Crypto-Jews and Portuguese in Portugal Gilbert: Some cyber-Goans are wondering why 'Amchem tempar' (16 century) the crypto-Jews were perceived as a security threat in Portugal and Spain. The Jews were considered to be allies of the Muslims - Moors and later the Ottoman Empire, during and after the Moors ruled Spain and Portugal.
Tariq: Jews, were not killed during the Inquisition because they were "allies" of the Moors (as you have confidently speculated), but rather because of their religious difference. While some symbolic measures of oppression were undertaken against the Jews during the rules of Joao and Duarte, Inquisition in its true form came to Portugal only during the 1500s. That was a period when Muslim political power had been eliminated from Portugal for nearly 200 years and Spain had exiled the last Muslim ruler, Boabdil. Therefore, your speculation that the Inquisition was merely a little violence against perceived security threats holds little water. Gilbert responds: I am so glad that you know the history well. And that is all the more reason you should not twist and place my factual statements out of context. The Portuguese v/s Muslim-Jewish animosity started when the Muslims Moors ruled Spain and Portugal and the Jews were their principle government advisors and ministers. This animosity continued when they (Spain and Portuguese) rid themselves of the foreign yoke. You are right this was not the time when the inquisition started. But this was the start of the Portuguese v/s Muslim-Jewish animosity. When the inquisition started and more specifically in the 1530-1560 and beyond, Catholic Europe was under threat from the Ottoman Turks. Hence in addition for Crypto-Jewish people already persecuted in Portugal to then settle in Portuguese-Goa which was surrounded by Muslims armies and navy and who continued to be at conflict with the Portuguese was not the wisest thing. Crypto-Jews were the victims of the Inquisition in Portugal and Spain for a whole variety of reasons. Additionally, these groups in coming to Goa made themselves unwittingly MORE VULNERABLE because of the geopolitics of Goa and Portugal fighting Muslim armies and navy in the Indian subcontinent and on the high seas of the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Hormuz etc. I guess there was no CNN in the 1530's.:=)) As I study history and compare the situation to today (land masses and people's concerns do not change), it is interesting to see the hue and cry today because some foreign investor from Europe or Japan wants to build a retirement / honeymoon/ holiday village in a large field in Goa (300 sq km). However the Goa of 1550's with only three districts (Bardez, Ilhas and Salcete) was forced to accommodate Europe's boat-loads of refugees, while at the same time fending off Muslim military attacks. In fact from 1510-1543 it was only Ilhas. Interesting period of time to live in. :=)). This geo-politics will be more appreciated by Khoro-Niz Goenkars who have lived at least 1-2 years in Goa. Their understanding of these dire circumstances will be much better than that of some Vodlo Professor with three Ph.D. degrees living in Southern California or Spain or Brazil, (and at the most vacationed 1-2 weeks in Goa), writing web-pages or books on the Inquisition or Crypto-Jews and others in Goa. Regards, Gilbert See David Goldstein's book "Letters" Abstract will be posted tomorrow: ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
