CHAP. VI. 1st. "The believers of Malabar were established in the most desirable and happy manner, by reason of the inconsiderable degree of oppression experienced from the rulers, who were acquainted with the ancient customs, and were kind to, and protectors of, the Mussulmans; and the subjects lived satisfied and contented; but, they sinned so, that God turned from them, and did, therefore, command the Europeans of Portugal, who oppressed and distressed the Mahomedan community by the commission of unlimited enormities, such as beating and deriding them; and sinking and stranding their ships; and spitting in their faces and on their bodies; and prohibiting them from performing voyages, particularly that to Mecca; and plundering their property, and burning their countries and temples; and making prizes of their ships; and kicking and trampling on their (the believers') books, and throwing them into the flames. They also endeavoured to make converts to their own religion, and enjoined churches of their own faith to be consecrated; tempting people, for these objects, with offers of money: and they dressed out their own women in the finest ornaments and apparel, in order, thereby, to deceive and allure the women of the believers. They did also put Haji's, and other Mussulmans, to a variety of cruel deaths; and they reviled and abused with unworthy epithets the prophet of God; and confined the Mahomedans, and loaded them with heavy irons, carrying them about for sale, from shop to shop, as slaves; enhancing their ill usage on these occasions, in order to extort the larger sum for their release. They confined them also, in dark, noisome, and hideous dungeons; and used to beat them with slippers, torturing them also with fire; and selling some into bondage, and retaining others in their servitude as slaves. On some they imposed the severest tasks, without admitting of the smallest relief or exemption. Others they transported into Guzerat, and into the Concan, and towards Arabia, being places which they themselves used to frequent, in the view, either of settling or sojourning therein, or of capturing vessels. In this way they accumulated great wealth and property, making captives also of women of rank, whom they kept in their houses till European issue was procured from them. These Portuguese did, in this manner, also seize on many Seyyuds, learned and principal men, whom they retained in confinement till they put them to death; thus prejudicing and distressing the Mussulmans in a thousand ways; so as that I have not a tongue to tell, or describe, all the mischiefs and mortifications attendant on such a scene of evil." 2nd. "After this they exerted their utmost efforts (which they had, indeed, from first to last) to bring the Mussulmans within the pale of their religion; and they made at length peace with them, for a consideration to be paid to them of ten in the hundred." 3rd. "The Mahomedans residing principally on the sea-coasts, it was customary for the newly-arrived Europeans (who used to resort annually to India at the appointed seasons) deridingly to ask the persons of their own nation, settled at the seaports, whether, and why, they (these settled Portuguese) had not yet done away the appearance of these people, the Mussulmans? reviling thereon their own chiefs, for not abolishing the Mahomedan religion; in the prosecution of which view the heads of the Portuguese desired Hakim of Cochin to expel the Mussulmans from his city, promising thereon, to prove themselves the means of his reaping double the profit which accrued to him from their traffic ; but the Hakim of Cochin answered, These are my subjects from days of old; and it is they who have erected my city; so that it is not possible for me to expel them." 2 3. From this extract it is seen, that their treatment of the other natives of India, was no better than their conduct towards the poor defenceless Christians. Their tyranny none but bondmen could endure: and the resentment it provoked was such as might be expected from men who knew their title to be free, and their power to maintain their right. Their indignation cannot be better described than in the words of Hidalcaon, a Mahomedan prince to the North, who laid siege to Goa in the year 1570. Both in his letters to the Viceroy, Don Luis d'Ataide, and in the address that he made to his officers, when he first communicated to them his design to drive the Portuguese out of India, he assigned the violence and injustice of which they had been guilty, as the chief causes of the war. 66 In his first letter to the Viceroy, after having complained of some other grievances, he tells him, that "he was certainly informed, that at "Ormus, Dio, Chaul, and all the other Portuguese ports, his subjects' ships were all strictly searched, and all the boys and girls that were found on board, of whatsoever quality, Abyssinians or Mahomedans, were forcibly car"ried ashore, and there detained from their 66 parents or masters. This, saith he, is a "matter that I cannot but be extremely of 2 Asiatic Researches, Vol. v. pp. 20, 21. 66 fended with; neither can I judge otherwise "of your permitting such acts of violence, but "that you have a mind to break with me, for "if if you had not, I cannot be persuaded that "your people durst presume to commit such "insults." 66 66 He goes on, Let it suffice that no differ"ence can happen between us, but what gives "me great displeasure, and that I am both a "brother and an ally of the King of Portugal; " and do esteem you as my particular friend, to put a stop to this matter, that so my subjects may have no further cause to complain thereof. Besides, I am confident the King of Portugal "will not thank any, that shall be instrumental "in making a breach between me and him, by "compelling my subjects thus against their "wills to turn Christians, a practice, saith he, "that is abominable in the sight of all the "world; nay, I am confident, that Jesus Christ "himself, the God whom you adore, cannot be "well pleased with such service as this: force "and compulsion in all such cases, being what "God, Kings, and all the people of the world "do abominate. The work of turning people "from one religion to another, if it be not done by "the divine inspiration, and the immediate will "of God, can never be sincere, neither can con"verts have any inward respect for a religion, "which they are compelled to profess. I do, therefore, entreat you to see that this matter "be speedily redressed; but, especially that of taking peoples' children from them by vio"lence, which is a thing I stand amazed at, " and am in duty bound to see remedied." In his second letter, he thanks the viceroy for an order which he had sent to Ormus, and A. D. 1570. CHAP. 66 the other Portuguese ports, prohibiting all such violence, but at the same time tells him, that his "order was not in the least regarded; for that "the Portuguese, notwithstanding, went on "still in their former courses, to which he tells "him, if there were not a speedy and effectual stop put, it must necessarily beget a war be"twixt him and the Portuguese; adding, that "as he knew that neither God, nor wise Kings, "took any delight in discords, so he was cer"tain that there was no religion in the world, "that justified the forcing of people from one religion to another." 66 In his speech to his officers, he tells them, "The Portuguese at first came among us, "under the character of merchants, promis ing to help us to several goods that we "wanted; but that afterwards, by making of "trifling presents to some weak princes, and "other arts, they had obtained leave to build "store houses, for their wares, upon the coast; "but that instead of warehouses, they had "built fortresses, by which means they had strengthened themselves so in India, both by sea and land, that it was more than time "for the natives to look abont them, and to 66 join together to extirpate such cruel tyrants, "and ravagers of so many kingdoms, and ene"mies to the general quiet and commerce of "the world; and that for one thing espe"cially, which was what no patience was able "to endure, their compelling the Indians in all "places, where they had power, to change their "religion." In these transactions the Christians and the Mahomedan seem to have changed characters, the Mahomedan writing like a Christian, and the |