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- Estêvão Cacella was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary. Cacella was born in Aviz in 1585, joined the Jesuits at the age of nineteen, and sailed for India in 1614 where he worked for some years in Kerala. In 1626, Father Cacella and Father Cabral, another younger Jesuit priest, travelled from Cochin to Bengal where they spent six months preparing for a journey through Bhutan, which would eventually take them to Tibet where they founded a mission in the town Shigatse, the residence of the Panchen Lama and of the great Tibetan monastery of Tashilhunpo. Cacella arrived in Shigatse in November 1627 and Cabral followed in January 1628. Although the Jesuits were well received and had high hopes for the success of the mission in Shigatse, it only lasted a few years. Father Cacella's poor health led to his death during 1630 in the high Tibetan plateau. While in Bhutan, Father Cacella and Father Cabral met Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, and at the end of a stay of nearly eight months in the country, Father Cacella wrote a long letter from Chagri Monastery, to his superior in Cochin in the Malabar Coast; it was a report, The Relacao, relating the progress of their travels. This is the sole report of Shabdrung that remains. Father Cacella was the first European to enter Bhutan and travel through the Himalayas in winter. Also it was Cacella who, for the first time, described to European civilization a fictional place called Shambala (a Sanskrit term indicating "peace/tranquility/happiness"). According to Tibetan Buddhism this is an ideal country located north or west of the Himalaya Mountains): during the 20th century the myth inspired James Hilton to write his novel Lost Horizon, with its Shangri-La. From Cacella's own words : "We asked as many questions as we could about the kingdom of Cathay [China] but have heard nothing of it by this name,which is completely unknown here; however, there is a kingdom which is very famous here and which they say is very large called Xembala [Sham-bha-la] next to another called Sopo [Sog-po] (Mongolia); the King does not know the law of Xembala and he has asked us about it many times. We believe it might be the kingdom of Cathay because that of Sopo belongs to the Tartars who we understand are constantly at war with China, according to information given by the King who also says that the King of China rules over a larger population; however he believes that the people of Sopo are stronger and thus normally defeat the Chinese, which is in agreement with all that is already well known about the war between the Tartars and the Chinese, and as the kingdom of Cathay is very large and the only on this side that is next to that of the Tartars as the maps show, it seems we can deduce with some probability that it is the kingdom known here as Xembala. The fact that it is not known here by the other name does not contradict our assumption, as neither China, Tartary or Tibet are known by these names, the people here having no knowledge of them; China they call Guena [rGya-nag], Tartary Sopo, and Tibet Bothanta; we are told that the way to the kingdom of Xembala is very difficult; however, I trust in the Lord because as He has brought us this far with our thoughts focused on that kingdom, so will He take us where we can see it close up, and thus next year I shall send Your Reverence news of it..... with the help of the Lord I shall try to go into the kingdom of Xembala where perhaps, either there or in another kingdom in the area, our Lord will give us the opportunity to serve Him, and next year I shall inform Your Reverence of everything we can find out"
- Estêvão Cacella was een Portugees missionaris en ontdekkingsreiziger. Op 19-jarige leeftijd sloot hij zich aan bij de jezuïeten en in 1614 reisde hij af naar de Indiase gebieden, waar hij enkele jaren werkte in Kerala. In 1926 reisde Cacella samen met João Cabral en nog een jezuïtische priester van Kochi naar Bengalen, waar ze zes maanden verbleven om zich voor te bereiden op een reis door Bhutan. Cacella was de eerste Europeaan in Bhutan. Ze reisden verder naar Tibet waar ze een missie opzetten in Shigatse, de zetel van de panchen lama en vestigingsplaats van het grote klooster Tashilhunpo. Cacella kwam hier aan in november 1627 en Cabral volgde hem in 1628. Hoewel de missionarissen goed werden ontvangen en vol goede verwachting waren, duurde de missie maar tot 1630, toen de gezondheid Cacella op het Tibetaans Hoogland in de steek liet en overleed. Cacella reisde als eerste Europeaan in de winter over de Himalaya. Zijn landgenoot António de Andrade was hem in 1624 al voorgegaan in betere weersomstandigheden. Hij beschreef de fictieve land Shambala, een woord in het Sanskriet dat vrede/rust/geluk betekent. Volgens het Tibetaans boeddhisme ligt dit ideale land in het noorden of westen van de Himalaya. Het inspireerde James Hilton in de 20e eeuw in het beschrijven van het aardse paradijs Shangri-La in zijn roman Lost Horizon
- Estêvão Cacella foi um missionário jesuíta português que viajou através dos Himalaias, sendo o primeiro europeu a entrar no Butão. Estevão Cacella juntou-se aos Jesuítas aos dezanove anos e navegou rumo à Índia em 1614, onde trabalhou alguns anos em Kerala. Em 1626 os Padres Cacela e Cabral, outro jovem padre jesuíta, viajaram de Cochim para Bengala onde passaram seis meses a preparar uma viagem através do Butão, que acabaria por os levar ao Tibete onde encontraram uma missão na cidade Shigatse, residência do Panchen Lama e do grande mosteiro tibetano de Tashilhunpo. Cacella chegou a Shigatse em Novembro de 1627 e Cabral seguiu em Janeiro 1628. Embora os jesuitas fossem bem recebidos e acalentassem grandes esperanças para o sucesso da missão em Shigatse, apenas durou poucos anos. A saúde precária de Cacella levou à sua morte em 1630 no planalto Tibetano. No Butão, Cacella e Cabral encontraram Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, unificador do Butão, e no fim de uma estadia de quase oito meses no país, o padre Cacella escreveu uma longa carta do Mosteiro Chagri ao seu superior em Cochim, na costa de Malabar. Era um relatório, A Relacao, relatando o progresso das suas viagens. Este é o único relato de Shabdrung que resta. O padre Cacella foi o primeiro europeu a entrar no Butão e viajar através dos Himalaias no Inverno. Foi também Cacella que, pela primeira vez, descreveu aos europeus um lugar fictício chamado Shambala (termo sânscrito indicando "paz/tranquilidade/felicidade"). De acordo com o budismo tibetano este seria um país ideal localizado a norte ou oeste dos montes Himalaias: no século XX o mito inspirou James Hilton a escrever o romance Horizonte perdido com o seu Shangri-La.
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