Satguru Ram Das Settled A Christian Dyer in Chak- Ram-Das, 1578
Talking to me in the library of Govt. Mohindra College, Patiala,in 1980, Dr. Ganda Singh recalls from his memory the talks that took place between him and Prof. Sahib Singh in Amriitsar.Prof. Sahib Singh told Dr. Ganda Singh that.Satguru Ram Das helped a Christian dyer named Julianes Pereira keeping in view the theory of "Sarbat -Da-Bhalla" of Satguru Nanak Sahib.But these two Panthic personalities did not get his name from the contemporary books in the period of Satguru Ram Das Sahib.Dr.Ganda Singh ordered me and Sardar Sukhdev Singh Sekhon, the librarian, to read all the contemporary books.After 31 years, I have been able to find the required reference. That reference is ready for your kind information.
Julianus Pereira was a priest, but his parents had a profession of Dying.Page No. 214 of" Akbar and Jesuits", by C.H. Payne,published by George Routledge & sons, Ltd., London, 1926), says---" The first Jesuit Mission arrived at Fatehpur( now called Agra) in February, 1580.Two years before this, Akbar had been visited by a Christian priest named Julianess Pereira,the Vicar-General in Bengal, whose" zeal in explaning the law of Gospel, together with the excellence of his conduct, disposed Akbar to regard our faith with increasing favour"(Relacam). According to Father Hosten, however, this priest was not a Jesuit.This made Julianess Pereira very frustrated. Akbar was in Lahore at that time. Pereira did not return to Bengal.He visited Chak Guru Ram Das.He listened from others that Satguru Ram Das is settling the skilled persons of various occupations.He decided to settle in the profession of his parents.He settled in the profession of Dying.He was expert in the use of indigo( Neel). At that time, Sikhs used to wear blue clothes. Blue Siropa ware given to all Sikhs and the colour of Nishan Sahib (ref."Sikh Kaun Han ?, by Harjinder Singh Dalgir).Mr. John Newberry stayed with Julianess Pereira in September,1585 and meditated there.The whole incident is like this.Mr. Newberry and Ralph Fitch were the Head and Deputy-Head of the mission of Queen Elizabeth.Newberry left Agra on 28 September 1585. He was to make for home by way of Lahore," determined from thence to go for Persia(Iran) and then for Aleppo or Constantinpole( Istanbul, Turkey), and on by a ship to England. Newberry, as head of the mission, directed Fitch to go for Bengala and for Pegu and did promise me (Fitch), if pleased God, to meet me in Bengala within two years. But God did not please. Newberry never reached England, and nothing is known of what happened to him.This book however clear that he passed Sarhind and after that nothing is known about him.(ref. Ralf Fitch-Elizabethan in The Indies, by Michael Edwards, published by Faber And Faber, 3,Queen Square,London,1972.
Julianess Pereira lived upto 1613.There is another incident which needs our special attention. Wiliam Finch was the courtier of Jahagir.The page no.31 of European Travellers Under the Mughals (1580-1627), by Mohammed Azhar Ansari, published by Idarah-i Adbabiyat-i-delli,Delhi, 1988.this book says---`` He landed in Surat with Hawkins in August 1608 A.D.Finch returned to Agra but was sent to Lahore to sell the purchased indigo.He travelled via Dihli, Ambala,Sultanpur(Sultanpur Lodhi), reching Lahore in February 1611.He had to stay there till August.Then he received a call from Hawkins to return.As there was little prospect in the local market for the sale of Indigo.On return to Sultanpur.as he went about 17 miles he came accross a Gurdwara named Sihra Sahib.Almighty Satguru Hargobind Sahib came from the village Dalla(Satguru,s In-laws).William Finch went to the Gurdwara Sahib for food .On being asked by Baba Bidhi Chand, he told that the market of Indigo was not good in Lahore.Baba Bidhi chand purchased the whole quantity of indigo(about two sacks).``Hakwins suspected foul play on the part of Finch.He secretly directed a Jesuit to arrest.------When the secret of his arrest leaked out, Finch became furious and declared that hence forward he will not see the face of Hawkins.Thus he refused to travel by sea when he was invited by Jourdain to do so.Therefore, he travelled by land to England.He fell ill at Baghdad and Died.Before reaching Baghdad, he stayed with Julianess Pereira ans Newberry for some days in Chak-Guru-Ram Das. Sirdar Karam Singh Historian is fully write in concluding that our history is scattered in the libraries of Berlin, Paris and London etc( ref pp 45 of" Itihasik Khoj", by Karam Singh Histortian).
Bibliography:
(1)---Akbar And Jesuits, by C.H.Payne, published by George Routledge & Sons, Ltd, London, 1926.
(2)---Ralph Fitch-Elizabethan in the Indies, by ichael Edwards, published by Faber And Faber, 3,Queenquare, London, 1972.
(3)---European Travellers Under the Mughals(1580-1627), by Mohammed Azhar Ansari, published by Idarah-i Adbabiyat-i-Delli, Delhi,1988.
(4)---Itihasik Khoj, by Karam Singh Historian, published by Sikh Itihas Research Board,S.G.P.C.,Sri Amritsar.
(5)---Sade Itihasik Gurudham, by Giani Bhajan Singh, published by Bhai Chatar Singh Jiwan Singh, Amritsar, 2003.
Copy Right 2010 by Bhai Harpal Singh Kasoor.