Land of the Great Image
by Maurice Collis
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Description
A hybrid of history and biography, Maurice Collis's The Land of the Great Image concerns a little-known Portuguese friar abroad in early seventeenth-century Asia. The book chronicles the great diplomatic coup of Friar Manrique's career, opening the kingdom of Arakan, now Burma (land of the "great image" of the Buddha) to the Church and to Portuguese trade, Dispatched from Goa, capital of the now almost forgotten Portuguese empire in Asia, Manrique made his way across and around the Bay of show more Bengal, surviving shipwreck, tigers, and pirates, to reach the court of King Thiri-thu-dhamma. And all along Manrique's way the author waits at every turn with another curiosity, another historical tidbit for the reader to relish. Collis notes how trials of the Inquisition were run (which too had set up shop in Goa); the luxury enjoyed by Europeans in the East; what was served for dinner at court; how elephant warfare was waged; and what went into a potion magically brewed to bring glory to King Thiri-thu-dhamina (the hearts of 2,000 white doves, 4,000 white cows, and 6,000 of his subjects). show lessTags
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Member Reviews
A great read, including an apalling yet fascinating account of the Inquisition, up-close and personal -- from a victim's point of view. The Portugese of half a a millenium ago were not content to be imperialists: they had to bring the Inquisition with them.
Fascinating story of a 17C Augustinian missionary who sets out from Goa to convert the people of Arakan, an independent territory on the Bay of Bengal, now within Burma's borders. The first 90 or so pages that chronicle the story of the Portuguese in Portuguese Asia and especially 'Golden Goa' are a good introduction to the subject. Entertaining and easy to read.
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Author Information
35+ Works 610 Members
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Travel, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction, History, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 915.91 — History & geography Geography & travel Geography of and travel in Asia Southeast Asia; Indochina; Mekong River Myanmar {Burma}
- LCC
- DS485 .B81 .C58 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia India (Bharat) Local history and description
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 58
- Popularity
- 531,505
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.75)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 5
