protect his family; the rest of them will be decapitated, or lose their lives in various other ways. It will be a much worse tragedy than that [236] which happened at the end of King Shahjahan's reign.
339.14
Hindu traders living in this empire are forced to pay every year in advance a personal tax, as I have once before stated (II. 182; III. 51; IV. 28). In return they are given a receipt to serve as a passport, but when they travel to another kingdom or province of this empire the said passport is of no value. On their outward and their return journey the same amount is collected. In this way the merchants suffer from great impositions, and thus many of them and of the bankers are ruined. Aurangzeb rejoices over these failures, in the belief that by such extortions these Hindus will be forced into embracing the Mahomedan faith.