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…
FRANÇOIS-MARIE DE TOURS (Francesco Maria Da Tours, Franciscus M. Turonensis). 16?? — Patna ?.5.1709. Father. French Capuchin Missionary in India and Tibet. Worked first as Capuchin Missionary in Diarbekir, Turkey, came to India in 1680. Worked in Pondicherry and Surat, in 1701 left for Europe. Arrived at France 1702, 1703-04 in Rome…
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…
CINNOMA, Leonardo. 1??? — 1644. Father. Catholic Missionary in India. Publications: A grammar and dictionary of Kannaḍa, publ. Goa 1674 (some say 1774), some religious works. Sources: The work often briefly mentioned, e.g. in V.K. Gokak, Literatures in Modern Indian Languages. Delhi 1967, 107. These may all hail from one…
BOUCHET, Jean Venant. 1655 — 1732. S.J. French Missionary in Thailand and India. First in Thailand, when the Jesuits were forced to leave in 1688 entered Madurai mission. Following Roberto de Nobili’s methods lived as a sannyāsin. In 1704-10 in Rome defending the Jesuit missionary tactics. In 1710-32 Supérior of…
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.…
BLIN, Amédée. 1799? — 18??. French Colonial Officer. Still in Paris, he had some months attended the Hindustani classes of Garcin de Tassy. From 1823 (if not earlier) served in Pondichéry (1831 mentioned as Lieutenant of the Cypahi Battalion). His dictionary is “dédié à Mr. le Ministre de la Marine”.…
SÃO MIGUEL, Gaspar de. 1595? — 1647. Born in Portugal. Franciscan priest and missionary in India. Publications: Manuscript works: Arte da lingoa Canarim (lost?); Dictionarium et ars lingua Canarinae; Vocabulario da Lingua Portugues e Canari. – A collection of sermons; an apologetic work describing and refuting Hindu religion (also manuscripts?).…
LAET, Joannes de (Latin: Ioannes Latius). 1581 (not 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, Hans de Laet, who as a protestant fled to north, when the Spanish took the town. Educated…