MONSERRATE, Antonio de (Antoni de Montserrat). Vic, Barcelona 1536? — Salsette 26.10.1605. Father. S.J. Spanish (Catalan) Missionary in India. Joined S.J. 1556, studied at Coimbra, then served in Lisbon and left for India in 1574. Together with Rodolpho Aquaviva and Francisco Enriques he travelled in 1569 to Surat and to Fatehpur where Akbar was interested of hearing of their religion. However, a public debate with the Mullahs did not convince the emperor. Disappointed — and themselves ununderstanding and prejudicious — the Jesuits returned to Goa in 1583. In 1589 attempted to enter Ethiopia, but was captured by Arabs and spent seven years as captive in Yemen. His forgotten manuscript was found by Henry Hosten in Calcutta.
Publications: Relaçam do Equebar, Rei dos Mogores. (Equebar = Akbar) – written 1582, not published, but later included in his larger work in Latin.
– Ed. by H. Hosten: “Mongolicae Legationis Commentarius”, MASI 9, 1914, 534-689, the same translated by H. Hosten in The Catholic Herald of India 1920-21.
Sources: *H. Hosten, “Fr. A.M. on Salsete, Chorâo, Divar and the Molucas (1579)”, JASB 18, 1922, 349-369; Oaten 1909, 90ff.; French Wikipédia with further references.
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