Overview

In 1579, Akbar, the Great Mughal, as the Indian emperor of the Turkish-Mongolian dynasty of Muslim origin was known in the West, invited some Jesuit theologians, bearing the sacred texts of Christianity, to his court. This was perhaps an unprecedented episode in history, as it was rather unusual for the ruler of an Islamic state to wish to host missionaries clearly motivated by specific evangelical intentions. Indeed, Muslims firmly believe that Islam is the natural religion of man, and, as such, their consequent disinterest in other faiths is a continuous thread running through many countries of Islamic influence. Despite inevitable difficulties, the Church has never given up on its work of promoting Christianity; a right, however, that could hardly be recognised by a sultan. The precise purpose of this volume is to identify the reasons that led a Muslim emperor, such as Akbar, to request the presence of Jesuits at his own court. In the wake of blinding and misleading optimism in the West, there was talk of the Great Mughal’s imminent conversion to Christianity. In reality, the reasons behind his invitation were anything but this, though they were still somewhat surprising.

Full Product Details

Author:   Youri Martini
Publisher:   Manohar Publishers and Distributors
Imprint:   Manohar Publishers and Distributors
Weight:   0.600kg
ISBN:  

9789360800970

ISBN 10:   936080097
Pages:   200
Publication Date:   30 April 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations 10 Foreword 11 Preface to the Italian Edition 15 Introduction 19 1. The Jesuits at the Mughal Court: An Atypical Mission 23 Portuguese and missionaries in India 23 The surprising initiative 25 Theological disputes 26 The sovereign as master and guide of the faithful 28 The translation office 31 The role of the Jesuits 33 Akbar and the Portuguese 34 Akbar and Christianity 38 2. The First and Second Missions at Akbar’s Court Choice of missionaries 48 Journey to Fatehpur Sikri 49 Initial stages of the first mission 52 The first theological debates 53 Akbar’s cordial hospitality The Jesuits and Abu’l-Fadl Akbar changes his attitude The Kabul campaign 60 Last stages of the first mission The conflict between the Mughals and the Portuguese Mughal embassy in Europe and the departure of Monserrate 63 Acquaviva’s last period in Fatehpur Sikri 64 The second mission 65 Akbar’s invitation and the beginning of the mission Sudden conclusion of the mission 68 3. Akbar and Religion The Jesuits and the conversion of the Great Mughal Distortion of information 78 A miracle for conversion 81 Akbar’s religious policy 82 A religious policy inspired by the Sufi principle of Sulh-i-kul 84 Akbar’s antinomianism 86 The relativization of Islam 88 The contribution of the Jesuits 89 Muhammad and the Koran 91 4. The Third Jesuit Mission at Akbar’s Court Request for new missionaries 100 Missionary personnel 102 Jerome Xavier 102 Manoel Pinheiro 104 Bento de Go?is 104 Journey to Akbar’s court 105 Religious freedom in Mughal India 107 In the emperor’s entourage 109 Jerome Xavier: A Jesuit courtier to the Mughals Journey to Kashmir 112 The military campaign in the Deccan 114 The last years of Akbar 118 The Christian communities of Lahore and Agra Rebellion of Prince Salim 119 Akbar’s death 119 End of the Mughal mission 121 5. Missionary Activities Resistance to conversion 128 The Hindus 128 The Muslims 129 Missionary methods 132 Christian subjects in Mughal painting 134 The use of sacred images as a useful tool for religious instruction 135 The Jesuits and the defence of sacred images 136 The Great Mughal’s interest in the realistic style 137 Christian art at the service of the sovereign’s legitimization 139 Jesus and the Apostles 141 A Christian literature in Persian 143 A ‘Life of Jesus’ in Persian 145 Xavier’s anti-Islamic apologetics 146 The Holy Trinity and the Divinity of Christ The accusation of tahrif 149 ‘Islamic superiority’? 150 Muhammad: ‘Seal of Prophecy’? 6. Conclusion 165 Bibliography 169 Index 181

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Author Information

Youri Martini, a graduate in History from the University of Genoa and in Religious Studies from Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, teaches in the Italian secondary school system. His research focuses on the Jesuit missions in Mughal India and the religious policy of Emperor Akbar, exploring the intersections of theology, diplomacy, and imperial authority in early modern Indo-European encounters.

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