By 1607 the Madura Nayaks had to strengthen the Marava territory of their kingdom to counter act the hostile influences of the Portuguese on the coast. This extra power invested in the protector of the Marava country, inevitably led to the Marava country passing into the hands of the Sethupatis who finally broke away from Madura and to a great extent persecuted the Christians.

It was about 1607 that the famous missionary Robert-de-Nobile arrived in Madura. This enterprising and clever missionary under stood where the error lay in being unable to attract the higher classes to Christianity. He had his plans formed even before he left for India. “He is said to have declared like St. Paul ‘I will make myself Indian to save the Indians.”¹⁶ He had already analysed the cause of his predecessor’s failure, and he scrupulously avoided the impression of a Paraṅki by a careful regulation of his dress and diet. He openly dissociated himself from Fernandez proclaiming that he (’de Nobili) was a Roman Brahmin. His daring and original plan consisted mainly of three features i.e., the adaptation of the life of the missionary to that of the people ‘(the Brahmins)’ the appropriation of harmless (Hindu) customs and ceremonies for Christian use and “through the study of the vernacular (and Sanskrit, the language of the sacred books of Hinduism) with a view to fluency of speech and writing, and accurate knowledge of the literature of the people.”¹⁷ “However, Robert-de-Nobili was only able to make a successful beginning. Beschi who later followed in his footsteps was able to accomplish more and he is renowned for his beautiful works in Tamil and his famous Dictionaries. Nevertheless, Robert-de-Nobili’s successors were at loggerheads with the Protestant Dutch missionaries at Tranquebar. Returning to Robert-de-Nobili, we see that J.Waskom Pickett does over-emphasise the part played by this missionary of the Madura Mission. He says “the unfortunate attempt of Robert-de-Nobili and his associates to win the Brahmins of South India, by introducing a ‘lost’ Vētā, which they had prepared for the purpose and by representing themselves as European Brahmins of

16. Bertrand II, P. 3.

17. Chandler, J. S. The Jesuit Mission in Madura; P. 35.