Portuguese bias and discrimination (during their early rule of Goa especially) against the Muslims who were ruling Goa just prior has been widely accepted and acknowledged, as are their anti-Jewish policies for some period of the Empire (even though some prominent sections of the Jewish population also played a crucial role in propping up the colonial State at other points of its history). But are we heading for several sweeping generalisations and conflating distinct categories in ways that can mislead?
- Jewish colony: There is no substantial historical evidence of a formal, self-governing Jewish colony in Portuguese Goa akin to those seen in places like Cochin (today's Kochi), Cranganore (Kannur), or the Middle East. - Conflating “Jews” with “New Christians” obscures the reality: The Inquisition in Goa did not target Jews as a distinct ethnic or religious minority openly practicing Judaism, but rather Portuguese New Christians (converted Jews and their descendants) suspected of secretly maintaining Jewish practices. While their Jewish heritage did matter symbolically to the Inquisition, they were prosecuted within the framework of Christian heresy, not religious pluralism. - Garcia de Orta’s fate reflects complexity, not anomaly: Even assuming all we believe about the Inquisition is true (cf. Alan Machado), Orta died in 1568 before the formal installation of the Goan Inquisition (1560s onward in practice, with full tribunals active by the 1570s). This tragic episode does not prove the presence of a coherent Jewish community, some of whom faced action depending on their utility to the Portuguese State, but rather illustrates how individuals of Jewish descent lived under intense suspicion, even decades after conversion at certain points of Portuguese history. Someone made the point that, across history,, Jewish populations were probably treated better in the Middle East, than in Europe. - Disappearance of the "community" was not solely due to persecution: The category had already been erased institutionally by conversion (sometimes undertaken under duress and pressure) and assimilation centuries earlier. Those of Jewish descent either assimilated fully into Christian society; migrated (possibly to Dutch or Ottoman territories); or were absorbed into the broader category of Luso-Goans. - The "Lingering Memory" claim needs caution: This is plausible claim but it is difficult to verify without risking to fall into speculative theorising or retrospective identity construction. FN -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/8454e134-5876-4d2b-8f3f-fa84770585ddn%40googlegroups.com.
