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. Indonesian-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. Father. Portuguese Jesuit in India. Arrived in India in 1560 as a soldier, but soon turned to religion and joined the S.J. In charge of the Mission in Madurai from 1595, he became Roberto De Nobili’s superior, but strongly opposed to the new methods of…
DU JARRIC, Pierre. Toulouse 2.3.1566 — Saintes (Charente-Maritime) 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. Vila Verde, Viseu (?), Portugal 1496? — Ribeira de Litém near Pombal 20.10.1570. Portuguese Humanist, Civil Servant, and Contemporary Historian of Early Colonial India. Illegitimate son of nobleman Lopo de Barros from Northern Portugal. Attracted attention of the court with his literary products. In 1522 he was sent to…
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). Antwerpen 1581 (not 1593) — buried the Hague 15.12.1649. Flemish Geographer, Philologist and Naturalist, who wrote from secondary sources a well known book on India. Son of a cloth merchant, Hans de Laet, who as a protestant fled to north in 1584, when the…
STEPHENS (Stevens), Thomas (Thomaz/Tomás Estevão/Estevam/Esteves, also known as Padre Busten/Buston). Bushton, Wiltshire 1549 (?) — Salcete 1619. S.J. British Missionary in India. Early Marathi scholar and author. Son of merchant Thomas and Jane St. Educated in Winchester, perhaps studied at Oxford. Adopting Catholic faith he went to Rome and joined Jesuits…