Portuguese India

2010-09-03T22:15:00.004+05:30

The commemorative Goa e as pracas do Norte published in 1966 by the Junta de Investigacoes do Ultramar in Lisbon provides a valuable source of textual and illustrated information.

2010-09-03T21:34:00.005+05:30

Jardim Municipal in Pangim renamed Azad Maidan. At the end of the road is the former Academia Militar de Goa which in 1836 became the Bibliotheca Publica.

Portuguese Impressions of the Zamorin

2009-07-25T21:56:00.010+05:30

'The Zamorin was almost naked, having only a piece of white cotton round his waist, wrought with gold. On his head he wore a cap of cloth of gold resembling a helmet. In his ears he had rich jewels of diamonds, sapphires, and pearls, two of the latter being as large as walnuts. His arms, from the elbows to the wrists, were covered with golden bracelets, set with numberless precious stones of great value; and his legs, from the knees to the ankles, were similarly adorned. His fingers and toes had numerous rings, and on one of his great toes he wore a ruby of great size and wonderful brilliancy. One of his diamonds was bigger than a large bean. All these were greatly surpassed by his girdle of gold and jewels, which was altogether inestimable, and was so brilliant that it dazzled the eyes of the beholders. Beside the zamorin was a rich throne or state chair, all of gold and jewels; and his andor , in which he had been carried from the palace was of similar richness, and stood near him. He was attended by twenty trumpeters, seventeen of whom had silver trumpets, and three of them gold, all the mouth-pieces being finely wrought and set with jewels….On entering the hall, and seeing the splendid state of the zamorin, Cabral would have kissed his hand, as is the custom of Europe; but was informed that this was not customary among them, and therefore sat down in a chair near the king, which was appointed for him as an especial honour. He then delivered his letter of credit from the king of Portugal, written in Arabic, and then said, that the king his master, willing to cultivate trade and friendship with the zamorin and his subjects, had given him orders to require permission to establish a factory or house of trade in Calicut, which should always be supplied with every kind of merchandise that was in demand; and requested the zamorin to supply a sufficient loading of spices for the ships under his command, which he was ready to pay for, either by means of the commodities he had on board, or in ready money. The zamorin seemed or affected to be pleased with the embassy, and said that the king of Portugal was welcome to every thing in his city of which he was in need….

The Departure of Cabral's Fleet to India

2009-07-25T21:21:00.009+05:30

The departure of Pedro Alvares Cabral's, partially Florentine financed thirteen strong fleet, from Lisbon to India, was described by various chronicles of the period such as this classic account: '…The fleet being in full readiness, the king went in procession, on Sunday the 7th of March 1500, to hear mass at the monastery of Belem, accompanied by the Captain-General, whom he took along with himself behind the curtain in the royal seat, to do him the more honor. After mass, Don Diego Ortis, Bishop of Viseu, preached a sermon, in which he gave high praise to Cabral for undertaking the command of this expedition, as serving not only the king his temporal master, but the eternal GOD his spiritual Lord, drawing many comparisons in his favour from the Grecian and Roman histories. Mass being ended, a banner of the royal arms of Portugal was delivered to the bishop, who solemnly blessed it, and returned it to the king, who delivered it to Cabral, that it might be displayed at his main-top. The bishop then, gave a bonnet to the general, which had been blessed by the pope, and placed a rich jewel with his own hands on his head, and gave him his blessing. When these ceremonies were ended, the king accompanied the captain-general to the water side, where he and the other captains of the fleet took leave of the king, kissing his hands, the king giving them Gods blessing and his own; after which all went on board, and the whole fleet saluted the king by discharging all the ordnance of all the ships: But the wind being foul, the fleet could not depart that day, and the king returned to Lisbon….

2009-07-20T14:56:00.015+05:30

Statue in Santarem, commemorating the navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral, who attacked the port of Calicut in Malabar following the massacre of fifty four Portuguese by Arabs. He then sailed on to Cochin and Cannanur which became allies of Portugal against Calicut.

2009-07-20T14:20:00.017+05:30

Calicut, in the sixteenth century, one of the major ports on the western seaboard of India which traded as far as Egypt and China until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1498, resulting in a barrage of bombardments each time yearly fleets arrived from Lisbon. From Braun and Hogenberg's Civitates Orbis Terrarum. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Jewish National National & University Library.

'The First Mass in Brazil'

2009-07-19T21:24:00.006+05:30

'The First Mass in Brazil' by the Brazilian painter Victor Meirelles completed in 1861 and exhibited shortly afterwards in Paris commemorating the mass celebrated by the Portuguese and indigenous Indians in Brazil during the expedition of Pedro Alvares Cabral to India in 1500.

2009-07-19T19:57:00.003+05:30

Pedro Alvares Cabral celebrating Easter on the shores of Brazil with indigenous tribes before resuming his journey to India.

The Discovery of Brazil en route to India

2009-07-19T19:37:00.009+05:30

In the summer of 1500, the second Portuguese expedition to India, commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral, following that of Vasco da Gama in 1497-98, accidentally sailed off course and ended up on the coast of Brazil. A Portuguese chronicler of the period described the events that followed: 'The fleet on the 24th of April, came in sight of land. This was cause of much joy, as it was supposed to be a country which had not been discovered by De Gama…Cabral immediately sent off the master of his ship in a small boat to examine the country, who reported that it appeared pleasant and fertile, with extensive woods and many inhabitants. The fleet was brought to anchor, and the master sent again on shore to examine more narrowly into the state of the country and its inhabitants. His account was that the natives were well proportioned, and of a swarthy colour, armed with bows and arrows, and all naked. A storm arising at night, the fleet weighed anchor and stood along; the coast, till they found a good harbour, in which they all came to anchor, naming it Puerto Seguro, or the Safe Port, as it was quite secure in all weathers. Our men took two of the natives in an almadia or canoe, who were brought to the admiral, but no one could understand their language. They had therefore apparel given them, and were set on shore much pleased. This encouraged the rest of the natives to mix with our people in a friendly manner; but finding nothing to detain him here, the general determined to take in a supply of water, not knowing when he might have another opportunity. Next day, being in Easter week, a solemn mass was said on shore under a pavilion, and a sermon was preached by Fra Henrique. During service, many of the natives gathered around, who seemed very merry, playing and leaping about, and sounding cornets, horns, and other instruments. After mass, the natives followed the general to his boat, singing and making merry…'

2009-07-19T18:05:00.000+05:30

Society of Jesus missionary in the eighteenth century.

Mystery over Georgian Queen's Relics at Old Goa Continues

2009-07-14T11:47:00.001+05:30

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Goa/Mystery-over-Georgian-queens-relics-at-Old-Goa-continues-/articleshow/4371818.cms

2009-07-14T10:54:00.002+05:30

Tomb of Alvares Pedro Cabral who led the second expedition to India after Vasco da Gama in 1500. It ended as a colossal failure with only half of the original ships returning safetly to Portugal. The tomb is situated in the church of Our Lady of Grace in Santarem. Cabral is burried with his wife.

Pedro Alvares Cabral: Drama Histórico em Quatro Actos

2009-07-14T10:02:00.024+05:30

Pedro Alvares Cabral: drama histórico em quatro actos is a play published by Castello Branco and Alabern in Lisbon in 1900 commeorating the life of the explorer Cabral who accidentally diocvered Brazil en route to India: http://www.archive.org/details/pedroalvarescab00costgoog

2009-03-23T13:00:00.006+05:30

Ruins of Saint Paul's College in Old Goa where Francis Xavier taught and a Mughal mosque in Bicholim built in the course of a joint offensive by Mahratta and dissident Mughal troops against the Portuguese.

An Historical Sketch of Goa The Metropolis of the Portuguese Settlements in India

2009-02-17T15:52:00.007+05:30

An Historical Sketch of Goa, the Metropolis of the Portuguese Settlements in India: With an Account of the Present State of that Celebrated City, and of the Surrounding Territories Under its Immediate Jurisdiction, Collected from the Most Authentic Sources. Denis Louis Cottineau de Kloguen. Gazette Press, 1831: http://www.archive.org/details/anhistoricalske00kloggoog

2009-02-17T15:17:00.003+05:30

African Portuguese troops stationed in Goa in the 1950's marching past the Bom Basilica.

2009-02-10T22:23:00.004+05:30

A stone Nandi situated to the right of the central shrine in the 13th century Kadamba temple in Opa, Ponda.

The First Portuguese India Company 1628-33

2009-02-10T22:01:00.003+05:30

The First Portuguese India Company, 1628-33. A. R. Disney. The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 30, No. 2 (May, 1977), pp. 242-258 (article consists of 17 pages). Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Economic History Society.http://www.jstor.org/pss/2595145

2009-02-10T20:44:00.002+05:30

Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Count of Oeiras, 1st Marquis of Pombal (1699-1782), who ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal and an end to the Inquisition in Goa in the eighteenth century.

Portuguese Rule in Goa 1510-1961

2009-02-10T20:34:00.002+05:30

P. J. Griffiths reviewed work: Portuguese Rule in Goa, 1510-1961. by R. P. Rao. Nehru seizes Goa. International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 40, No. 3 (Jul., 1964), p. 555 (review consists of 1 page).

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2610896

Savoi Mahadevo Temple

2009-02-09T13:02:00.009+05:30

In the small village of Savoi in eastern Ponda are the laterite remains of what is said to have been a medieval Mahadevo temple destroyed by the Portuguese. A number of scattered circular boulders testify to the importance of the structure that was built here. There is a small shrine with a Shiva lingham and what appears to be a more primitive one outside which may have been part of the original temple complex. A large number of laterite blocks have been used to build an enclosure around the temple site which is still in use today.

2009-02-02T22:34:00.001+05:30

Santo Estevao (1759).

The Portuguese in India

2009-02-02T22:17:00.005+05:30

Sanjay Subrahmanyam. Reviewed work(s): The Portuguese in India, Vol. 1, Pt. 1 by M. N. Pearson. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 501, The Ghetto Underclass: Social Science Perspectives (Jan., 1989), pp. 204-205 (review consists of 2 pages). Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science. http://www.jstor.org/pss/1045671?cookieSet=1

2008-12-31T21:28:00.002+05:30

Landscape around Aguada fort.

Relation de l'Inquisition de Goa (Paris 1688)

2008-12-31T21:09:00.004+05:30

The classic text on the inquistion in Goa by a French prisoner.

http://gallica2.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k57889g.image.r=Relation+de+l%27Inquisition+de+Goa+.f2.langEN

Panjim Cartões Postais

2008-12-10T14:12:00.004+05:30

The First Global War: The Dutch versus Iberia in Asia, Africa and the New World 1590-1609

2008-11-27T10:49:00.006+05:30

Article abstract: Are the beginnings of the Dutch expansion outside Europe to be viewed as war or commerce? In assessing the damage done by the Dutch to the various Iberian trade circuits in Asia and the Atlantic during the period between 1585 and 1609, this contribution shows that the Dutch actions against Spain and Portugal had virtually no effect. The Dutch - as well as the other Northwest European powers - could not seriously harm the Iberian expansion system. After 1620 this situation changed, but it remains remarkable that between 1500 and 1800 two expansion systems continued to co-exist in Asia, Africa and the New World. http://www.brown.ed/Departments/Portuguese_Brazilian_Studies/ejph/

2008-11-27T10:17:00.001+05:30

The jetty of Aguada Fort.

Indies Adventure: The Amazing Career of Afonso de Albuquerque, Captain-General and Governor of India (London 1936)

2008-11-27T10:09:00.003+05:30

http://www.archive.org/details/IndiesAdventure

L'Indigénisation du Christianisme en Inde pendant la Période Coloniale

2008-11-24T10:42:00.002+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/articleAsPDF/assr_0335-5985_1998_num_103_1_1192/article_assr_0335-5985_1998_num_103_1_1192.pdf?mode=light

2008-11-24T10:39:00.001+05:30

Fort Aguada peninsula.

Le Régime Paroissial des Diocèses de Rite Latin de l'Inde des Origines (XVIe siècle) à nos Jours (review)

2008-11-24T10:34:00.001+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/articleAsPDF/assr_0003-9659_1959_num_7_1_1704_t1_0168_0000_3/article_assr_0003-9659_1959_num_7_1_1704_t1_0168_0000_3.pdf?mode=light

The Making of an Enterprise: The Society of Jesus in Portugal, its Empire, and Beyond 1540-1750 (review)

2008-11-24T10:16:00.007+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/articleAsPDF/ahess_0395-2649_1999_num_54_4_279791_t1_0986_0000_002/article_ahess_0395-2649_1999_num_54_4_279791_t1_0986_0000_002.pdf?mode=light

A Summary of Portugese History in Ceylon 1506-1631

2008-11-24T10:07:00.002+05:30

A European depiction of Ceylon in 1574.

http://onlineessays.com/essays/history/his044.php

The Role of Interpreters, or Linguas, in the Portuguese Empire during the 16th Century

2008-11-22T18:35:00.010+05:30

This article analyses the different categories of interpreters (lingoas), the forms of their recruitment and the strategies of their use in the Portuguese Empire in Asia in the first half of the sixteenth century. The interpreters were as good as adventurers, convicts and natives, captives, renegades and converted slaves recruited during expeditions and military operations. Besides the social-economical status of these interpreters the article highlights the case of the territory of Macao where the necessity to answer to imperial bureaucracy determines the creation of a corps of interpreters (jurubaças) and perfectly organised family dynasties of "lingoas".

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Portuguese_Brazilian_Studies/ejph/html/issue2/html/couto_main.html

Planta da Ilha de Goa na India e suas Terras Confinantes 1747

2008-11-22T18:18:00.007+05:30

L'Or, le Poivre, le Portugal et l'Economie Mondiale

2008-11-14T14:17:00.003+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/ahess_0395-2649_1970_num_25_6_422303?luceneQuery=%28%28%2B%28portugais%29+%2B%28Goa%29%29+AND+%28+%2Baccess_right%3A%28free%29+%29%29+AND+%28indexable_type%3Aarticlepag%3F%29&words=portugais&words=Goa&words=free&words=articlepag

2008-11-14T14:13:00.001+05:30

Regimento de D. Manuel I para a armada de Pedro Álvares Cabral à Índia, 1500.

A Expedição de Pedro Alvares Cabral e o Descobrimento do Brazil (Lisboa 1922)

2008-11-14T14:04:00.001+05:30

http://www.archive.org/stream/expedipcdaode00cortrich

2008-11-14T13:55:00.003+05:30

Pedro Álvares Cabral's 13 strong fleet accidentally reaches the Brazilian coast in April 1500, while trying to find the route used by Vasco da Gama to reach India, two years earlier.

Pedraluarez Cabral (London 1914)

2008-11-14T13:46:00.008+05:30

A history, published in London in 1914, on Pedro Álvares Cabral's voyage to Brazil and India in 1500, following that of Vasco da Gama in 1497-98.
http://www.archive.org/details/pedraluarezcabral00mcclrich

2008-11-14T13:00:00.003+05:30

Pedro Álvares Cabral, who led the second Portuguese expedition to India after Vasco da Gama in 1500, and under whom, the already strained relations with Calicut reached a breaking point resulting in a massive bombardment of the city.

L'Influence Portugaise sur la Cartographie Nautique Néerlandaise du XVIe siècle

2008-11-14T12:19:00.001+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/geo_0003-4010_1937_num_46_259_12226?luceneQuery=%28%28%2B%28portugais%29+%2B%28Goa%29%29+AND+%28+%2Baccess_right%3A%28free%29+%29%29+AND+%28indexable_type%3Aarticlepag%3F%29&words=portugais&words=Goa&words=free&words=articlepag

2008-11-03T13:07:00.004+05:30

Nossa Senhora Assunta, Velsao (1634).

Indie Orientalie Penisola di qua del Gange Larabia el'Imperio del Gran Mogol (Napoli, 1717)

2008-11-03T12:59:00.007+05:30

2008-11-03T12:36:00.000+05:30

“A Fidalgo taking the Air in Goa” from Jan Huyghen van Linschoten’s Itinerario (1595).

The First Portuguese Expedition to India 1497-1498

2008-11-03T12:20:00.009+05:30

1497

8 July: Captain-Major Vasco da Gama sails out of the Tejo estuary on board the Sao Gabriel accompanied by three sister ships in search of “Christians and spices”.
15 July: The fleet passes the Canary Islands and soon spots the African coast. Limited contact is initiated with tribes along the coast as the voyage progresses.
4 November: The fleet reaches the Bay of St Helena.
22 November: The fleet rounds the Cape of Good Hope at midday.

1498

March 2: The fleet reaches Mozambique.
7 April: The fleet reaches Mombasa.
14 April: The fleet reaches Malindi thirty leagues north of Mombasa.
24 April: The Yemeni Sultan of Malindi provides Gama with a Gujerati pilot who steers the fleet towards Calicut on the southwest coast of India.
20 May: The fleet anchors at a small village near Calicut.
21 May: The first Portuguese to land ashore, a converted Jew, comes across two Castilian speaking Arab merchants. ‘The Devil take you! What brought you here?’ they ask astounded. ‘We come to seek Christians and spices’ replies the Portuguese. ‘You should give many thanks to God for having brought you to a land where there are such riches!’ an Arab explains.
28 May: After much preparation, Gama finally lands ashore accompanied by a retinue of thirteen Portuguese holding banners and blowing trumpets. A half naked native honour guard receives Gama in the presence of the Moors who act as interpreters. Gama is lifted onto a palanquin and carried to the Royal Palace accompanied by the sound of drum beating while large curious crowds converge to watch the procession. The bare-chested Zamorin, reclining on a green cloth covered couch chewing pan which he regularly spits into a gold pot, receives the Portuguese in this manner. They bow respectfully and are offered fruits which they consume in an unfamiliar manner that greatly amuses the Zamorin and his court. Gama explains that he has come as the emissary of Manuel I, the king of a powerful kingdom seeking trade with India.
29 May: Gama assembles gifts to offer the Zamorin. These consist of coats, hats, basins, honey and butter. When the local Moorish merchants see what Gama has to offer they burst out laughing. He is left embarrassed and offended.
30 May: Gama is made to wait several hours for his second audience with the Zamorin who does not hesitate to reproach him for the measly goods he has brought. Slyly, he makes a reference to a valuable Virgin icon in gold said to be on one of the ships but Gama explains that he cannot part with it as it is a lucky talisman. Nevertheless, the King grants Gama permission to return to his ship and begin trading.
2 June: After some tense moments on the way back in which Gama is separated from his men and temporarily detained by the Moors, he climbs aboard the Sao Gabriel. Relations with the Moors deteriorate rapidly over the coming weeks. When the Portuguese land ashore, the Moors greet them with the words ‘Portugal, Portugal’ before spitting on the ground.
13 August: The Portuguese suspect that their Arabic speaking emissary, Diogo Dias, is detained by the Zamorin from fear that they will not pay the 600 ashrafis they owe in customs duties.
19 August: When senior Calicut officials approach the fleet on several vessels for discussions, Gama has them seized and held hostage until Dias returns.
23 August: As there is no response, the Portuguese prepare to set sail for Lisbon leaving a message behind for the Zamorin and his court stating that they plan to ‘return very soon, and that they would then know if we were indeed robbers’.
26 August: While the fleet is temporarily stopped at sea by the winds, a vessel arrives from Calicut bearing news that Dias is safe and the Zamorin is prepared to negotiate. Gama insists on his immediate return threatening to behead his captives if this is not done.
27 August: Dias arrives on a vessel in the morning and six hostages are released. The Zamorin sends an amicable palm leaf message stating: Vasco da Gama, Fidalgo of your household, came to my land, and I rejoiced at that. In my land, there is much cinnamon, and much cloves and ginger and pepper and many precious stones. And what I want from your land is gold and silver and coral and scarlet.
29 August: The visit to Calicut nevertheless ends on a sombre note. One of the Portuguese aboard the fleet writes: ‘On Wednesday…seeing that we had found and discovered what we had come to seek out, both spices and precious stones, and that we could not manage to leave the land in peace and as friends of the people, the Captain-Major decided, on consulting the other captains, to leave…'

2008-11-03T12:17:00.002+05:30

A nineteenth century illustration of Fort Aguada built in 1612 to deter the Dutch from invading Goa.

La Mise en Valeur des Colonies Portugaises

2008-11-03T11:53:00.000+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/geo_0003-4010_1935_num_44_250_11109?luceneQuery=%28%28%2B%28portugais%29+%2B%28Goa%29%29+AND+%28+%2Baccess_right%3A%28free%29+%29%29+AND+%28indexable_type%3Aarticlepag%3F%29&words=portugais&words=Goa&words=free&words=articlepag

Calcoen (Antwerp 1504)

2008-11-03T11:24:00.004+05:30

Calcoen is one of the most important sources documenting Vasco da Gama's second voyage to India in 1502. It was written by a Fleming on board the fleet and published in Antwerp shortly after his arrival in 1504.

http://www.archive.org/details/calcoenadutchna00goog

Les Portugais et la Cartographie Marine au XVe et au XVIe Siècle

2008-10-29T14:20:00.001+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/geo_0003-4010_1936_num_45_257_11391?luceneQuery=%28%28%2B%28portugais%29+%2B%28Goa%29%29+AND+%28+%2Baccess_right%3A%28free%29+%29%29+AND+%28indexable_type%3Aarticlepag%3F%29&words=portugais&words=Goa&words=free&words=articlepag

"Cael Velho", "Calepatanão" and "Punicale": The Portuguese and the Tambraparni Ports in the Sixteenth Century

2008-10-29T14:04:00.001+05:30

http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/befeo_0336-1519_1995_num_82_1_2294?luceneQuery=%28%28%2B%28velho%29%29+AND+%28+%2Baccess_right%3A%28free%29+%29%29+AND+%28indexable_type%3Aarticlepag%3F%29&words=velho&words=free&words=articlepag

Hell: A European Medieval Concept Transposed to Goa

2008-10-29T13:07:00.012+05:30

The Iberian Inquisition was exported to Goa and the fear of God was instilled in the indigenous population. The first two paintings are by the Hans Memlin while the remaining, located in the church of São Tomé in Goa, is anonymous.

L'Hermite sans Soucis, ou, Le Capuchon a Tous les Diables 1790

2008-10-28T17:51:00.009+05:30

A short story, written in French with political intent, from the Palace of the Inquisition in Goa (1790).

http://gallica2.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k45089k.r=goa.langFR

Illustrations of the Goa Inquisition 1709

2008-10-28T17:14:00.010+05:30

2008-10-28T14:13:00.003+05:30

Basílica do Bom Jesus 1594

Flight of the Deities: Hindu Resistance in Portuguese Goa

2008-10-27T11:36:00.000+05:30

http://www.jstor.org/pss/313013

2008-10-27T11:29:00.004+05:30

Isabel de Portugal, daugther of Manuel I, Queen consort of Aragon, Castile and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (Rogier van der Weyden c.1500)

Index of the Court Proceedings of the Portuguese Inquisition

2008-10-27T11:24:00.006+05:30

http://ttonline.iantt.pt/dserve.exe?dsqServer=calm6&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqCmd=overview.tcl&dsqSearch=(RefNo='PT-TT-TSO')

Mapa de Portugal insular e Império Colonial Português 1934 (enlarge)

2008-10-27T10:58:00.003+05:30

2008-10-27T10:29:00.004+05:30

Sessions Hall of the Canons in the former Archbishop's Palace, Goa (1608)

2008-10-27T10:18:00.003+05:30

Se Cathedral in Old Goa.

King Manuel I letter to Governor Lopo Soares de Albergaria 1516

2008-10-15T09:44:00.006+05:30

Manuel I (1461-1521)

Lopo Soarez, friend, we, the king, send you our hearty greeting. Because not many days past news has reached us that the Grand Sultan is preparing a fleet in Suez for his service in India, we hereby acquaint you of the manner in which you must proceed in case the fleet of the Sultan shall have passed into Indian waters, though we trust in Our Lord that this is not the case ; for we ought to provide against and counteract a thing so prejudicial to our service, and one calculated, as we fear, to bring about the complete subversion of Portuguese influence in that part of the world.

And in consideration of that which should result in the greatest security, and give the best grounds of success, it has seemed best for our service, in case the said fleet of the Sultan shall have entered into Indian seas and Afonso Dalboquerque still be there, to order him not to make any new arrangements for his return to these kingdoms as we had ordered him, but to remain with you in our service, and that you—because Cochim and Calicut are places of such great and manifest importance, and inseparably bound up with the preservation of our estate in India — remain therein (in India) as captain major and governor, Malaca being also subject to your command; and that you take command of four hundred of the men who went out with you, choosing those whom you prefer, to keep them with you, over and above those going on service in the said fortresses, and all the fleet on duty at Malaca and Cochim, and that you take up residence in whichever of the said fortresses of Cochim and Calicut that you prefer, and in which you perceive it most advantageous to the security and good of our service. And we hold it good that the lading of the vessels going to India every year, and returning with spices, be under your control without the intervention of any one therein except only the factor and officers of the factory.

And we will that all the other fortresses, soldiers, fleets, and forces, as well of sea as of land, remain under the command of Afonso Dalboquerque for our service and in expectation of eventualities, and in order to render aid by reinforcements when required at any place where difficulties may arise in respect of the said fleet of the Sultan ; and he is to labour to destroy it (as we trust in the Lord he will destroy it); and we have written to him at length to this effect.

And although we repose entire confidence in you, that you will serve us in this business with the great bravery and with the knightly deeds which you are accustomed to perform, yet in an affair so new and untried, and of so great a need, it does not appear to us that you would be able to cope with it unassisted, if the Sultan's fleet were once to gain an entry into India; for it is impossible that you should be endowed with qualities such as we know are possessed by Afonso Dalboquerque, for the advancement and security of our state in those parts of the world, because of his experience during many years, and because of his acquaintance with the kings and lords who are our true friends and servants, and also because of his knowledge of those who are not so, but opposed to us, and of his knowing the heart and disposition of each one, having been so long among them, and had dealings with them and made trial of them, and also because of the matters in which he can exercise his care, and his ability to destroy those combinations in which he dare not hope to find perfect fidelity of action towards our service, so as thereby to prevent the enemy from combining with one another against us. And for all these reasons and others which may arise, it is expedient that we take advantage of the especial as well as of the general experience which he possesses not only in naval but also in military matters ; and principally we regard the great victories with which Our Lord has ever favoured him in those parts, in all the things to which he has set his hand and which he has undertaken : for we trust in His mercy that He will give him the victory even in this enterprise ; for albeit that many men are available for many things, and in him we ought to have entire confidence, as we have in you, not only for this matter but even greater matters, (although it may turn out to be nothing after all but an idle rumour), by making use of his services, whom Our Lord has already assisted in these very enterprises, it seems likely that the business may thereby be better carried and completed, especially when one knows the method of carrying them on as Afonso Dalboquerque does.

And because this is a matter which so closely appertains to, and is involved in, our service, honour, and estate, as you will easily perceive, we recommend you and command you by especial orders in no wise to resist this which we desire you to do, but to assist us in the manner herein described.

And because the military operations which ensue upon the entry of the Sultan's fleet into India will undoubtedly entail upon us considerable expenditure, we command the officials of Cochim, Calicut, and Malaca, in case Afonso Dalboquerque requires any money or supplies from our stores, to send them to him immediately without the least delay in accordance with the provision which we have on this behalf dispatched to the said Afonso Dalboquerque. We do also notify this to you that you may know in what way we order it, and that you may not prevent it, but rather we desire you heartily to exercise in this matter all the attention possible, in order that all that Afonso Dalboquerque may require in respect of this matter may be thoroughly performed.

Done at Almeirim, the twentieth day of March, in the year 1516.

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The central shrine in the Shri Anant Devasthan temple in Savoi Verem in Ponda. It depicts Vishnu in an Ananta incarnation resting on a multi-headed snake. It is said to be the only such shrine in Goa. The carved black stone is specially painted during the Navaratra festival.

Capela de Santo Francisco Xavier 1884

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A Request for Royal Consent to Exterminate Jews 1513

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Afonso Albuquerque, Duke of Goa and Governor of Portuguese India (1508-1515)

Within three years of establishing Portuguese rule in Goa, a cause of concern for the Governor of Portuguese India, Afonso Albuquerque, was the perceived sudden and rapid influx of Portuguese and Castilian Jews into Malabar and Goa. He responded in one of his regular letters to the Portuguese monarch, King Manuel I, dated 15 December, 1513, by asking whether "I maybe permitted to exterminate them one by one as I come across them". This was essentially a matter of form as Albuquerque was not one to wait before embarking on such a bloody venture with the fanatical zeal so fundamental to his nature.

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Arch overlooking the entrance to the abandoned Capela da Nossa Senhora do Monte in Old Goa. On this hill, Afonso Albuquerque positioned himself to observe large Bijapur formations marching on the island of Goa before counterattacking and defeating them.

Sao Mathias 1590

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Illustration Commemorating the Conquest of Malacca after that of Goa

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The Portuguese Seizure of Banastari 1512

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The small village of Banastari was the site of several fierce battles between the Portuguese and the Sultanate of Bijapur of which Goa was initially a part of before the arrival of the former. The river there marked the frontier between the island of Goa and Bijapur territory below the ghats. Bijapur built a great fort there to prevent further Portuguese incursion and as a place from which to launch attacks of its own across the river. When the Governor of Portuguese India, Afonso Albuquerque, was absent for many months in 1512 on an expedition against the Sultan of Malacca, Bijapur prepared to launch a massive attack on Goa. Upon being informed of this, Albuquerque rushed to the defence of Goa. Within days of arriving, he ordered the fleet to sail along the river to Banastari. For several days it launched a relentless bombardment of the fort. Many Bijapur bombardiers manning the fort’s defences, including Genoese and Castilian renegades, were killed. The eventual arrival of large Bijapuri reinforcements, however, quickly forced the fleet to retreat. While attending mass, Albuquerque was informed that the Bijapur Commander, Rassel Khan, was preparing to launch a major offensive on the City. Determined to outmanoeuvre him, Albuquerque rushed to a nearby hill from where he observed large Bijapur formations marching in the open country towards the City. He immediately ordered a three pronged attack causing panic within the formations and forcing a general retreat. The Portuguese then attacked the fort itself. Albuquerque’s troops began scaling the walls but seeing that there was no artillery, he ordered a temporary withdrawal to minimise losses. For two days, the troops assembled at a place called “Two Trees” between Banastari and the City, waiting for the artillery to arrive. When it did, the final and deadly assault took place. The intense artillery barrage ensured that the walls eventually gave way. It was not long before Rassel Khan signalled his desire for a ceasefire. Albuquerque was agreeable on condition that all Portuguese defectors and renegades in Bijapur service be handed over. As a matter of honour, Rassel Khan insisted that their lives be spared. Albuquerque accepted although he did not quite live up to the spirit of the agreement. Upon being handed over, he ordered the noses, ears and hands of the renegades to be cut off. In this condition they were then set free. Rassel Khan, meanwhile, withdrew his troops into Bijapur country, allowing Albuquerque - in accordance with the terms of their agreement - to occupy Banastari. He immediately set about re-fortifying the area as well as setting up extensive defences in Divar and Pangim in anticipation - no doubt - of the next confrontation with the Sultanate.

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Jetty at the base of Aguada Fort in Bardez

The Age of Discovery Spanish and Portuguese Voyages (click to enlarge)

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The Voyage of Vasco da Gama to India 1498

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On July 8, 1497, Captain-Major Vasco da Gama, set out from Portugal on board the Sao Gabriel, accompanied by two ships and a supply vessel. A crewman aboard one of the ships kept a detailed record of the voyage. He began by writing:

In the name of God. Amen.

In the year 1497, the King Dom Manuel, the first of this name in Portugal, sent out to discover, four ships, which went in search of spices, of which ships there went as Captain-Major Vasco da Gama...We left Restelo on a Saturday, which was the eight of July of the said Year of 1497, on our way, which may God our lord allow to be completed in his service...

(November 8)...we cast anchor in this bay, and we remained there eight days, cleaning the ships, mending the sails, and taking in wood....

(November 9)...we landed with the captain-major, and made captive one of the natives, who was small of stature like Sancho Mexia. This man had been gathering honey in the sandy waste, for in this country the bees deposit their honey at the foot of the mounds around the bushes....

(November 10)...fourteen or fifteen natives came to where our ship lay. The captain-major landed and showed them a variety of merchandise, with the view of finding out whether such things were to be found in their country. This merchandise included cinnamon, cloves, seed-pearls, gold, and many other things, but it was evident that they had no knowledge whatever of such articles...

(November 12) about forty or fifty natives made their appearance...we landed, and in exchange...we obtained shells, which they wore as ornaments in their ears, and which looked as if they had been plated, and foxtails attached to a handle, with which they fanned their faces....Fernao Velloso...expressed a great desire to be permitted to accompany the natives to their houses, so that he might find out how they lived and what they ate....Soon after they had left us they caught a seal, and when they came to the foot of a hill in a barren place they roasted it, and gave some of it to Fernao Velloso....After this meal they expressed a desire that he should not accompany them any further, but return to the vessels. When Fernao Velloso came abreast of the vessels he began to shout...We were still at supper; but when his shouts were heard the captain-major rose at once, and so did we others, and we entered a sailing boat. The negroes then began running along the beach, and they came as quickly up with Fernao Velloso as we did, and when we endeavored to get him into the boat they threw their assegais, and wounded the captain-major...

(November 19)...we once more made for the Cape, but were again unable to round it, for the wind blew from the S.S.W., whilst the Cape juts out towards S.W.. We then again stood out to sea, returning to the land on Monday night...

(November 22)...At last, on Wednesday, at noon, having the wind astern, we succeeded in doubling the Cape, and then ran along the coast. To the south of this Cape of Good Hope, and close to it, a vast bay, six leagues broad at its mouth, enters about six leagues into the land.

Plan of the Town of Mapuca 1888 (Council of Bardez) click to enlarge

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Reddi

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Old Goa-Corjeum

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Velha Goa-Old Goa

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Terecol

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Chandore-Assolda-Aguada

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Calangute-Tivim-Sancoale-Old Goa

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Anjuna-Aguada-Velha Goa

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Panjim-Arpora

Mauxi Betal Shrine

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Betal, also known as Vetal, is a popular deity in the Konkan, akin in some regards to Kali. He is said to inhabit cremation grounds. The Baital Pachisi also known as The Twenty Five Tales of Baital contain numerous folk stories associated with Betal. One of the shortest is entitled 'Of the Marvellous Delicacy of Three Queens':

The Baital said, O king, in the Gaur country, Vardhman by name, there is a city, and one called Gunshekhar was the Raja of that land. His minister was one Abhaichand, a Jain, by whose teachings the king also came into the Jain faith. The worship of Shiva and of Vishnu, gifts of cows, gifts of lands, gifts of rice balls, gaming and spirit-drinking, all these he prohibited. In the city no man could get leave to do them, and as for bones, into the Ganges no man was allowed to throw them, and in these matters the minister, having taken orders from the king, caused a proclamation to be made about the city, saying, "Whoever these acts shall do, the Raja having confiscated, will punish him and banish him from the city."
Now one day the Diwan began to say to the Raja, "O great king, to the decisions of the Faith be pleased to give ear. Whosoever takes the life of another, his life also in the future birth is taken: this very sin causes him to be born again and again upon earth and to die And thus he ever continues to be born again and to die. Hence for one who has found entrance into this world to cultivate religion is right and proper. Be pleased to behold! By love, by wrath, by pain, by desire, and by fascination overpowered, the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadeva (Shiva) in various ways upon the earth are ever becoming incarnate. Far better than they is the Cow, who is free from passion, enmity, drunkenness, anger, covetousness, and inordinate affection, who supports mankind, and whose progeny in many ways give ease and solace to the creatures of the world These deities and sages (munis) believe in the Cow.
"For such reason to believe in the gods is not good. Upon this earth be pleased to believe in the Cow. It is our duty to protect the life of everyone, beginning from the elephant, through ants, beasts, and birds, up to man. In the world righteousness equal to that there is none. Those who, eating the flesh of other creatures, increase their own flesh, shall in the fulness of time assuredly obtain the fruition of Narak; hence for a man it is proper to attend to the conversation of life. They who understand not the pain of other creatures, and who continue to slay and to devour them, last but few days in the land, and return to mundane existence, maimed, limping, one-eyed, blind, dwarfed, hunchbacked, and imperfect in such wise. Just as they consume the bodies of beasts and of birds, even so they end by spoiling their own bodies. From drinking spirits also the great sin arises, hence the consuming of spirits and flesh is not advisable."
The minister having in this manner explained to the king the sentiments of his own mind, so brought him over to the Jain faith, that whatever he said, so the king did. Thus in Brahmans, in Jogis, in Janganis, in Sevras, in Sannyasis, and in religious mendicants, no man believed, and according to this creed the rule was carried on.
Now one day, being in the power of Death, Raja Gunshekhar died. Then his son Dharmadhwaj sat upon the carpet (throne), and began to rule. Presently he caused the minister Abhaichand to be seized, had his head shaved all but seven locks of hair, ordered his face to be blackened, and mounting him on an ass, with drums beaten, had him led all about the city, and drove him from the kingdom. From that time he carried on his rule free from all anxiety.
It so happened that in the season of spring, the king Dharmadhwaj, taking his queens with him, went for a stroll in the garden, where there was a large tank with lotuses blooming within it. The Raja admiring its beauty, took off his clothes and went down to bathe.
After plucking a flower and coming to the bank, he was going to give it into the hands of one of his queens, when it slipped from his fingers, fell upon her foot, and broke it with the blow. Then the Raja being alarmed, at once came out of the tank, and began to apply remedies to her.
Hereupon night came on, and the moon shone brightly: the falling of its rays on the body of the second queen formed blisters And suddenly from a distance the sound of a wooden pestle came out of a householder's dwelling, when the third queen fainted away with a severe pain in the head
Having spoken thus much the Baital said "O my king! of these three which is the most delicate?" The Raja answered, "She indeed is the most delicate who fainted in consequence of the headache." The Baital hearing this speech, went and hung himself from the very same tree, and the Raja, having gone there and taken him down and fastened him in the bundle and placed him on his shoulder, carried him away.

Medieval Portuguese Road

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Between the village of Talaulim and the Ponda bypass lies a sixteenth century paved Portuguese road. It was built to link the former capital Govapuri with Old Goa. The presence of carefully positioned laterite blocks over a wide surface area along the three kilometre road suggests that it saw much traffic, particularly carriages and horses. Much of the road is now in a state of disrepair with the laterite blocks only visible in a few isolated places. Every few metres, small pieces of Ming dynasty pottery, encrusted in the earth, testify to this road's ancient commercial importance. There may have been a few shops along the way as the climb up the Kadamba plateau and the continuation on to Old Goa would have made for a rather tiring journey. Strewn pieces of broken and collapsed laterite blocks in certain places confirms the presence of some small edifices along the road.

Rivona Buddhist Cave

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Nossa Senhora da Esperança 1667

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Nossa Senhora da Esperança is one the larger churches in Goa. It serves the important village of Candolim on the coastal belt. Built in 1667, the church was modified in 1764 with the addition of two towers. The left one, however, collapsed in 1948 and it was not before 1955 that it was rebuilt.

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The Zamorin of Calicut, Manavikraman Raja, receiving Vasco da Gama. The initially good relations between the two did not last long as the Arab backed Zamorin and ally of the Sultan of Gujerat soon turned on the Portuguese in the fierce competition for control of trade.

Old Goa Riverfront and Dockyard Illustration 1558

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Curca Deity

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In a tiny hamlet near a rivulet at the foot of Our Lady of the Rosary perched on a hilltop in Curca, lies a mysterious Hindu statue, now in an advanced state of decomposition. It is not clear whether the statue in question depicts a male or female deity but there is a smaller figure at the foot of the statue which is clearly feminine. The statue is located at the base of a tree which might have been a holy tree - hence a site of religious significance. The residents of the hamlet are uncertain as to the origins of the statue. It is probable that it originates from at least the sixteenth or fifteenth centuries and that it was worshiped in a clandestine manner during the Inquisition. This would explain its severely damaged state. This was also one of the areas in Goa where Hindu practises were first fully eradicated by the church. Further, the entire area around Our Lady of the Rosary, including the hamlet itself, once belonged to a Portuguese nobleman who would have ensured local conversion.

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Chorao Island, Tiswadi.

Margao-Quepem road, Salcete.

Chandore, Salcete.

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Arrival of the Portuguese fleet in India under the command of Vasco da Gama. 1498.

Yeshvantgad Fort 1662

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The former Chalukyan port, and one time, regional capital, Reddi, boasts one of the most impressive forts in the region. Situated on the ruins of the now completely dilapidated port, Reddi is only a few leagues away from Terecol fort on the Maharashtra side of the border. The precise origins of the fort are unclear. It may have started off as a Bijapur coastal garrison post only to be developed by the Sawants and then the Mahrattas into a fort of significant strategic coastal importance. It is certainly one of the biggest in the area. There is an extensive system of fortifications that reaches down to the virgin beach below. To penetrate the fort one has to go through several gates and outer walls. The interior still is - unusually for the region - largely intact, even if abandoned and taken over by the vegetation. There is a central courtyard in the interior with a few columns and pillars left standing. The ramparts have partially crumbled away into the ocean below. A few wild monkeys inhabit the place.

Little is known about the history of the fort. In November 1746, four Portuguese battalions supported by troops from the kingdom of Sunda attacked the then Sawant held fort. After several days of fighting, the fort fell to the Portuguese. Political negotiations ensued in which the Sawants proved desperate to regain the fort, so important was Reddi as a strategic naval base. The Viceroy, however, made it clear that no fort of this importance could be restituted without the express approval of the King of Portugal. Disillusioned, the Sawants plotted with the connivance of the native Governor to regain the fort. Informed of the conspiracy, the Viceroy had the Governor summarily hanged and replaced. In August 1747, the Sawants poisoned the garrison's fish supply. When the Portuguese troops showed the first symptoms of illness, the Sawants launched a major attack but it was in vain. The Portuguese resisted and retained control of the fort. It was eventually handed back to the Sawants following a peace treaty before falling into the hands of another power. For fifteen years, from 1765 to 1780, the Union Jack proudly flew over Yeshvantgad fort after a fierce naval engagement. The late R. B. Worthington of the Bombay Civil Service provided a valuable physical description of the fort for the Bombay Gazette:

'Built on the south side, the fort commands the mouth of the creek. The citadel stands on a hill, which, with a large piece of the surrounding plain, is enclosed by an irregular outer wall. A little above the fort the creek is joined by an estuary, the water of which protects the eastern end, and a short branch of it washes close along the foot of the southern fortification. At the south-east corner of the wall is some ruined masonry apparently guarding a sluice, by which probably the level of the water could be kept up at low tide. The land to the south-east was probably formerly under water at high tide and an impassable swamp at low tide, for the whole of the outer defences of that side of the fort seem to be much slighter than elsewhere, the wall ceasing to be fortified and becoming more like a dam than a fort wall. Along the south-west there are low fortifications and a small pass ending in a gate, from which a towered wall stretches to the sea. Thus the whole line of circumvallation, about 1½ miles, intercepts a long strip of smooth sandy beach about a quarter of a mile in length. Of the whole space enclosed by the walls, the eastern half is taken up by the hill and citadel, and the western half by a plain, now covered by a palm grove and a small cluster of houses. The outer wall is armed with round towers, the strongest of them about twenty feet high and joined by a loopholed curtain about 17 feet high. Through the gate of the outer wall, a paved road, passing up the central citadel hill, is crossed by a wall that runs from the citadel to the outer fortifications. Through a gate in this wall is a square court, and up a flight of steps and through a third gate is the citadel. From their outer foundations the walls of the citadel stand about twenty-five feet high, and close under them circling all except the south-east corner of the walls, is a dry ditch or trench twenty-four feet wide and about thirteen feet deep, cut in the solid rock, its side opposite the wall being a sheer perpendicular. Towards the north-west the side of the moat opposite the wall is lined with masonry. In the south-east corner, where there is no moat, the wall is built rather to protect the besieged from distant artillery than to carry guns. It is not easy to see over, and the ground outside is divided by walls leading from the citadel to the outer fortifications. The square court in front of the citadel entrance is on a much lower level than the citadel itself, the top of its walls being about seventeen feet lower than the top of the citadel. Its walls are ten feet thick and twenty feet high, and it has round towers at the corners twenty-five yards apart measuring from centre to centre of the towers. The whole court is enclosed within the moat. The walls of the citadel are about twelve feet thick at the top, with a semicircular tower at about every sixty yards, intended for great guns. The circumference of the citadel is about one-third of a mile. The plateau inside is almost perfectly level. The palace is a double square with oblong towers at opposite corners. Its timbers have been carried away, and the only interesting point about its architecture is the question whether it may possibly be Portuguese [See Bom. Gov. Sel. X. 157. It may be that the fort once belonged to the Portuguese and that the palace was a monastery.]. The fort walls are in good preservation, and the buildings are still habitable. The fort was occasionally used as a sanatorium for Belgaum troops in the past. Within the fort walls is a police station...'

Planta da Cidade de Nova Goa 1888 (click to enlarge)

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Aravalem Hindu Cave

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One of the oldest and best preserved religious shrines in Goa is that of Aravalem located in the small village of the same name in Bicholim taluk. The shrine, in the form of a rock cut cave, dated to the 8th century, was built by the pre-Kadamba Bhoja dynasty. It is similar to some of the caves found at Badami, the ancient capital of the Chalukyas, in Karnataka. There are some six individual cells or cubicles within the cave, all facing south, save for the first. Cell number one has a rather large Shiva phallus, probably taken from the ancient nearby Shiva Rudreshwar temple which predates the cave. It has fairly extensive Brahmi inscriptions on it. Cell number two has a phallus symbol with a disc around it representing Surya, the Sun god. Cell three has a smaller plain phallus symbol while cell four has one dedicated to Kartikeya. Cell five has the smallest of all phalluses. Finally, the last cell has no phallus at all. Instead, there is a strange stone bench-like structure with eight sockets on the surface. Initially, it was assumed that this cell served as a dormitory but this theory has been dismissed. It is probable that it was used a separate cell to worship an incarnation of Ganesha. The combination of Shiva, Karteikya, Surya and Ganesha in one structure makes it one of the most unusual in all of India. There are still many mysteries surrounding Aravalem. Only as recently as 1979 was the Brahmi script in cell one discovered and deciphered. It was long assumed that the cave was initially Buddhist and then converted into a Hindu shrine but this has proved erroneous. It is clear that the cave was carved out in relation to the ancient Shiva temple nearby, and possibly, as an extention of it. Unfortunately, the Brahmi inscriptions reveal little. For example, one simply states: 'Sambalurvasi Ravi". This has been taken to mean "Ravi from Sambalur", i.e, the name of a donor and his village. The other inscriptions contain verses from the Brahma Sutras, reflecting Vedanta philosophy.

Santo Aleixo 1595

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Plan de L'Isle de Goa dans les Indes et des Terres Adjacentes (click to enlarge)

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The importance of this rare French map from the 1700's is in depicting some of the Old Conquests from the territories that would be absorbed shortly into the New Conquests. To the north of Bardes, the "terres de Bonsulo" refers to Bhonsle, or more precisely, Sawantwadi territory. The so-called 'terres deja conquises' in between refers to already conquered territory. To the east, is the jurisdiction of Ponda and south of the province of Salcette is the kingdom of Sonda which encompasses present day Quepem and Canacona.

Portuguese Viceroys and Governors

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Dom Francisco de Almeida, Viceroy and Governor, 1503-1509

Dom Afonso de Albuquerque, Viceroy, 1509-1515

Dom Garcia de Noronha, Viceroy, 1538-1540

Dom Estevao da Gama, Governor, 1540-1542

Martim Affonso de Sousa, Governor, 1542-1545

Dom Joao de Castro, Governor, Captain-in-Chief, 1545-1548

Garcia da Sa, Governor, 1548-1549

Jorge Cabral, Governor, 1549-1550

Dom Affonso de Noronha, Viceroy, 1550-1554

Dom Pedro Mascarenhas, Viceroy, 1554-1555

Francisco Barreto, Governor, 1555-1558

Kadamba Sculptures

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One of the consequences of Tughluq, Bahmani, Bijapur and finally Portuguese incursion into Goa, is a dearth of Kadamba and pre-Kadamba religious artifacts and buildings. Although a great civilisation once flourished in Goa, under Kadamba patronage, nearly everything was destroyed from the fourteenth century until the nineteenth century.

This 12th century statue found in Assoldem depicts the goddess Durga in her Mahishasurmardini incarnation slaying the demon buffalo 'Mahaishasura'. A lion stands at her right.

A defaced and amputated 'Yakshi' sits cross legged in Padmasana form. Statue found in Sanquelim and estimated to be from the 14th century.

A statue of Kubera Yaksha seated in a Sukhasana posture holding a citrus in one hand and a lotus in the other. 12th century. Kothambi.

A Jain statue of a 'tirthankara' (one who has attained supreme knowledge) in meditation. The left arms appears to have been purposely mutilated. From Kudnem and dated approximately to the 15th century.

Another enlightened figure standing in a body abandonment posture surrounded by twenty three similarly enlightened but smaller figures. This statue dated to the 13th century originates from the Sancoale area in Murmugao.

A women about to commit sati by throwing herself into the funeral pyre of her husband. The stone was most probably used to honour the women in question. It was found in Deussua in Salcette and dates from the 11th century.

Slave Market 1608

2008-05-23T11:10:00.017+05:30

Human cargo formed an essential part of the many commodities traded and exchanged in sixteenth and seventieth century Goa. The following description by the French traveller Francois Pyrard, himself brought to Goa as a prisoner in chains in 1608, brings to life the ambiance of the market:

"Having spoken in the preceding chapter of the squares of the town, I shall proceed to say something of the markets. These markets, as far as regards provisions, are held every working day, and even on the lesser festivals, from six or seven in the morning until noon…There are to be found there all sorts of persons, nobles and humble, of all nations and religions...In this place are to be seen all kinds of merchandise, among others, numbers of slaves, whom they drive there as we do horses here; and you see the sellers come with great troops following. Then in order to sell them they praise them and put them up, telling all they can do, their craft, strength, and health, while the buyers examine them, question them, and scan them all over with curiosity, both males and females. The slaves themselves, hoping better treatment with a change of masters, show their disposition and praise themselves to take the fancy of the buyers. In buying, however, a certain day is agreed upon beforehand for repudiating or closing the bargain, so that they have time to learn the truth. You see there very pretty and elegant girls and women from all countries of India, most of whom can play upon instruments, embroider, sew very finely, and do all kinds of work, such as the making of sweetmeats, preserves, etc. All these slaves are very cheap, the dearest not being worth more than 20 or 30 perdos, of 32 sols each. Girls that are virgins are sold as such, and are examined by women, so that none dare use any trickery. They deem it no sin to have intercourse with their slaves whom they have bought, so long as they are not married: for a girl's master being the man who marries her, she may not be so used after a man has plighted his troth to her. Some of these girls are very pretty, fair, and comely, others are olive-coloured, brown, and of all colours. But those to whom they are usually most attracted are the Caifre girls of Mozambique and other places in Africa, who are as wondrously black, with curly hair; they call these Negra de Guinea. It is a remarkable fact which I have observed among all the Indian peoples, as well males as females, that their bodies and perspiration have no smell, whereas the negroes of Africa, from both sides of the Cape of Good Hope, stink in such wise that when they are heated it is impossible to approach them: their savour is as bad as that of green leeks….The largest revenues and wealth of those at Goa are from the labour of their slaves, who, every evening, or at the week's end, bring what they are required to produce; others, again, are retained at their houses to wait upon them. In this market are also to be seen a great number of other slaves that are not for sale, but themselves bring the work they have done, such as tapestry, embroideries, and needle- work; as also preserves, fruits, and other things. Others earn money by fetching and carrying anything required. The girls deck themselves out in fine style for this purpose, so as to be more attractive, and to sell their goods the better. In short, one sees there the wealth of the Indies in all kinds, and jewels the finest that can be seen. There also are the money changers, called Cherafes, of whom there are several at other points. Their shops are at the ends of streets and at the cross-roads, all covered with money, whereof they pay a tribute to the king."

Nossa Senhora do Amparo 1710

2008-05-21T19:34:00.014+05:30

Nossa Senhora do Amparo was built in a Mannerist neo-Roman style by Don Dionisio Rebeiro in 1710. Seven years later it was elevated to the status of a parish church. In 2007, the parishioners laid a new plaque over the tomb of Don Rebeiro in gratitude for his having built the church.