Coming of Portuguese to Goa
Afonso de Albuquerque was appointed as governor general of Estasdo da India Portuguesa, meaning the state of portuguese India. He met Timayya or Timioja, the admirer of Vijayanagara empire while travelling up to Gujarat at Anjadiv Island. Timayya requested Albuquerque to help him conquer Goa, as the horse trade and capital income had made Goa's port flourishing and prosperous. In reality, most kingdoms of Deccan and south were trying hard to conquer Goa. Timmayya intended that, he would be just helped by Albuquerque. But, Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Tiswadi on 1st March 1510. He lost it in April-may. He again conquered it on 25th Nov. 1510. According to his records, 6000 Muslims were killed in three days and all the widows of those Muslims were married man were married to Portuguese soldiers.
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| Portuguese India |
Religious Policy of the Portuguese:
When Albuquerque conquered Goa in Nov. 1510, he promised the people of Goa that, he would not interfere in their religion and cultural life. However, he broke that promise in 1511, when he destroyed Saptakoteshwar temple at Diwadi. This was later shifted across the river to Narve and later renovated by Shivaji in 1666. Albuquerque's other measures upon the conquest Goa was abolition of 'sati', establishment of first municipality of Goa called- 'Senada da Goa'.
From 1511-1540, the Portuguese were mainly against the Muslims, harrassing and persecuting them. Portuguese also allowed different religious orders or congregations to come to Goa and even evengelise or christianise. The first of these orders came to Goa were the Franciscans, who came in 1517 and started a seminari and began to convert people to christianity. The next to enter were the Jesuits. St. Francis was the first jesuit, who came to Goa in 1542. Besides there were Dominicans(1538) and Augustinians(1536) who built seminars and started the work of christianisation. They also opened schools to teach christian doctrine to people. By 1541, several hundreds of people had been converted in Goa to Christianity. However the first official onslaught on the Hindu religion by the Portuguese govt. in collaboration with missionaries was undertaken in 1541. Two transiscan priests-Fr. Minguel Vaz and Fr.Diogdo Borba sphereheaded the attack on the temples of Tiswadi and in the course, destroyed around 300 temples only in Tiswadi. The arrival of Jesuits brought more rigour on the Portuguese policy of conversion. St. Francis Xavier observed that, Portuguese living in Goa were not following the precepts of the christian living. Thus, a punishment in the form of inquisition were prescribed by him to the king of Portugal.
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The inquisition was brought about in Goa in 1560. There were 3 inquisiitors or judges and the inquisition was housed in Old Goa. And the house was called as "Vhodlen Ghar". Here, the inquisitors called the offenders or heretics who were arrested by police even on suspicion and tried for alleged sins.
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| Afonso de Albuquerque |
In the mean while, the Portuguese divided Goa among the Fraciscan and Jesuits. Bardez was given to Franciscans to convert, whereas, Salcete was given to the Jesuits. In 1567, the first provincial council was held, which comprised of the archhbishop, the governor general of Goa(Governador Gorel) and govt. officials. This provincial councils ordered destruction of all the temples in Bardez in Salcete. In 1567, 280 temples in Salcete and 300 temples in Bardez were destroyed. Thereafter, the inquisition imposed several restrictions on the christians and then on the Hindus.
Restrictions put on- Newly converted Christians:
1. Restricted use of Hindu musical instrument
2. Use of beettle leaves and areconuts was banned.
3. Distribution of fried cakes was carried on.
4. Singing of 'Ovios' was banned.
5. They were to put salt in rice.
6. Were forced to eat pork and meat.
7. They were to take bath in the evening
8. They were not to spread cowdung in the houses.
9. They were not to put rangolis.
10. They were not to keep a 'shendi', not to use nose-rings and kum-kum on forehead.
11. Were forced to remove the moustache.
Restrictions on Hindus:
1. Hindus were not to celebrate any festival during the 'lent'.
2. Not to have marriages, thread ceremonies, pujas in the teritories under Portuguese.
3. There was a tax imposed on 'shendi'(8 annas).
4. The bride-groom and the bride were not to be anoited with oil and turmeric.
5. Women were not allowed to wear green bangles.
6. Men were forced to wear trousers, they were not allowed to wear 'dhotar'.
7.Women were forced to wear dresses.
There were altogether five provincial councils held- 1567, 1575, 1583, 1595 and 1603, ad a every council, laws were passed to harrasse the newly converted christians and the Hindus, making them difficult to live in peace and security in their own land. The inquisition tried new christians for harrassing and Hindus for obstructing the progress of Christians. The christians and the Hindus left their ancestral homes and property and ran away to the neighbouring, to save their life, culture and religion. Hindus overnight threw the image of their gods or deities into rivers or buried them into fields and later when it was safe, took them to safer places outside the Portuguese dominance and built the temple afresh.
That is why the most of the temples are in Ponda, Sanguem, Bicholim and Quepem which were transferred from the old conquest. In the mean while, the Portuguese, by a 'Papal bull'(a religious order) established the first Diocese in 1534. The diocese had its jurisdiction over all the territory discovered by the Portuguese from the "cape of good hope" to India and China. It is this 'bull' that aid foundation of 'Padroado'(patronage), which meant that the government of Goa founded the christian church. It was in 1538, that the first bishop of Goa came from Portugal. Twenty years later, Goa became 'Arch bishopic'. Naturally it was the official policy of the king of Portugal to convert non-christians to christianity.
Marquis de Pombal
Marqis de Pombal was the liberal prime minister of Portugal. The real name of Marquis de Pombal was 'Sebastio Jose de Carvallo e Melho' who ruled for 22 years in Portugal. Thus period left a deep and lasting effect on the history of Portugal for good and evil. His ruthless suppression of Jesuits was evident not only in Portugal, but also in the colonies of Goa and Africa. Two portuguese colonies in Africa(Mozambique & Angola). His drastic reforms of education system, his well-thought reforms in agricultural field and his attitude towards English alliance were the main features of his illustrous career. Moreover, Pombal is one of the very Portuguese in history, who is more than a name to great majority of people outside Portugal and Brazil-ranking in ths respect, prince Henry the navigator, Afonso de Albuquerque, Vasco-da-Gama and Dr. Salazar.
Born in 1699 in the family of undistinguished rural gentry, passed first 50 years of his life in relative obscurity. In 1738, he was appointed as ambassador to England and in 1745 to Austria. His first wife died, he married again to a daughter of an Austrian field martial. Thanks to his Austrian wife, he quickly won the favour of the Austrian born queen of Portugal, and through her he got access to the heir to the throne- Dom jose. As soon as Dome jose succeeded to the throne, he made Pombal, the secretary of the state of war and foreign affairs. And, subsequently showing ore confidence in him than any other minister, made him the prime minister. But, it was the great Lisbon earthquake on 1st Nov. 1755, which accelerated to rise of Pombal to the position of a virtual dictator for the next 22 years.
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