Niccolao Manucci

History glossary

Also called: Manucci · Topic: Medieval India through Travellers' Eyes · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Through the Eyes of Travellers"

Meaning

Niccolao Manucci was an Italian from Venice who came to Mughal India in the 17th century. He worked as a gunner and later as a doctor. Unlike most European travellers, he never went back to Europe and settled in India for the rest of his life. His long stay gave him close knowledge of Mughal court life.

Example

Manucci wrote the Storia do Mogor ("History of the Mogul"), an account of the Mughal court and empire from Shah Jahan's reign into Aurangzeb's. It is full of court gossip and stories, so historians use it carefully and check it against other sources.

Don't confuse with

  • François Bernier: also a doctor in Mughal India at the same time. But Bernier was French, returned to France after twelve years, and published Travels in the Mughal Empire there.

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