The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c16.130

v4.c16.130

It was in 1591 that the second Christian mission arrived at Akbar’s court. In 1590 a Greek sub-deacon named Leo Grimon, passing through India with the object of travelling to Europe by way of Goa, had reached Lahore, and had been entrusted with a letter to the Portuguese authorities, requesting that some priests might be sent to court. The letter seemed to indicate a desire on Akbar’s part to embrace Christianity, and two Portuguese priests set out for Lahore with high hopes, only to discover on reaching court that the emperor was in his usual frame of mind. He dallied with the priests, discussed the doctrines of their faith, and expressed his approval of them, but continued to issue regulations for his disciples in the Divine Faith. The priests were well content to find that he had abjured Islām, but were soon obliged to abandon all hope of converting him to Christianity.