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AUGUST, 1916)
THE HISTORY OF THE NAIK KINGDOM OF MADURA
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aisles with columns of black granite, it had a very elegant interior and was much suited to excite devotion.
The new danger from Christians. The building of the church was followed by important events. First there came in September 1610, another Missionary, Antonio Vico, to assist De Nobilis. Secondly, the Parava and other low caste converts thronged to see the new church ; and the people 88 well as "the converts" of De Nobilis found out that the latter was "& Parangi.” At once there was a huge outory. The so-called Christians stopped away from the church. New conversions ceased, and it required the liveliest efforts of De Nobilis to restore confi. dence. He issued a notice denying that he was a Parangi, and stating that he "was not born on their soil; nor am I allied to their race. I was born in Rome; my family are of the rank of noble Rajas in that country. The holy spiritual law does not oblige a man to renounce his caste. He who says this law is peculiar to Paravans or Parangis lies." This communication diminished the panic and, together with the friendly endeavour of Erumaikatti, kept the progress of Christianity out of danger from the Hindus. But new dangers soon arose. This time they came not from the Hindus, but from the Christians themselves, and this takes us to the next reign. "
SECTION JII. The advent of the European Nations in the Southorn Seas. The reign of Muttu Krishnappa did not only see the establishment of the Jesuit mission, but also the coming of the rival European nations in South India. The Portuguese had been the dominant people in the East and monopolised its trade; but in the 17th century they were destined to go down in the race for commercial supremacy consequent on the rise of the two Protestant nations, the Dutch and the English, It was in June 1595 that Cornelius Houtman" rounded the Cape and laid the foundations of the Dutch commercial greatness in the East. From that time onward the Dutch sailors and merchants distinguished themselves by attacking their Iberian rivals in the Indian waters and carrying away immense spoils. A brilliant succession of victories led to the establishment in 1602 of the Dutch East India Company with the privilege of trade monopoly in the East. The achievement of the Company was both rapid and steady. During the very first year of its life its men landed in Ceylon and succeeded, in the face of Portuguese 64 jealousy and hostility, in entering into an alliance with the king of Kandy. Within the next five years they erected factories, after occasional failures, over an area ranging over a thousand miles," at Mocha, Cambay, Malabar, Ceylon, Coromandel, Bengal, Arakan, Pegu, Sumatra, Java, Kamboje, Siam, Cochin-china, Tonguin, China and Japan." These victories made the Portuguese more
53 See Rea's Monumental Remains of the Dutch East India Company, based on the Madras, Malabar and other Manuals.
54 The Portuguese had first come to Ceylon in 1505. "Their first visit was only temporary, but in 1617 they appeared again with a floet, built a fort at Colombo, and finally forced the king of Ceylon to acknowledge himself a vaseal of Portugal, and to pay an annual tribute of cinnamon, rubies, sapphires and elephants. Hostilities, however, soon recommenced, and continued during the whole period of the Portuguese occupation of the island. In 1597 died Don Juan Dharmapaula, who had been baptized by the Portuguese, and had afterwards obtained the throne of Ceylon. Ho bequeathed his dominions to Philip II, by which act the Portuguese acquired their title to the sovereignty of the island." Madras Manual. p. 118.
