Digital Rare Book:
Naauwkeurige beschryvinge van MALABAR en COROMANDEL, der zelver aangrenzende ryken, en het machtige eyland CEYLON
Nevens een omstandige en grondigh doorzochte ontdekking en wederlegginge van de afgoderye der Oost-Indische heydenen
By Philippus Baldaeus (1632-1672);
Published by Johannes Janssonius van Waasberge, en Johannes van Someren, Amsterdam - 1672
In Dutch

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Philips Baelde or Father Philippus Baldaeus, (baptized on 24 October 1632,[1] Delft – 1671,[2] Geervliet) was a Dutch minister. He went to Jaffna during the Dutch period in Ceylon with an invading Dutch force. As the second European after Abraham Rogerius he documented the life, language and culture of Tamil people, living in the north of the island. It is a great historical record, and it was immediately published in Dutch and German (with several beautiful pictures). English translation was published by Ceylon Government Railway (1960).

- Dutch Minister, Author of Description of the East Indian Countries of Malabar, Coromandel, Ceylon, etc.

- Author of the first European document about the life, language and culture of the Tamil people in northern Ceylon.

He wrote much about the religious, civil and domestic conditions of the places he visited and introduced his account of the Hindu mythology. He translated the Lord's Prayer of the Tamil language, and although it had mistakes, it was remarkable as the first treatise, printed in Europe of any Indian language.[3] Baldaeus went back to Holland and preached until he died while still a young man.

Catholic priests were committed preachers and their knowledge was highly valued. Baldeus studied their writings and methods. He followed their model and travelled alone from church to church and he served the local ex-Catholics. The ex-Catholics numbering about 12,387 were converted to Calvinism. Their religious training was important to him, because to his chagrin, he found the religious education of the locals was very superficial. Tamils were "nominal Christians" or so-called "rice Christians" (according to the quantity of rice, which they received for their conversion).

Baldaeus had a good understanding of the culture and religion of the Tamils, and Sinhalese. Although primarily interested in proselytizing the Hindus and Catholics, he also strove for a better education for the natives, and as a result at the time of his departure, there were 18,000 school children whom he was responsible for as a religious teacher.

Baldeus was exemplary and his pastoral work was then classified for a long time as a model in Ceylon.

The company objected to Baldaeus' suggestions for improving religious education and converting the Tamils, and ruled that funds should be raised from fines levied in the enforcements of school rules. Philippus Baldaeus refused to conform and was nearly accused by the Governor of dishonest financial dealings. He could not continue his linguistic studies because the Church, bound by the state, thought it a waste of time.

Baldaeus recorded everything of value with ethnological, historical, geographical and theological viewpoints from himself or of informants (e.g., a baptized pundit), interpreters, or from the collections of the Jesuit libraries in Ceylon and South India. His records are still accessible in the Netherlands literature about south Asia and its detailed records. In addition, he quoted in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Sanskrit. His depiction of the Tamil language was groundbreaking. He had rudimentary knowledge in his own words. He probably did not know much more than the alphabet.

The book is divided into the following sections:

"Detailed description of the East Indian coast or of Lagoon areas of Malabar and Coromandel" (includes: "short guide to the time sophisticated language arts")

"Description of the great and famous island Ceylon"

"Abgotterey of the East Indian heathen. A truthful and detailed description of the worship of the Hindus and Hindu idols."

- Wikipedia

Image:
Portrait of Philippus Baldaeus - 1668
By Johan de la Rocquette

Oil on canvas

Credit: Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam