By Mugal days, Jesuit missionaries had become very active in India. With Goa as their base, they used to travel to different parts of India, and even participate in courts. Some of their accounts are very interesting (often funny) because of their uneducated and euro-centric views of what they saw in India. Some Jesuits traveled to Akbars court, and spent years with him, in hope to convert him to Christian religion.
AKBAR AND THE JESUITS - AN ACCOUNT OF THE JESUIT MISSIONS TO THE COURT OF AKBAR, BY FATHER PIERRE DU JARRIC, S. J.; Translated with Introduction and Notes by C. H. Payne; 1930
Above book is written by one such missionary, and recounts his days with Akbar. Author makes several tall claims (like converting thousands upon thousands of people, and Akbar and his sons being about ready for conversion themself and so on), but we can take those humorousely. This particular account shows how Akbar must have been a clever man, who used these Jesuits for his own purpose, while these folks thought they have plans for Akbar!
Overall, this narrative throws light not only on some aspects of Akbar's time, but also on early Jesuits in India. Reads almost like a fiction.
Likewise, the following book is the account of another Jesuit fellow who traveled to Jahangir's court: JAHANGIR AND THE JESUITS by Father Guerreiro Fernao, S. J. Published 1930
AKBAR AND THE JESUITS - AN ACCOUNT OF THE JESUIT MISSIONS TO THE COURT OF AKBAR, BY FATHER PIERRE DU JARRIC, S. J.; Translated with Introduction and Notes by C. H. Payne; 1930
Above book is written by one such missionary, and recounts his days with Akbar. Author makes several tall claims (like converting thousands upon thousands of people, and Akbar and his sons being about ready for conversion themself and so on), but we can take those humorousely. This particular account shows how Akbar must have been a clever man, who used these Jesuits for his own purpose, while these folks thought they have plans for Akbar!
Overall, this narrative throws light not only on some aspects of Akbar's time, but also on early Jesuits in India. Reads almost like a fiction.
Likewise, the following book is the account of another Jesuit fellow who traveled to Jahangir's court: JAHANGIR AND THE JESUITS by Father Guerreiro Fernao, S. J. Published 1930