By Franky Fernandes –
As we have seen, Jesuits who came to the “mission fields” were trained in practical astronomy and considered India as “theater for their apostolic work”. Known for their scientific scholarship, Jesuits soon found favour with the Mughal emperors and local rulers in their courts such as Emperor Akbar (1542-1605) and king-astronomer of Ajmer, Raja Jai Singh II.
Also read:
Jesuits Contribution to Astronomy: From Rachol and Beyond
Tryst with Telescope in Goa: Birth of Telescopic Astronomy in India
By 17th century, telescopes were available in India. Jesuits were involved in exploring the hinterland as they had expertise, time and opportunity, unlike the European traders. Jesuits had to explore local astronomical traditions, document their methods and search sightings of historical astronomical events. Reports of all their activities and observations had to be sent to the Padroado authorities which are known as Annual Reports and Edifying Letters, which became a mine of information for the scientist and academies of sciences.
The missionaries who provided the knowledge of Asian world was benefited by the Europeans in several ways irrespective of the Jesuit intention. The French Jesuits were involved more in astronomical observation than the Portuguese Jesuits due to their intellectual traditions and social orderings. Many were members of the Academia des Sciences.
It is also to be noted that the Jesuits were constrained or could not bring to India all the advanced knowledge of science due to the certain Church ideologies it held on to. Therefore the knowledge of Copernican heliocentrism was not introduced. It is also said that with the exception of few like Boudier and Tieffenthaler, Jesuits in India were not so great astronomers. Historian of science S.N. Sen states that the contribution of Jesuits in modern astronomy to China is comparatively more than India.
However, Dhruv Raina, is of the opinion that these hypothesis needs revision. He says that though it was on grand scale in China, French Jesuits in India provided impetus and historical inquiry into ancient Indian astronomy. Also the efforts of Jesuits, in China and India, complemented each other. Dhruv, also says that, the critique that Jesuits of India were not the best scientists and were not in contact with the leading scientists of Europe comparatively to Chinese counterparts is an overstatement. The reports of French Jesuit scientist in India became a source material for the French astronomers for three generations.
I would like to highlight some of the contribution of the Jesuit priests. Fr. Anthony Monserrate (1536-1600), was a first Jesuit geographer in India. Based on his astronomical observations, he formed a partial map of India. Fr. Jean-Venant Bouchet (1655-1732) surveyed the peninsula, and his interior map is considered as “the first map of any merit”, dated 1722. Fr. Jean Richaud is credited for the first astronomical discovery from India. He discovered in 1689 the bright southern star Alpha Centauri. Fr. Claude Stanislaus Boudier (1686-1757) was a “skilled telescopic observer” determined latitudes and longitudes of around 60 Indian cities. Fr. Joseph Tieffenthaler (1710-1785), carried out astronomical observations in different part of India including Goa. He observed the transit of Mercury in Goa on November 4th, 1743.
Jesuits made important contribution in the field of positional astronomy and cartography. As a result of Jesuits introduction of telescopic astronomy many observatories came up in India, which was later institutionalized by East India Company. It also gave rise to photographic and spectroscopic astronomy attracting European solar physicist. Based on the contribution of Jesuits India has made great progress in the field of astronomy.
Engagement or Estrangement: Importance of Astronomy in Religion
The Church Fathers were against astronomy for the reasons that it does not benefit one’s salvation but rather limits God’s omnipotence and hence the knowledge should be reserved only to God. However, the Jesuit astronomers proved it to be beneficial as it gives the knowledge of God. Some Jesuit-astronomers like Christopher Clavius says astronomy leads men on path to God.
Giovanni Battista Riccioli states it is a noble science that leads to the habitation of God while Franciscus Levera says it strengths love of God as well as abolishes idolatry. Johannes Kepler concurs with similar thoughts that astronomy gives ‘knowledge, admiration and worship of the omniscient God’ also, exploring heavens leads man to his original mission that is imago dei. Philosopher Francis Bacon is of the opinion that studying the cosmos is a recovery of power and sovereignty man once possessed in the paradise.
What does the contribution of the Jesuits missionaries in astronomy suggests? That faith and science can harmoniously exist together and both can enrich each other in the understanding of God and cosmos. It is often portrayed that there is a warfare between religion and science. Infact, modern science is an invention of medieval Christianity. In his speech in Regensburg, Germany on September 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said that it was due to Christianity’s emphasis on the importance of reason that science developed in Europe, in the civilization then called as Christendom.
Many of the scientist were clergymen like Georges Lemaitre, a priest-astronomer from Belgium who first proposed the “Big Bang Theory” for the origin of universe and Gregor Mendel an Augustinian monk who is considered as “father of modern genetics”. Similarly many of the towering figures of science such as Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Tycho Brahe and others were Christians.
Scholar Dinesh D’Souza in his work What’s So Great About Christianity poses for us a question “where would modern science be without these men?
Church still engages and promotes science, hence we have ‘Pontifical Academy of Sciences’ and ‘Vatican Observatory’ at Holy See established to promote true science. Therefore, what biologist Joshua Lederberg said is true “what is incontrovertible is that a religious impulse guides our motive in sustaining scientific inquiry.”
Conclusion
Rachol Seminary has a distinct place for its contribution in the field of astronomy and an institution that has fostered scientific culture. It will be remembered in history as an institution that has endured exchange between Europe and India, the East and West. One cannot undermine the contribution of Jesuits in Goa and beyond who gave rise to the beginning of modern science in India.
These men of cloth were not just proclaimers of the ‘book of scripture’ but unraveled the ‘book of nature’ too so that God may be known and glorified. Church, which considers ‘evangelization as its identity’ does not shun away from this scientific culture but continues to make best use of it for evangelization. Science therefore is not just for scientists but for all of us to make use of, to know more about God and to proclaim His wonders by studying the colossal cosmos.
Concluded
Franky Fernandes is a Seminarian of the Rachol Seminary. He presented a paper at a Symposium organised by the Rachol Seminary in collaboration with All India Mission Seminary, Pilar on “Hawking, Dawkins and God: Seeking Catholic Perspectives” on January 12, 2019 in the Rachol Seminary Auditorium. These details and many other fascinating findings were presented by Seminarian Franky Fernandes of the Rachol Seminary, who investigated the “Historical perspective on Jesuit contribution to Astronomy” and highlighted the use of the telescope on the Indian soil for the time from the Rachol Seminary in 1618. A two-part abridged version of his research paper had appeared in The Goan last week under the title “Indian astronomy: Involvement of Jesuits- I.”