Crossing the Mana Pass in 1624, António de Andrade became the first European recorded to navigate the Himalayan range and enter Tibet. His arrival at the capital of Tsaparang marked the beginning of the first Catholic mission on Tibetan soil, providing Europe with its earliest primary accounts of a region previously shielded from Western contact.
Early Career and Indian Missions
Born in 1580 in the Portuguese town of Oleiros, Andrade joined the Society of Jesus in 1596. By 1600, he had relocated to Goa, the administrative center of Portuguese India, to complete his theological training and ordination. His early service in India included a significant appointment at the court of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, where he served as the leader of the Jesuit mission in Agra.
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In 1624, Andrade and a Jesuit brother named Manuel Marques departed Delhi to accompany Hindu pilgrims traveling toward the Badrinath temple in the Uttarakhand region. After navigating difficult terrain, the party successfully crossed the Mana Pass. Upon reaching Tsaparang, they met the sovereign of the Western Tibetan kingdom of Guge, who permitted the establishment of a mission. Andrade briefly returned to Goa in 1624 to secure administrative approval and funding, returning to Tibet in 1625 to oversee the construction of a church.
Political Collapse and Final Years
The missionary effort in Tsaparang proved ephemeral. Following an invasion of Guge by forces from Ladakh, a hostile administration took control of the region, leading to the expulsion of the Jesuit missionaries and the relocation of Tibetan converts. Andrade departed Tibet in 1629. Back in Goa, he served as the Father-Superior of the Jesuit province starting in 1630 and held roles at the College of St. Paul. He also functioned as a deputy for the Goa Inquisition.
Death and Documentation
Andrade died in Old Goa on March 19, 1634, following an act of poisoning on March 4. An Inquisition inquiry suggested his murder was orchestrated by members of the Jesuit order alongside local merchant interests. His written accounts from 1624 and 1626, which documented his travels, were published in Lisbon, Segovia, and Kraków, exerting a lasting impact on European geographical and cultural understanding of Tibet.
Fast facts
- Born: 1580, Oleiros
- Died: 19 March 1634, Old Goa
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Portugal
- Entered Society of Jesus: 1596
- First European to reach: Tibet via Mana Pass
- Language skills: Portuguese, Polish
Questions readers ask
What led to the end of the mission in Tibet?
The mission failed after the kingdom of Guge was invaded by Ladakh, resulting in a hostile government that expelled the Jesuits.
How did António de Andrade die?
He was poisoned on March 4, 1634, by disgruntled Jesuits at the college in Goa and died two weeks later.
Achievements
- Recorded as Catholic priest, missionary and explorer
