Manucci, Niccolao Venetian traveller who toured different parts of India including Bengal and left behind a reliable description about the land and people. Born at Venice in 1639, he ran away from home at the age of fourteen on board a vessel bound for Smyrna in November 1653. Viscount Bellemont took him under his charge and moving through Asia Minor, they reached Surat by a ship from Hormuz in January 1656. Going through Bijapur, Golconda, Gwalior and Dholpur, they reached a place near Delhi where Bellemont suddenly died on 20 July 1656. Manucci went to Delhi and managed to get the post of gunner under Dara Shukoh. Manucci was present at the battle of Samugarh and fled at the defeat of Dara. He managed to join Dara at Lahore and after the fall of Bhakkar fort travelled to Bengal.
Manucci Travelled to Bengal sometime during the period 1662-63. He entered Bengal via Rajmahal through the river Ganges. According to him it took 15 days to reach Dhaka from Rajmahal. On the way he saw big boats Iaden with war booties sent by mir jumla from Assam. It is assumed that the place might be somewhere down stream from the confluence of the Padma and the Brahmaputra. How long Manucci stayed in Dhaka he has not mentioned. He could not meet the subahdar as he was busy in Assam on his invasion there. Mir Jumla captured Garhgaon, the capital of Assam, on 16 Sha'ban 1072 AH (17 March 1662 AD). He sent war booties that he had captured after the fall of the capital to Dhaka and Manucci had come across those in the river. So it can be surmised that Manucci's entrance to Dhaka followed the fall of the capital of Assam. Mir Jumla died at Khizrpur near Narayanganj on 2 Ramadan 1073 AH (30 March 1663 AD) and Manucci had left Dhaka for Hughli before that incidence. So he was in Dhaka for some time in between 17 March 1662 to 30 March 1663.
Manucci Travelled to Bengal sometime during the period 1662-63. He entered Bengal via Rajmahal through the river Ganges. According to him it took 15 days to reach Dhaka from Rajmahal. On the way he saw big boats Iaden with war booties sent by mir jumla from Assam. It is assumed that the place might be somewhere down stream from the confluence of the Padma and the Brahmaputra. How long Manucci stayed in Dhaka he has not mentioned. He could not meet the subahdar as he was busy in Assam on his invasion there. Mir Jumla captured Garhgaon, the capital of Assam, on 16 Sha'ban 1072 AH (17 March 1662 AD). He sent war booties that he had captured after the fall of the capital to Dhaka and Manucci had come across those in the river. So it can be surmised that Manucci's entrance to Dhaka followed the fall of the capital of Assam. Mir Jumla died at Khizrpur near Narayanganj on 2 Ramadan 1073 AH (30 March 1663 AD) and Manucci had left Dhaka for Hughli before that incidence. So he was in Dhaka for some time in between 17 March 1662 to 30 March 1663.
(1st part of 2nd)
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