Henrique Henriques

He strongly believed that books of religious doctrines should be in local languages and to this end he wrote books in Tamil. His efforts made Tamil the first non-European language to be printed in moveable type. Hence he is sometimes called The Father of the Tamil Press. After his death his mortal remains were buried in Our Lady of Snows Basilica in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

Early life Henriques was born into a Sephardi Jewish family in 1520 in Vila Viçosa, Alentejo, Kingdom of Portugal. He joined the Franciscan order but had to leave due to his Jewish ancestry. He later studied Canon Law at the University of Coimbra until 1545. On 7 October 1545, he entered the newly founded Society of Jesus in Coimbra (Portugal).

Missionary in India Henriques initially lived in Portuguese Goa until 1557 and then moved to the Pearl Fishery Coast or Tuticorin, under orders of St. Francis Xavier, where he worked as a missionary It was followed by Kirisithiyaani Vanakkam (கிரிசித்தியானி வணக்கம்)(1579). These were works of catechism, containing the basic prayers of Catholicism. Before this 'Cartilha', a Tamil prayer book printed using Latin script, was printed in Lisbon by command of the Portuguese king and financed by the Paravars of Tuticorin who also helped with scholarly assistance.

He also printed Flos Sanctorum in Tamil (1586). Hence, he is sometimes referred to as Father of the Tamil press

Henriques is the first known European Tamil scholar. According to The Jesuit Annual Letter for 1601

His mortal remains were buried in Our Lady of Snows Basilica in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

Works 1578: Doctrina Christam en Linga Malauar Tamul / Doctrina Cristaã tresladada em lingua Tamul [...]. Impressa em Coulam no Collegio do Saluador. — Only known copy: Houghton Library, Harvard University, GEN Typ 100 578 (digital copy) 1579: Doctrina Christaã, a maneyra de Dialogo [...]. Em Cochim, no Collegio da Madre de Deos. — Known copies: Sorbonne Université (digital copy, original lost), Bodleian Library 1580: Confessionairo. — Known copies: Bodleian Library, Vet. Or. f. Tam. 1., Moscow State University Library. 1586: [Flos sanctorum]. — Known copies: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat.ind.24 (digital copy), Royal Danish Library