Johann Albrecht Mandelslo (de)

Johann Albrecht von Mandelslo [Englicized John Albert de Mandelslo] (15 May 1616, Schönberg, Mecklenburg — 16 May 1644, Paris) was a German traveler who took part in the third Duke of Holstein’s embassy (commercial mission) to Muscovy (Grand Principalty of Moscow) and Persia (mod. Iran) in 1635 – 6 and decided to travel on eastwards from Ispahan, visiting Ormuz, India and Ceylon before heading back to Europe via Madagascar and The Cape of Good Hope, along with friend Adam Olearius (1599 – 1671).

Labeled by English historian John Murray “one of the most active and intelligent travellers who have ever visited India”, Mandelslo, a young and enterprising gentleman at the Court of Holstein, also described with at great length the Kingdoms of Pegu (Burma), Siam (Thailand), Cambodia, Malacca, the Philippines and Java without setting foot there. Initially listed as an explorer to these countries (and even to Japan), the veracity of that particular part of his account was convincingly challenged in 1915.

In a study published that year, Vincent Arthur Smith (3 June 1843 – 6 Feb. 1920) an Irish Indologist, historian and a member of the Indian Civil Service, proved that parts of the account dealing with areas east of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) were added after Mandelso’s death in 1844 by first editor Adam Olearius, “a learned person, being librarian and mathematician to the court, who had published in German, in 1646, a first account of the adventures of the embassy in Russia and Persia under the title of The Travels of the Ambassadors.” [[Vincent A. Smith, “The Credit Due to the Book Entitled “The Voyages and Travels of J. Albert de Mandelslo into the East Indies”, The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Apr. 1915: 245 – 254].

But while‘ Olearius willfully recognized in his preface that he had completed (and embellished) Mandelslo’s accountat at the request of Mandelslo’s sister, Lucy Katarina née de Mandelslo, widow of the Lord of Schulenbourg, “who decided, as a pious duty, to publish this ‘curious and useful’ work” of her brother and had approached Olearius in order to undertake her brother’s last wishes”, advancing him several hundred crowns to meet the expenses of the publication, and dutifully quoted the authors he had borrowed from, the French translator of the work, A. de Wicquefort, who “had extremely liberal ideas concerning the privileges of a translator [and] used the German original merely as a nucleus, round which he arranged his own compilations, making no secret of his procedure, but avowing it frankly.” [Vincent A. Smith 1915, op. cit.]

Abraham de Wicquefort [NL Abraham van Wickevoort] (24 Dec. 1606, Amsterdam, Netherlands – 23 Feb. 1682, Celle, Germany) was a Dutch merchant turned diplomat — emissary to the Brandeburg house to the Court of France — and historian who incurred the ire of fearful Cardinal de Mazarin on himself, escaped to England and became the representative of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg in The Hague until he was jailed in 1675 for ‘treasonous activities with the French’ and sentenced to life imprisonment, managing to escape to Germany only to die there. An avid reader and collector of rare books and manuscripts, he was so enthralled by the ‘embellished’ Mandelslo that he liberally added hundreds of pages to the original version, along with numerous illustrations, never quoting his sources.

Mandelslo’s account entered the English-speaking world through the 1662 translation of John Davies (25 May 1625, Kidwelly, Wales – July 1693, Kidwelly), an alumni of Oxford’s Jesus Colleger and Cambdrige St John’s College and a translator from Latin, Spanish and French — learnt during his forced exile at the time of the English Civil War -, who used the French translation as his chief and only source. Davies did acknowledge in his Introduction that a large part of the book — 127 pages of the English folio edition, practically the whole of the second of the three books covering Pegu, Siam, Cambodia, Java, Amboyna, the Phillipines, Japan and China -, was the work of the French translator. At that time, the book had met widespread acclaim in Europe and it would be even more popular in the following decades.

In 1927, the reprint of Davies’ translated was removed at the last minute from a commented reprint by prestigious Broadway Travellers series, the editors finally realizing there were too many additions to the original text. This posthumous, unwished for hoax was even more unfortunate since the authentic description of India by Mandelslo did give us important information on pre-colonial India, in particular the relations between Hindu and Muslim communities in the 17th century. As Gujarat scholar M.S Commissariat remarked in his Introduction to the 1931 edition, a new edition had definitely to include

what is considered to be the original and authentic portion of Mandelslo’s Travels which thus requires to be carefully examined. All that is first-hand and based on Mandelslo’s personal experience and
observation during the very few months that he was in India has been incorporated here. [Mandelslo’s Travels in Western India, M.S. Commissariat ed., London/ Madras, Humphrey Milford/Oxfordso University Press, 1931, p. vi]

Sorting the wheat from the chaff, so to speak…We do not know much of Mandelslo’s last years after his return from India, except that he suddenly opted for a military career, joining the cavalry force of Josias Rantzau (18 Oct. 1609 – 14 Sept. 1650), a Danish-born warlord who successively served King Christian IV of Denmark, Sweden royals, the Holy Roman Empire, the Prince Maurice of Orange, and was granted the rank of Marshal of France in June 1645, the title of Governor of the Dunkirk Fortress one year later, before being arrested by forces loyal to Cardinal Mazarin — him again — and ‘embastilled’ for a short period before dying in 1650. Six years earlier, Johann Albrecht de Mandelslo had died of small pox, also in Paris.

“A new map of Muscovy” (Grand Principalty of Moscow) in the 1630s, from Olearius’s first edition, reproduced with some words translated into English in the 1669 edition.

Publications

Adam Olearius, Offt begehrte Beschreibung Der Newen Orientalischen Reise, So durch Gelegenheit einer Holsteinischen Legation an den König in Persien geschehen : Worinnen Derer Orter und Länder durch welche die Reise gangen, als fürnemblich Rußland, Tartarien und Persien, sampt ihrer Einwohner Natur, Leben und Wesen fleissig beschrieben; und mit vielen Kupfferstücken so nach dem Leben gestellet gezieret durch M. Adamum Olearium, Ascanium Saxonem, Fürstl: Schleßwig-Holsteinischen Hoff-mathemat. Item Ein Schreiben des WolEdeln [et]c. Johann Albrecht Von Mandelslo : worinnen dessen OstIndianische Reise über den Oceanum enthalten ; Zusampt eines kurtzen Berichts von jetzigem Zustand des eussersten Orientalischen KönigReiches Tzina, [ Often sought-after description of the New Oriental Journey, which came about on the occasion of a Holstein legation to the king in Persia: Wherein those places and countries through which the journey went, namely Russia, Tartary and Persia, together with their inhabitants, nature, life and beings are diligently described, and with many copper plates set-decorated according to life By M. Adamum Olearium, Ascanium Saxonem, Schleßwig-Holstein Hoff-mathematician. Also: A letter from WolEdeln [et]c. Johann Albrecht Von Mandelslo: which contains his East Indian journey across the Oceanum, together with a short report on the current state of the first Oriental kingdom of Tzina [China]], Schleswig, 1647.
[1st Dutch trans.] A. Olearius, Beschrijvinghe des koninckryckx Persien, zijnde het tweede deel van de Persiaensche reyse uyt Holsteyn, door Lijflandt, Moscovien en Tartarien, door Philippus Crusius en Otto Brughman, Gesanten, des Doorl: Hoogh: Heere, Heer Frederick, Ers-Heer in Noorwegen, Hertogh van Sleswijck en Holsteyn, &c. Met een Reyse van daer te Lande Naer Oost-Indien door Johan Albreght van Mandelslo, Waer in veel breemde ontmoetingenen gelegentheden der voornoemde
Landen en Volckeren beschreven zijn. In’t Hooghduyts beschreven
door Adam Olearius, Secretarius der Vorstelijke Gesanten. En nu in’t
Neder-duydts overgeset, Amsterdam, Ioost Hartgers, 1651.
Johan Albrecht de Mandelslo, Des HochEdelgebornen Johan Albrechts von Mandelslo Morgenländische Reyse-Beschreibung Worinnen zugleich die Gelegenheit und heutiger Zustand etlicher fürnehmen Indianischen Länder, Provincien, Städte und Insulen sampt derer Einwohner Leben, Sitten, Glauben und Handthierung: wie auch die Beschaffenheit der Seefahrt über das Ozeanische Meer. [The noble Johan Albrecht von Mandelslo’s Oriental Voyage, description including current condition of several Indian countries, provinces, cities and islands, including their inhabitants, life, customs, beliefs and behavior: as well as the nature of sea travel across the Oceanic Sea]. Ed. by A. Olearius. Schleswig, Johan Holwein, 1658 [the first version appeared as an appendix to Olearius’ own account in 1647].
‘Deux Lettres du Sieur de Mandelslo au suit de son voyage des Indes‘,
in Relation du voyage de Moscovie, Tartarie, et de Perse, fait à l’occasion d’une ambassade envoyée au Grand-Duc de Moscovie, & du Roy de Perse, Paris: François Clouzier, 1656, 503 – 43; BNF M‑11724.
‘Relation du voyage des Indes du Sr de Mandelslo’, in Adam Olearius and Johann Albrecht von Mandelslo, Relation du voyage d’Adam Olearius en Moscovie, Tartarie et Perse augmentée en cette nouvelle édition de plus d’un tiers, et particulièrement d’une seconde partie concernant le voyage de Jean Albert de Mandeslslo aux Indes orientales, trans. A. van Wicquefort, 2 vols, Paris, Jean Du Puis, 1659; repr. 1666. [in vol. 2, pp. 83 – 648].
[A. de Wicquefort] Adam Olearius & Johann Albrecht von Mandelslo, Voyages celebres & remarquables, faits de Perse aux Indes Orientales, par le Sr. Jean-Albert de Mandelslo, Gentilhomme des Ambassadeurs du Duc de Holstein en Moscovie & Perse, 2 vols, Amsterdam: Michel Charles le Cene, 1719; repr. 1727 [see below] , repr. 1732.
A. de Wicquefort, Voyages celebres et remarquables aux Indes Orientales par le Sr. Jean-Albert de Mandelslo, Gentilhomme des Ambassadeurs du Duc de Holstein en Moscovie & Perse, Contenant une Description nouvelle & trés-curieuse de l’Indostan, de l’Empire du Grand-Mogol, des Iles & Presqu’iles de l’Orient, des Royaumes de Siam, du Japon, de la Chine, du Congo, &c. Ou l’on trouve la situation exacte de tous ces Pays & Etats; & ou l’on rapporte assez au long le Naturel, les Meurs & les Coutumes de leurs Habitans ; leur Gouvernement Politique & Ecclesiastique; les Raretez gut se rencontrent dans ces Pays, & les Ceremonies qu’on y observe. Mis en ordre & publiez, aprés la mort de l’Illustre Voyageur, par le Sr. ADAM OLEARIUS, Bibliothecaire du Duc de Holstein, & Mathematicien de sa Cour. Traduit de l’original par le Sr. A. DE WICQUEFORT, Conseiller des Conseils d’Etat & Privé du Duc de Brunswick, Lunebourg, Zell, &c. Resident de l’Electeur de Brandebourg, & Auteur de L’Ambassadeur & de ses fonctions. Divisez en deux Parties. Nouvelle Edition revue & corrigée exactement, augmentée considerablement, tant dans le corps de l’Ouvrage qu’aux Marginales & surpassant en bonte & en beauté les précedentes Editions. On y a encore ajouté des Cartes Géographiques, des Représentations des Villes, & autres Taille-douces trés-belles & trés-exactes. On y trouve à la fin une Table fort ample & fort exacte. A AMSTERDAM, Chez MICHEL CHARLES LE CENE, Libraire], 1727.
The Voyages & Travels of J. Albert Mandelslo (A Gentleman belonging to the Embassy sent by Duke of Holshtein to the great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia) Into the East-Indies, begun in the year M.DC.XXXVIII. and finished in M. DC. XL, Containing 3 particular descriptions of The great Mogul’s Empire, the Kingdoms of Decan, Calcuth, Cochim, Zeilon, Coromandel, Pegu, Siam, Cambodia, Malacca, Summatra, Java, Amboina, Banda, The Moluccas, Philippine and the Oriental Islands, the Great Kingdom of China, the Cape of Good Hope, Madagacar, &c, English tr. by John Davies, London, 1662.
The Voyages and Travells of the Ambassadors sent by Frederick, Duke of Holstein, to the great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia : Begun in the year M. DC. XXXIII. and finish’d in M. DC. XXXIX. Containing a compleat history of Muscovy, Tartary, Persia, and other adjacent countries. With several publick transactions reaching near the present times; in VII books. Whereto are added The TRAVELS of JOHN ALBERT de MANDELSLO (a Gentleman belonging to the Embassy) from PERSIA into the East-Indies, CONTAINING a particular Description of INDOSTHAN, the MOGUL’S Empire, the ORIENTAL I(s)LANDS, JAPAN, CHINA, &c. and the Revolutions which happened in those Countries, within these few years. In III Books. The whole Work illustrated with divers accurate Mapps, and Figures. Written originally by ADAM OLEARIUS, Secretary to the Embassy. Faithfully rend’red into English by JOHN DAVIES, of Kidwelly, London, Starkey & Baffet, 1669.
[unpublished] The Voyages and Travels of Mandelslo, tr. and ed. by Professor H. Dodwell. [The book was planned to be part of The Broadway Travellers, Eileen Power & E. Denison Ross eds., George Routledge & Sons, and announced as ‘nearly ready’ in the edition of The Diary of The Diary of Henry Teonge, 1927. The monumental (26 vol.) series, published successively by G. Routledge, Harper, McBride, Bloch and Viking from from 1926 to 2015, has been reprinted as a whole: The Broadway Travellers, Routledge, 2004, 9980 p. ISBN 9780415678650.]
M.S. Commissariat, Mandelslo’s Travels in Western India, London / Bombay / Calcutta / Madras, Humphrey Milford / Oxford University Press, 1931, 115 p.; repr. B. R. Publishing Corporation, 2025, 135 p. ISBN 9789348610812.

Main photo: A portrait of J. A. Mandelslo, drawing reproduced in the 1669 English edition.