Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer
Prapti Mehra
The interest of the Mughal Emperors in Christianity, starting with Akbar, was reflected in many spheres like art, literature, festivals, traditions, etc. The Mughals did not just celebrate festivals like Diwali, Eid, and Nauroz, but also celebrated Christmas with great pomp and grandeur.
Christianity was introduced to the Mughal court in the reign of Akbar(1542 – 1605 CE), who was very much driven by his curiosity to know about the different philosophies, religions, and cultures and was fond of holding debates and discussions in his court. In 1579, he requested for a delegation of Jesuit missionaries to be sent from Goa to his court in order to learn about their religion. A delegation consisting of Fathers Rudolf Acquaviva, Francis Henrique (Persian-speaking Armenian who was a Muslim convert) and Anthony Monserratea, reached Fatehpur Sikri on the 28th of February 1580[1]. Impressed by the knowledge of the Jesuits, in February 1583, Akbar issued a farman stating that Christianity is ‘a manifestation of divine secrets’ and decided to give them a land grant for building a church on the outskirts of Agra by 1594, Akbar issued another farman giving the Jesuits permission to convert people. These were the beginning of the Christian influences and the assimilation of Christianity in the court and culture of the Mughal Empire and an elaborate process of cultural exchange.
With the establishment of churches in cities like Lahore and Agra, Christmas became a pompous affair, attracting not just the nobility but also locals belonging to different ethnicities and religions. Father Jerome Xavier, who arrived in Lahore in 1595 and remained at court until 1615, describes in his letters that he sent back to the Provincial in Goa how the Mughals celebrated Christmas at Lahore in 1597. He mentions how the cradle was prepared by Benedict De Goes and that the evening masses were arranged with great pomp. He also mentions a pastoral dialogue on the subject of the Nativity in Persian performed by some young people. In another letter, he describes the different kinds of decoration used for the Christmas crib, including the placement of angels at the gateway, a globe being carried on the back of two elephants, a large mirror in front of the crib along with a portrait of Jahangir. “Such was the crowd of spectators in those days that the cradle was kept open till the 8th day after Epiphany the fame of the spectacle spread through the town and brought even outsiders to see the sight,” writes father Xavier[2]. The Franciscan Annals mention how Akbar used to visit the church he got built in Agra on Christmas morning to look at the representation of the cave in which Christ was born and how the women of Mughal Zenana also visited the manger
Like his father, Jahangir(1569-1627 CE) was also fascinated with Christianity as a religion and Christian iconography, whose influence can be seen in the paintings made under his reign. Jahangir, during the reign of Akbar, used to attend Christmas festivities in both Lahore and Agra. An account mentions how he carried the Beeswax candle like a Bishop to the church[6]. Towards the end of his reign, during the last visit to Delhi in 1625-26, he was invited by the Armenian Christians who had two churches in Delhi (later destroyed by Nadir Shah in 1739) to attend the Christmas festivities. The Franciscan Annals mention how the Emperor was showered with rose petals and that many girls and boys used to be dressed up as angels. The churches also used to showcase a Christmas drama and the nativity scene. The Christmas celebrations were attended by not just the emperor but also several Rajput chieftains and Mughal officials. These festivities also attracted a lot of crowds; therefore imperial forces were employed to maintain order[7]. Historian R V Smith mentions in his book an incident that is another example of the cordial relations that both Akbar and Jahangir had with the Armenian Christians. When Jahangir visited Delhi in 1625-26, he was presented with 5 bottles of wine of Oporto by Khawaja Mortiniphus, who was an Armenian merchant. Jahangir was so impressed by this gesture that he decided to gift Khawaja Mortiniphus a precious Diamond brought from the Golconda mines. Mortiniphus then presented the diamond to his patron Mirza Zulquarnain (Armenian Christian who was also the Governor of Sambar, Rajputana, and is known as the ‘Father of Mughal Christianity’[8]), who got the diamond mounted on his ring, worn by him for the rest of his life.
While there are no paintings that depict how the Mughals participated in the Christmas festivities, however, such anecdotes and accounts give us an insight into the syncretic culture that was developed under the Mughal Empire, whose legacy lives on and can be felt and seen even in the present.
References
[1] https://www.dawn.com/news/1529169
[2] Malini Roy and Ursula Sims-Williams, Christmas at Lahore, 1597
https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2018/12/christmas-at-lahore-1597.html
[4] R.V Smith, Delhi Unknown Tale of a City, pp 38
[6] R.V Smith, Delhi Unknown Tale of a City, pp 38
[8] https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-why-there-is-no-saint-from-north-india/343077
Bibliography
Smith, R.V. “Jahangir’s Xmas Gift.” In Delhi Unknown Tale of a City, 37-39. 2015
Safvi, Rana. Madonna, Christ and Mughals Paintings. n.d. https://ranasafvi.com/christian-art-under-the-mughals/.
Sastri, M. L. Roy-Chowdhury and Roy Choudhry. “POSITION OF CHRISTIANS IN THE MUGHAL EMPIRE.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 1941: 347-353.
Sims-Williams, Malini Roy and Ursula. Christmas at Lahore, 1597. Dec 23, 2018. https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2018/12/christmas-at-lahore-1597.html (accessed dec 7th, 2022).
Smith, R.V. How Akbar And Jehangir Celebrated Christmas. Dec 2019. https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-how-akbar-and-jehangir-celebrated-christmas/344594.
Agra celebrates Christmas with fervor and festivities. dec 15, 2015. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agra/agra-celebrates-christmas-with-fervor-and-festivities/articleshow/50326890.cms (accessed dec 6th , 2022).
Why Is There No Saint From North India? Nov 26th, 2019. https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-why-there-is-no-saint-from-north-india/343077.
