A Passage from India in 1701: Some Notes on an Unknown Fragment of a travel diary found in Harleian Or. MS. 5458/5459

November 8, 2015

The first segment of Harleian Manuscript, Oriental 5459, “Apocryphal History, Armenian” has about thirty or forty folios of a work that is a continuation of a Persian and Turkish manuscript 5458, titled “Kitab i Shahidi.” The bulk of this collection (No. 5459) is in Armenian and consists of more than two-hundred folios in Armenian script written in clear notrgir or “notarial hand” on a variety of topics mostly of an apocryphal nature. The work has a few illuminations and drawings of birds, flowers, and crosses. A collection known as Oskep‘orik‘, this manuscript includes dozens of titles such as “History of Adam’s expulsion from Paradise” (Patmut‘iwn Adama i drakhten elanelu),”History of the Capture, Torture, and Crucifixion of Christ” (Patmut‘iwn embernelun, charcharanats‘ ev khachelut‘ean K‘ristosi], and “This is the History of Constantine the King” (Ays ē patmut‘iwn konstandianosi t‘agavorin]. It also has numerous short texts from a few lines to a page, some of which appear to be fragments added later. One such fragment is of particular interest to scholars of the Indian Ocean and of the Armenian presence there. It is a one-page fragment probably torn from a longer travel diary of the scribe who copied the rest of the collection of apocrypha. The scribe-merchant identifies himself in his colophon written in Chinapatan (Madras) in 1698 as a sinful merchant named Paron Malēr (Պարոն Մալէր) son of Ohannes from Julfa who was a resident of Madras at the time of copying and adorning this compilation of religiously devotional apocryphal tracts. Below, I provide a very provisional transcription and translation of both the one-page diary fragment that Paron Malēr probably scribbled on his tumultuous voyage from Calcutta to London on board an unnamed East Indiaman ship in 1701 (see image below) as well as the colophon to the manuscript he copied in Madras two years before he embarked on his voyage. (image below) The value of this travel diary fragment lies in the fact that it is the only known text of its kind written by an Armenian traveling from India to London at such an early date when the English capital had but a handful of Armenian merchants many presumably with connections to India. When read with the rest of the apocryphal texts that accompanied Paron Malēr on his voyage, the text reproduced below may help shed light on the deeply religious and superstitious mental world of most Julfan (as well as other) merchants. Moreover, if Sukias Baronian (the first cataloger of Armenian manuscripts at the British Library) is correct that Malēr was making “Biblical extracts” using Oscan’s printed Bible of 1666, it would also indicate the wide arc and influence of Armenian printing in Amsterdam on shaping the ways Armenians in India viewed the world.

Transcription:

Թվին 1703 ում առի էս տէտրես պարոն մալէրէն որ իշաթակէ։ մարտիրոսի որդի [Աստուածատուրի որդի] խաչատուրիս իզմիրցի

Աստուծով Թիւն փոքր ձզ [86+1615=1701] ովդան իբ [22] քումն կալկաթուց ազիցբեվայ՞՞ ելայ ովդան լօ [30] ումն եկինք նավի գլուխն աստուծով նիրհան գ [3] ումն աղու՞հացի պաք բ [2] շաբաթ օր ըն լանկար վեռինք դաբի ընկռթէրն [inglaterra] աստուած սլամաթ և՞ծիլ մուրատն՞ խասացանի ամէն
Աստուծով թիւն փոքր ձէ [87+1615=1702] ադամ զ [6] ումն կափո բօնըսբրանցն [capo Buona Esperanza, Cape of Good Hope] տեսինք գնացինք դաբի սանթալին [saint Helena] ի բարին ամէն
Աստուծով իը [28] ումն սանթալին լանկար գձեցինք սիտնի նավն դ [4] օրէր որ սանթալինուց արկաթէր վեռէլ դաբի ընկռթէլն աստուած սլամաթ թէ քնայ խասնի ամէն

Աստուծով նախայ իբ [22] քումն սանթալինուց լանկար վեռինք ժե [15] նավով որէ զ [6] թագվորական զ [6] ղուռսան դապի ընկռթէլն. ի բարին. տէր յիսուս էս նեղութիւնիցս զմեզ ազատիր շուտով սլամաթ թէքանայ՞ խասացուր էսյիսուս միածին դամք ես քոյ ըստեղծած …

I Astuatsatur [or Khachatur*] son of Martiros of Izmir received this book as a memorial from Baron Malēr in the year 1703.
With the help of God, in the year 86 of the small calendar [+1615=1701] on 22 Ovdan [February 5] I left Calcutta and on Ovdan 30 [February 13], we boarded the ship. With God’s help, on Monday (day of the salt and bread fast?) Nirhan 3 [February 16] we lifted anchor towards England. May God make us reach there in safety, Amen. With the help of God in the year 87* of the small calendar [i.e., 1702] on 6 Adam [25 April] we saw the Cape of Good Hope and went towards Saint Helena in peace, Amen. With God on the 28th day we dropped anchor at Saint Helena and it had been four days since the ship Sydney*** had lifted anchor for England. May God will it that it goes and safely reaches there, Amen.

With the help of God, on 22 Nakha [10 July] we lifted anchor from Saint Helena and sailed toward England with a convoy of fifteen ships which were six royal ships and six corsairs. Lord Jesus the only-begotten one, rescue us soon from these tribulations and lead us to…****

*There is some confusion here as to whether the author of this note was Khachatur son of Martiros of Izmir or his brother Astuatsatur son of Martiros. Both men are recorded as residing in London at the time and were part of the city’s tiny Armenian community of merchants some of whom were from Smyrna or Izmir while others were of Julfan origins. See samples of correspondence from this group stored in Harleyan MS. 7013. The following letter, for instance is addressed to both brothers as well as their third sibling, Arakel. See image three below.
** Azaria year 87 is surely a scribal error for 86, since it usually took East India Company vessels about three months to reach the Cape of Good Hope from Calcutta and another three months to return to London.
***A 750 tons, 120 crew, 40 guns East Indiaman named the Sidney, commanded by a certain Captain Lewis Whitwell is recorded as making a voyage from Bengal to Saint Helena and thence to London in 1700-1702 period. For the ship’s papers and logbook, see BL, IOR/L/MAR/A/CXII. It appears that our diarist, Paron Malēr, was on another ship that had arrived in Saint Helena shortly after the Sidney had already left for England. Paron Malēr’s unnamed ship had spent almost two and a half months at Saint Helena island giving the crew and passengers time to rest and recover.
****The diary entry abruptly breaks off without mentioning when the vessel carrying Paron Malēr dropped anchor in London Harbor. Since Mr. Khatchatur son of Martiros received the book of Paron Malēr’s manuscript sometime in 1703 presumably in London, we can assume that our God-fearing voyager had reached the English capital safely or in Salamat as he had prayed for.

On folio 201 of the manuscript, Paron Malēr opens up and reveals more about himself in the colophon he penned after he had carefully copied or compiled this odd manuscript in Madras in the year 1698, that is two years before he must have traveled north to Calcutta to board an unnamed vessel for London or Inglaterra to use his formulation. The colophon indicates that Paron Malēr probably like many other merchants of the period was deeply religious, God-fearing, and ultimately concerned not only about accumulating earthly riches but in safeguarding the salvation of his soul. Perhaps one function of copying this gathering of apocryphal works was so that the stories contained in them could keep him company during his perilous voyage across the worlds of the Indian Ocean and Atlantic. Here is how he describes his scribal activity in the colophon:

Հայրք եւ եղբարք իմ պատուէլի որ սիրելի էք ի քրիստոսի խնդրեմ ձեզանէ արտասուալի զիս մեղաւոր մալէրս եւ իմ ծնօղնք յիշման արժանի առէք կամ մի բէրան հայր մեզի միթէ քրիստոս մեզ եւ ձեզ ողորմի կարողութեամբ քրիստոսի աւարտեցաւ բանիս՞ աստուածայսիրու է ծաղիկ ամեն գրոց քարոց բանից նախայհարց եւ նայհայպետաց մարգարէից եւ իմաստնայ սէր վարդայպետաց եւ է գովելի լսողաց եւ կարդայցողաց եւ բանալի է արքայութեան եւ է կշեռ եւ իմացում. մտացս մարդկային բնունթեանս. Մեր կեանքն է գետոց .նման անդատարկայ ի գնացման կամ արեգակն իրնթացման որ պատէ զաշխարս ի լրման քան զայս այլ փութով գնամք լինեմք անհատական. Եւս մեղաւոր եւ անարժան ամենայնի ոտաց .կոխան վասն աստուծոյ զիս արարէք յիշման արժան. ի սուրբ տեղաց եւ որք լիցիք կանգնեալք որ կամ միշտ ի մեղացէ անդարձական զմեղաւոր մալէրս եւ շրջիմ ի քաղաքս ի յօտարակայն վասն յընչից ի մեղացական. անպէտ հոգոյս անեզրական կամ ի սուրբ տեղաց մոլորական եւ ընկերաց որոշական ի սուրբ ծնեալ. աւազանաւն որ է մաքրակայն յուս եւ ապաւէն եւ անօգնակայն միշտ արտասուիմ եւ ոչ գտանիմ հանգստակայն միթէ քրիստոս լինի ինձ օգնակայն. Ով սիրելիք ի տէր եթէ կարդացող ով կամ օրինակելով խնդրեմ ձեզանէ որ գրողաց սորին զմալէրն եւ ծնողքն իւր զհայրն եւ զմայրն զնանայջայնն եւ զհայրն ոհաննէսնին մեղացն թողութիւն խնդրէք եւ մին բերան ողորմի տացուք եւ դուք յիշեայլք լինիջիք ի տէր յաւուրն դատաստանին քրիստոսի Արդ գրեցաւ ի յաշխարն հնդկաց ի փոքր քաղաք որ կոչի չինիփաթայն եւ է օթեւանն իմ իըսպահայն որ մէծ եւ հռչակ ի հայաստան եւ ի ջուղան եւ է առաջնորդն մեր հոգեւոր եպիսկոպոս տր… եւ է սրբայզան եւ առաքելաշնորհ Եւ է իշխօղ եւ իշխան քրիստոսասէր զպարոն ղոգազն եւ ինքնէ գովելի եւ հռչակ մեծայմեծաց եւ խօսակից թագաւորաց եւ ի պարծանս քրիստոսայսիրաց Արդ եղեւ թիւն փոքր ձգ [83+1615=1698] նադար ամսին իե [25] ումն

Honorable fathers and brothers who are loved ones in Christ, I beseech you with tearful eyes to consider me the sinful Malēr and my parents worthy of saying together a prayer for us, so that perhaps Christ may have compassion on us and you all. Through the means of Christ, this God-loving work was completed. It is a gathering from all the works of preaching of the forefathers and patriarchs, of the prophets and wisdom-loving doctors of theology and is praiseworthy for listeners and readers and is a key for the kingdom [of God?] and is a scale for and means of understanding for human nature [?]. Our life resembles rivers in that it is constantly flowing, or it is like the sun in the course of its rotation around the world except for its quickness […]***** I the sinful and worthless one, downtrodden by all–for the sake of God make me worthy of remembrance when you happen to stop off in holy places. I Malēr the sinner am sinful beyond redemption and am a wanderer through foreign cities for the sake of sinful wealth that is interminable [in nature] and useless for my soul, who have strayed away from certain companions and holy places, but was born near the sacred basin [i.e., was baptized?], which is a pure source of hope and a refuge [for me] who helplessly always weeps and finds no resting place. Perhaps, Christ will be my succor. Oh, my loved ones in the Lord, I entreat you whether you are reading or copying this work to make a prayer and ask for the remission of the sins of Malēr, the writer of this work, and his parents, his father and mother, Nanajan, and father Ohannes so that you too may be remembered by the Lord on the day of the Judgment of Christ. Now, this was written in the land of India in the small city called Chinipatan, a refuge for me, who am from Ispahan, which is great and famous in Armenia, and from Julfa where our spiritual primate is the Bishop Ter….who is his Holiness and is endowed with the gifts of the apostles. And the ruling prince is the Christ-loving Paron Ghukas***** who is praiseworthy and famous among governors and a companion of kings and is the pride of all who love Christ. Now this was [written] in the year of the small era 83 on the 25 of the month of Nadar. [September 11, 1698]

***** My translation here is uncertain. I am grateful to Merujan Karapetyan for reading over this line with me.

****** This must be Ghukas son of Petros who ruled the township of New Julfa as a kalantar or mayor in the 1692-1703 period. See Vazken Ghougasian, The Emergence of the Armenian Diocese of New Julfa in the Seventeenth Century, (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1998), 294.