Historic Alleys

The Spanish connections to India – Manila & Mangalore

History is full of surprises. It is stories like these that make the subject fascinating, especially since some are hidden deep in dusty books, prompting people like me to seek them out. This story features a remarkable Jewish merchant named Goldsmith and how he managed to broker a deal between the Spanish crown and the Mysore Sultan, Hyder Ali. It was an elaborate scheme involving a baby elephant, one that could have caused chaos in the already tense relationship between the British and the Mysore Kingdom, with the potential to alter the course of history. Let's go to the region and find out what happened.

There were hardly any trade links between Spain and India during medieval times, except for occasional illicit activities between the Spanish-controlled Philippines and Malabar during the Portuguese and Dutch eras, and, of course, some slave trading during the Dutch interregnum. However, the Spanish monarchs desired much from the Indies, including exotic animals and spices.

In the southern part of India, during the late 18th century, Hyder Ali was active after taking control of the Mysore Kingdom from the Wodeyars in 1761. Still, he faced challenges in maintaining his hold on the territory. He regularly fought the Marathas in the north, the British, and the Nizam of Hyderabad, as well as the Nawab of Carnatic in the east. Meanwhile, he managed to control the wealthy regions of Kanara, Konkan, Coorg, and Malabar, and concluded a tributary treaty with Cochin, which significantly bolstered his treasury. Ruling from his interior stronghold of Srirangapatnam (Seringapatam), Hyder established his main port at Mangalore (Jalalabad) and aimed to strengthen his navy, expand his armed forces, and modernize his weapons and troops by bringing in European officers and trainers. This story takes place in the 1770s–1780s, before the ailing sultan died in 1782.

But first, let us meet the main protagonist of the story: a Jewish merchant from Hamburg named Isaac Berend Goldschmidt (also known as Goldsmith). A very clever individual, he managed to survive and navigate in extremely tough conditions. He was one among the Jewish coterie we have encountered so far, such as Ezechiel Rahabi of Cochin and Isaac Surgun of Calicut, who were his contemporaries. According to his own account, he traveled to Malabar in 1756 as a merchant and later moved to England. After a short stay in London, he returned to India in 1764. He settled at Fort St. George, in 'Maduwara' (which, according to his notes, seems to have been the original name of Madras), where he traded in diamonds and coral. He met Haider during Haider's attack on Madras, provided him with inside information on Nawab Ali Mohammed's movements, and built a strong rapport, ultimately obtaining a large house, numerous privileges, and access to Hyder. However, he remained in Madras until 1770. It also appears that he advanced a large sum of money to Hyder. Furious with the British, who did not come to his aid when the Marathas attacked (he had signed a mutual defense treaty with them in 1769), Hyder grew strongly anti-British.

Since the number of foreign mercenaries and supplies obtained through the Dutch, Portuguese, and French was inadequate, Hyder looked for other European allies to provide him with material support, skilled officers to train his troops, technicians for the dockyards, and naval equipment to support his growing navy. Goldsmith seems to have convinced Hyder that he had the contacts to secure support from Europe, modernize his forces, and counter the British and Maratha armies.

Goldsmith's return to Europe in 1771, following the British falling out with Hyder, was to establish alliances with either Sweden, Denmark, Prussia, or Spain. He appears to have had some correspondence with Denmark and later traveled to Prussia, his homeland, where he stayed from 1771 to 1772. There, he tried to enlist the support of the Prussian crown (presenting Hyder’s letter praising German missionaries), but Friedrich II was busy with matters concerning Poland. In the end, he managed only to recruit a Prussian officer, Andre Hearton (Hardung), to be a fellow traveler and help execute his plans, which you will soon realize were quite fantastic!

Failing to persuade Denmark and Prussia, Spain became the next target for Goldsmith. The two Prussian representatives then visited the Spanish embassy in The Hague in August 1773, requesting safe passage to Madrid, and met with Viscount Herrera, the ambassador. Goldsmith introduced himself as the plenipotentiary envoy of Haidar Ali, the Mysore Sultan, and, along with Hearton, they aimed to meet the Spanish King and initiate a lucrative commercial treaty between Mysore and Spain that could lay the groundwork for a future "offensive and defensive alliance" between the two nations. Goldsmith offered the lure of a monopoly on duty-free merchandise, as well as a demand from Mysore for products Spain could supply, including military equipment and mercenary support.

Armed with a recommendation from Herrera, the two diplomats arrived in Madrid in December 1773 and met with the Spanish Secretary of State Grimaldi. Once again, Goldsmith presented his proposals, outlining the significant benefits Spain would gain, including duty-free trade and the free provision of materials for constructing forts and warehouses in any port or region of Mysore. He also emphasized that Hyder planned to procure Spanish goods worth between 150,000 and 200,000 pagodas annually.

After reviewing the documents provided by Goldsmith, Grimaldi met with King Charles III and received royal approval to proceed with testing the proposal. The Secretary of State then ordered the procurement and shipment of the specific goods requested by Hyder through Manila. The Governor-General of the Philippines, Simón de Anda y Salazar, was instructed to ensure the deal was executed smoothly, keeping the identities of Goldsmith and Hearton, as well as the cargo's destination, confidential. Goldsmith and Hearton were to be paid stipends and housed in Seville for about a year. The two guests appear to have spent a significant amount of time in Spain, subsequently spending nearly 9,000 reales de vellón on behalf of the Spanish crown. All this did not go unnoticed by the British; their spies in Spain reported Goldsmith's presence in Madrid, and an internal note stated that Goldsmith's nineteen-year-old son had recently arrived in Madras from Holland.

Interestingly, the King was more interested in something else from Malabar, and that seemed to be the primary focus. It was the acquisition of an elephant, a collection of coins, and other exotic objects for the Museum of Natural History, promoted by Prince Gabriel, his son!

In January 1775, the frigate Astrea departed for the Philippines, carrying 3,000 rifles, flintlocks, uniform cloth, and caps for Hyder's forces, along with 20,000 pounds of lead and 6,000 pounds of copper. After arriving in Manila in August, Goldsmith and Hearton met with Governor General Anda and Ramón Yssassi, his secretary, who also served as the interpreter. Goldsmith gave Anda a parchment, apparently written in Farsi and issued by Hyder, which would affirm his credentials. Although this appeared somewhat suspicious, an Armenian trader in Manila, who had previous trade relations with him, vouched for Goldsmith as a confidant of Hyder.

As part of the proposed treaty with Spain, Hyder (Goldsmith appears to have drafted it in line with some previous treaties executed by Hyder) stated that he would provide land, materials, and a location on a riverbank for building a Spanish fort and factories, along with free residence for Spanish subjects living and doing business there. Spain was to send personnel to train the Nawab's staff in military affairs and trade, including trading in materials listed and paid for in gold or silver, saltpeter, gemstones, spices, or other locally sourced items of interest. The mutual trade would be duty-free, and since Haider hadn't yet signed a treaty with any other European power, it would be very advantageous to Spain.

Accordingly, the material from Spain was to be shipped from Manila to Mangalore, accompanied by Goldsmith, Hearton, and a Spanish delegation. Goldsmith insisted that Yssassi accompany him as Commander-in-Chief and lead the delegation (Yssassi spoke French, which Hyder understood), which Anda agreed to after much reluctance. Goldsmith cleverly latched onto Yssassi, claiming that Yssassi had shown him around, introduced him to dignitaries, and lent him money to buy gifts for the Nawab and his wives, so he owed him a favor! Anyway, Anda finally agreed to release his secretary.

In January 1776, the ship La Deseada sailed for Mysore with Ramon Yssassi, the ship's commander and emissary of the Governor-General, Miguel Antonio Gómez, a military engineer familiar with the Malabar coast, along with other crew members, as well as Goldsmith and Hearton. They arrived at Mangalore on April 7, 1776.

Reception at Mangalore by Adm Angria

The boat was quickly unloaded, and the Mangalore governor, Cheg Ali, took delivery of the goods and various armaments. A British officer, Mor, arrived from Bombay and tried to threaten the Spaniards, but was rebuffed. The delegation was then formally welcomed by Hyder's admiral, Raghunath Angria. Goldsmith and Hearton retired to a large homestead. In May, the delegation received a formal summons from Hyder, and they proceeded to Gurpur with all the gifts, including four Arabian horses and chariots, which the Spanish monarch had gifted. By June, the emissaries, Yssassi, Teras (a warrant officer), and a few others traveled to Seringapatam with Hyder's cavalry. Antonio Gomez and the others remained in Mangalore.

Back in Mangalore, a bored Gomez watched life around him and recorded events and matters in his diary, also adding some sketches. He also noted troop and ship movements, as well as the various festivals and communities. Soon, they were running low on reserves and money and faced problems with a group member named Chrestien Fanleybe, who claimed to have loaned money to Goldsmith and demanded repayment. Goldsmith had told Fanleybe that he would be appointed as the Naval admiral of Mangalore!

In September, Gomez received news that Yssassi had died in Seringapatam from a fever. Suspecting foul play, Gomez hired a Turkish fakir to investigate for a fee. Although the fakir returned two months later, Gomez did not reveal his report; however, he mentioned a rumor that Goldsmith had poisoned Yssassi. It was also clear that the Spanish team had been confined in Seringapatam and not allowed to leave by Hyder, possibly because they hadn't offered enough bribes, and the gifts were not sufficient. Eventually, Teran, the warrant officer promoted to head of delegation after Yssassi's death, reported that pending matters were resolved and that they were returning with payment for the goods. Along with them, they brought a large elephant, which was Hyder's gift to the Spanish King, as well as coins and other items desired by Charles III for his son's museum.

However, it was not practical; the elephant was too large, and therefore, the Governor of Bednur Raja Ran (Rao) was ordered by Hyder to obtain another. As a result, a baby elephant was acquired and given to the Spanish delegation. Finally, the delegation was ready to sail back to Manila as soon as the weather permitted.

Now, whatever happened to Goldsmith and Hearton? Did they wash their hands of the Spanish delegation? It seems that Goldsmith, perhaps after Yssassi, fell ill, decided to take matters into his own hands, and claimed that the ship and the goods belonged to Hearton, the Prussian general. Yssassi managed to uncover this deception, and as a result, the pair lost favor with Hyder and fell into disgrace. Teran obtained authority from Yssassi just in time and managed to turn the situation around. At Mangalore, Gomez faced endless trouble from the defiant Chrestien Fanleybe, who continued to demand his money and threatened to report the matter to the Nawab. This furor was somehow suppressed, and Fanleybe was eventually silenced. As Goldsmith's deception began to unravel, Gomez also learned from others that from the moment the ship landed, Goldsmith had been claiming the vessel was Prussian and that all the Spaniards were actually Prussian officers.

Anyway, Goldsmith and Hearton were expelled from Seringapatam in February but managed to escape Hyder's wrath. They then traveled to Bednur, but Hearton died along the way. Goldsmith was again on the run after creditors in Bednur pursued him. Gomez reported that another Turk appeared at his door looking for Goldsmith and the money he had lent him, in exchange for being appointed as an interpreter. Finally, on March 25, 1777, the Spanish frigate set sail, and after an uneventful voyage, arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on June 23. Goldsmith, meanwhile, traveled across borders and ended up in Cannanore or Tellicherry.

Meanwhile, Anda had passed away, and Pedro Sarrio, who received the papers from Gomez and his team, submitted them to Spain with a recommendation to proceed with the trade agreement. The chief accountant recorded that the total expenses of the expedition to Mysore had reached at least 100,000 pesos.

Was Goldsmith really trying to pull off a major diplomatic scam? He attempted to pass off the delegation as German, took money from Fanleybe and the Turk, lied to everyone, and failed to warn the delegation on how to prepare for the meeting with Hyder. He also did not inform Yssassi and Hearton about the difficulty of the journey to Seringapatam through dense jungles. Interestingly, Cheg Ali, the governor of Mangalore, also died on the trek to meet Hyder, while Gomez was in Mangalore. Was he truly a fully authorized envoy appointed by Haidar Ali? Though that seems quite likely, the authenticity of the 'Moorish' documents was never confirmed. The reports from the Turkish fakir and the notes made by Teran have yet to be unearthed to clarify matters.

Again, we do not have Goldsmith's perspective since he left no accounts. He claims to have lent money to Hyder, which was never repaid; thus, he may have tried to recover his investment through this Spanish venture. Nevertheless, he was alive until 1784, converted to Christianity and reappeared at the EIC factory in Tellicherry under the new name John Baerindson, providing intelligence on Tipu's (Hyder died in 1782) planned expedition to Malabar. 

Thus, Spain's commercial venture in India ended not with profits but with disappointment and significant losses. A draft treaty and a baby elephant remained, along with a 138-page diary of his days at Mangalore written by Gomez, complete with four sketches.

Would a trade pact with Spain truly have helped Hyder? Probably not, since the Second Anglo-Mysore War took place in 1778, and additionally, with France, Spain, and the Dutch supporting American independence, an enraged Britain might have turned their focus to Manila.

Now we come to the baby elephant. As had been the case, the monarchs in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Vatican, Constantinople, and other European countries were eager to acquire and showcase exotic animals, such as elephants and rhinos. Charles III also wanted a few for his menagerie. As it happened, he ended up acquiring two more from South India through Governor Anda in the Philippines, while the Goldsmith affair was unfolding in Mangalore. The first was a gift from the Nawab of Carnatic, Mohammed Ali Khan Wallaja, in 1773, who was also trying to establish new alliances after a tough period with the British. The second was also obtained from the Carnatic in 1777 after the death of the first, but it only survived in Madrid for a few months. The King, grateful for these gifts, awarded Simon de Anda the right to display an elephant on his coat of arms. Three Malabar Christians (former British soldiers from Manila) were brought in to care for these elephants.

The third import was received through a royal request made through Goldsmith to Hyder Ali, and it was the elephant gifted by the Governor of Bednur in 1777, brought by Gomez to Manila. The five-year-old's name is recorded as Sundapari (I believe it was actually Sundari, meaning "pretty").

Problems began when Gomez arrived and discovered that Gov Anda was no longer alive. He handed over the elephant to Juan Francisco, Anda's nephew and estate executor, who, however, had no idea how to pay the bills for the elephant's care since the ship headed for Spain had already left. The new Governor General, Pedro Sarrio, did not plan to pay for it, as there was no official document from the King ordering the purchase of the pachyderm. Juan couldn't let the animal die, and soon, the arguments and correspondence turned scandalous. News reached Tomas, Anda's son, who was in Madrid, and he contacted the Secretary of India, Jose de Galvez, saying that Gov. Anda had planned to gift the animal to the King, and that the Manila bureaucracy was creating unnecessary obstacles. The news eventually reached the King, who ordered that all expenses be paid. Juan, after finally convincing Spain to pay for the elephant's transportation, personally took Sundapari to Cádiz in 1779. 

As a result, a larger Sundapari arrived in Cádiz by the end of 1779, to be ceremonially housed at the Aranjuez stables. She was housed in the gardens of Aranjuez Palace in a new set of rooms. Sadly, she suffered from various ailments and died in September 1780. That marked the end of the Goldsmith caper.

The money spent on the elephant adventure was probably about half a million Reales—a small fortune. Further information on the continuing adventures of Isaac Goldsmith (or John Baerindson), the one time trader and Hyder's diplomat, isn't available in any of the old historic archives.

References

Haidar Alí: un intento frustrado de relación comercial entre Mysore y Filipinas, 1773-1779 - Salvador P. Escoto

A Spaniard's diary of Mangalore, 1776-1777 - Salvador P. Escoto

Treasures fit for a king - King Charles III of Spain's Indian elephants Carlos Gómez-Centurión

The Elephant in the Archive: Knowledge Construction and Late Eighteenth-Century Global Diplomacy - Birgit Tremml-Werner

Pictures & other documents referred – courtesy ARCHIVO GENERAL DE INDIAS (SEVILLA, ESPAÑA).

Note: This article is based on the original archival research conducted by the eminent (late) Prof. Salvador P. Escoto and the work of the (late) Prof. Carlos Gómez-Centurión. My humble thanks to these great stalwarts.