‫ واﻟﻨﺺ اﻷﺻﻠﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻔﺎرﺳﯿﺔ‬1608 ‫ﺗﺮﺟﻤﺔ اﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﻳﺔ ﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ ﻣﻠﻚ أرﻛﺎن ﺳﻠﯿﻢ ﺷﺎه إﻟﻰ ﻣﻠﻚ ھﻮﻟﻨﺪا ﻓﻲ ﻋﺎم‬

The Hague: Archives of the VOC inv. no. 4778, dated 1608

[I] Salimshah, emperor of Pegu, king of Arakan, Chittagong, Tandjur, Dianga and other places in Bengal, Lord of the
Golden House and two white elephants. I sent my regards to you, captain of my brother in arms, the mighty king of
Holland.

As I have learnt through the letters of your captains in Masulipatnam, Petapolij and Atjeh, and also through the
report of your [captain] Pieter Willemsz., that you have a strong desire to conclude alliances with all the kings of
India, especially with those who are enemies of the Portuguese, and as you say you know very well my reputation,
so it should be that your Prince and I should be allies. I have had already for along time the desire to have you in my
country to drive out the Portuguese from my land, but because of you being so slow in coming here I cou
ld not
delay action against those people who have received so much from me and yet betrayed me soo bitterly.
So I have killed about 600 Portuguese and I have destroyed all of Bengal, so that there is now not one ​xhenga i​ n
Pegu anymore. When I went to Pegu last year I fought against the principal captain there, Paulo del Ree. I took
three ​fusten​ and just when the castle was about to surrender, some ​Abaxins​ raised themselves against me, and as
the rainy season was abou to start I had to retreat.
As you are now the same Dutchmen who fought so bravely againt the Vice-Roy and you want to spread your name
and fame all over India, I ask you to help me take revenge on that rebel ​Xhenga​. When you agree to this I will
promise to remain for always the enemy of the Portuguese and to forbid them entrance in my country, and to give
you all of Bengal, Arakan and Pegu, or any other place that you might chose to make a city or a bandel and to help
you as much as I can. If this ​caul​ is not strong enough I will give you a better one when you come [to Arakan]. I
know I ask much, but I trust that you will come, and I ask you please come quickly, because haste is needed, as you
will learn by the letters of Pieter Willemsz., to whom I have expressed my will more fully. It only rests me now to
wish your honour health and victory over your enemies and moreover a speedy arrival in my country.

[In the margine is the s

​ eal​ of the king of Arakan in black ink]