ROGER, Abraham (1609-1649)

Offne Thur zu dem verborgenen Heydenthum, Oder, Warhaftige Vorweisung dess Lebens und der Sitten, samt der Religion und dem Gottesdienst der Bramines auf der Cust Chormandel, und denen herumligenden Landern: Mit kurtzen Anmerkungen, Aus dem Niederlandischen ubersetzt. Samt Christoph Arnolds Auserlesenen Zugaben von dem Asiatischen, Africanischen und Americanischen Religions-Sachen, so in XL Capitel verfasst. Alles Mit einem nothwendigen Register

Nuremburg: Heirs of J. & W. Endter, 1663. 8vo. (6 3/16 x 3 3/4 inches). [xiv], 998, [xl] pp. Title in red and black, engraved frontispiece and 42 plates (7 folding). Early ownership signature on front pastedown. Early 18th-century lengthy manuscript commentary referencing passages on Brahmins from a work by Johann Albrecht von Mandelslo (1616-1644).

Contemporary vellum

First German Edition of one of the earliest European accounts of Hinduism in Southern India by a missionary who worked in Palicatta (Coromandel) for ten years from 1630, enlarged by supplementary accounts of Asian, African and American religions not included in the Dutch and French editions.

Abraham Roger was a Dutch missionary and linguist who spent a significant portion of his career working in India under the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was stationed in Pulicat, a trading hub on the Coromandel Coast of South India, where he worked among the Tamil speaking population. His experiences as a missionary, coupled with his interest in local culture, prompted him to document Hindu religious practices and beliefs, culminating in this notable work. First published in Dutch in 1651 and translated into German in 1663, it is one of the earliest and most significant works by a European exploring Hinduism in South India. Roger's approach was distinct in its attempt to understand and accurately portray Hinduism, a religion he sought to comprehend despite his missionary objectives. His work stands out for its translations of Hindu hymns and descriptions of temple rituals, and he drew much of his knowledge from his close collaboration with local Brahmins, reflecting a relatively objective tone compared to other European writings of the period. Despite his Eurocentric and missionary perspective, Roger was unique in that he did not entirely dismiss Hinduism but rather engaged with it to create one of the earliest detailed European accounts of the religion.

Sabin 72603; JCB III, p. 92; Ackermann V, 1273; Landwehr VOC 65.

Item #41874

Price: $2,000.00