This open access book reconstructs and examines a crucial episode of Anglo-Iberian diplomatic
rivalry: the clash between the Portuguese-sponsored Jesuit missionaries and the English East
India Company (EIC) at the Mughal court between 1580 and 1615. This 35-year period includes the
launch of the first Jesuit mission to Akbar's court in 1580 and the preparation of the royal
embassy led by Sir Thomas Roe to negotiate the concession of trading privileges to the EIC and
encompasses not only the extension of the conflict between the Iberian crowns and England into
Asia but also the consolidation of the Mughal Empire. The book examines the proselytizing and
diplomatic activities of the Jesuit missionaries the evolution of English diplomatic
strategies concerning the Mughal Empire and how the Mughal authorities instigated and
exploited Anglo-Iberian rivalry in the pursuit of specific commercial geopolitical and
ideological agendas.
