A research scholar in an archive is reading two Mughal documents. The first is an imperial order of 1598. It allows a group of Christian fathers to build a house of prayer in a port city of Gujarat, so that they may engage in their own worship, and it adds that the emperor's order must be obeyed in every way. The second is a letter of 1661-62 from an emperor to a guru. With it the emperor sends a piece of cloth for a cloak and twenty five rupees as an offering, and offers to render any service the guru may ask for.
Which of the following correctly identifies the emperor who issued the order of 1598 and the people whose opposition he expected?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Akbar; the dignitaries of the city where the church was to be built
Option (1) Akbar; the Portuguese officials posted at Goa — Incorrect. Akbar is right, but the order makes no mention of Portuguese officials. It warns the dignitaries of the city itself against blocking the church.
Option (2) Jahangir; the dignitaries of the city where the church was to be built — Incorrect. The dignitaries are right, but the emperor is wrong. Jahangir came to the throne only after Akbar, and this farman was issued by Akbar.
Option (3) Akbar; the dignitaries of the city where the church was to be built — Correct. The order was a farman issued by Akbar in 1598. It told the dignitaries of Kambayat (Khambat) not to stand in the way of the Jesuit fathers, so these local notables were the people he expected to object.
Option (4) Jahangir; the Portuguese officials posted at Goa — Incorrect. Both parts are wrong. The farman came from Akbar, and its warning was meant for the dignitaries of Kambayat.
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