HENRIQUES, Henrique (-quez, Anrique Anriquez, Aṇṭiṟīkku Aṭikaḷār). Vila Viçosa, Evora 1520 — Punnaikkayal 6.2.1600. S.J. Portuguese Priest and Missionary, in India 1546-1600. Rejected by Franciscans because of his Jewish background he studied Canon Law at Coimbra and in 1545 joined the S.J. In 1546 ordained as a priest and sailed…
GONÇALVEZ, Diogo. Vila Real 1561 — Quilon (Kollam) 1640. S.J. Portuguese Jesuit Missionary in India. Joined the S.I. in 1583. Arrived at Goa in 1591, worked in Quilon. Criticized Roberto De Nobili’s new methods of mission and wrote about Hinduism in 1615. Knew Sanskrit and Malayālam. Publications: Historia do Malavar,…
GODINHO DE ERÉDIA, Manuel. Malacca 16.7.1563 — 1623. Malay-Portuguese Author and Cartographer. Son of João de Erédia Aquaviva, an officer of Aragonese-Italian background and Dona Elena Vessiva (d. 1575), a noblewoman from Sulawesi. Educated at Jesuit school in Malacca and at Jesuit College in Goa, trained in astronomy, cartography and…
FERNANDEZ, Gonçalo. 1541 — 1619/21. Portuguese Jesuit in India. Arrived at India in 1560. In charge of the Mission in Madurai from 1595, he became Roberto De Nobili’s superior, but strongly opposed to the new methods of mission suggested by him. Himself wrote about Hinduism in 1616. He did not…
DU JARRIC, Pierre. Toulouse 2.3.1566 — Saintes 1617. S.J. French Historian of Mission. Joined Jesuits in 1582. When his hope to become a missionary was not accepted he turned to writing mission history. Ordained priest he taught many years philosophy and moral theology in Bordeaux. Beside mission his work contains…
CORSALI, Andrea. Florence 29.6.1487 — 15??. Italian Traveller. Son of Giovanni C., had good education. In the service of de Medicis he went to India in a Portuguese ship in 1515 and sent to Giuliano and Lorenzo de Medici two letters describing the lands and people. First in Goa, visited…
BOCARRO, Antonio. Abrante (or Lisbon?) 1594? — Goa 1643?. Portuguese Historian and Geographer. Son of New Christian parents (with Jewish background). In 1615-38 served in India, first as soldier in Goa and Cochin, finally as corretor-mor of customs in Goa, but also official historiographer in 1631-43. Married 1624 Isabel Vieira.…
BARROS, João de. Viseu (?), Portugal 1496? — São Lourenço 20.10.1570. Portuguese Humanist, Civil Servant, and Contemporary Historian of Early Colonial India. Attracted attention of the court with his literary products. In 1522 he was sent to Guinea by João III, then treasurer 1525-28. In charge of Casa da India…
PEREIRA, António Pinto. 15?? — 1587. S.J. Portuguese Historian of India. From Mogadour, Bragança. Apparently secretary of an officer in Goa. His work dealing with the contemporary history of Portuguese in India was published only posthumously. Publications: História da Índia no tempo em que a Governou o Visorei Dom Luís…
LAET, Joannes de (Latin: Ioannes Latius). 1581 or 1593 — buried 15.12.1649. Flemish Geographer, Philologist and Naturalist, who wrote from secondary sources a well known book on India. Son of a cloth merchant from Antwerpen, he was student of Erpenius and Scaliger at Leiden. Worked as merchant, in 1620 one…