Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Moncoes do Reino (Monsoon Correspondence)

India and Portugal Sign A Historical agreement to promote Cooperation in The Field of Archives (June 20, 2017).

One of the more difficult things I had to do for my dissertation find and read documents in Portuguese (not my best language). As it turned out, most of the documents I needed were available at the British Library. But I always wanted more — surely, somewhere there were more direct discussions of Jai Singh and his embassy to Portugal via Goa. I meant to one day hit the archives in Lisbon to look for more. But I guess I don't need to do that, as the Moncoes do Reino exist in digital form. From the press release:

"These volumes were originally part of over 456 volumes that cover the period from 1568 to 1914 and form the largest of all record collections in the Goa State Archives.  The collection consists of direct correspondence from Lisbon to Goa and is important primary source for the study of the Portuguese expansion in Asia, their trade rivalries with the Arabs and European powers and their relations with neighbourings Kings in South Asia and East Asia."

Still, I'd like to go to Lisboa to look at the originals. After my Portuguese improves.