Partly true. But largely unresearched For the real research read Manu S Pillai’s ‘Rebel Sultans’ W
Sent from my iPad Pro www.wendellrodricks.com Address: Wendell Rodricks, Campal, Panjim, Goa. 403001. INDIA Off: +91-832-2420604 Shop:+91-832-2238177 E-retail: wendellrodricks.com > On 25-Sep-2018, at 12:45 PM, Goanet Reader <[email protected]> wrote: > > A DEBATE FROM QUORA: > ---------------------------- > Why did the Marathas never overthrow the Portuguese in Goa? > > Akshar Prabhu Desai > Answered Dec 31, 2015 > > There are a number of reasons for the same as outlined in the > book "Hindoos of Goa" by Justice António Floriano de Noronha > (1873-1931). > > The book was published in 1923 and described in great details > the Portuguese perspective on India/Goa and dwelled a lot on > Marathi-Portuguese relationship. Given that this is written > by a post-liberalization Portuguese judge, it is likely to be > much more unbiased. > > 1. Pacts. Shivaji's father Shahaji made a > not-so-formal pact with Portuguese. When Shivaji > was yet to become the force he was, Shahaji had > already suspected that his family might run into > trouble. As per the pact, Shahaji would let > Portuguese mind their own business and in return > Portuguese would take a neutral stand in future > conflict and give shelter to Shahaji's family. > > 2. Reliability of trade. Portuguese had a natural port of > Vasco in Goa. They hoped to buy stuff from surrounding > regions and then export it to other parts of the world. > However, Maratha forces were at a constant war in nearby areas > which lowered the productivity of the region. Portuguese > hoped for peace and made whatever concessions Marathi forces > asked for. > > 3. Concessions. Maratha forces and traders affiliated with > Shivaji's empire had access to all the trade routes that > passed through Goa. In certain cases without any tax and for > most cases with much lower tax. > > 4. Geography. While for most people today Goa is about > beaches and party; Goa of olden times was mostly a tribal > region with several islands, rivers and rampant with > dangerous wildlife as well as mercenaries. It is always hard > to launch a campaign in a region like that especially when > there is nothing of significance to gain. > > Sambhaji's almost-successful campaign in Goa also ended as he > got stuck in a flood and eventually had to be saved by his > bodyguard. > > Conclusion: I think for most of the time Portuguese > simply ensured that they pretend to be the friends > of Marathas. That worked in their favor. Goa was > not really a territory Marathas valued which is the > second reason. > > There is, however, an interesting exchange of letters between > the Goa Governor and Portuguese King. The governor claims > that he can simply run over the Marathi forces because the > Marathi forces seemed like rag-tag malnourished warriors who > did not have proper uniform, discipline, healthy horses and > did not eat pigs. The King reprimands him saying his primary > job is conversion and spreading the love to true God among > the barbarians and conquest of territory should come second. > > It later turns out that he fails at both. The conversions see > some strong resistance from the locals. Also, the governor > loses badly all the small battles he had to fight with local > marathi forces. his successor writes that while these > soldiers appear to be malnourished are in fact capable of > traveling and fighting without food for several days, while > they are barefoot they travel in small groups at much faster > pace and never face an army in open battle but totally rely > on surprise attacks and tactical movements. > > 4.2k Views > > Vishal Kale > Vishal Kale, History & Business Book Blogger and Reviewer > @reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in > Answered Dec 6, 2015 > Source : Mahaaparaakrami Veer Maraathaa Chhattrapati Shivaji, > Tulsi Sahtiya Publications > > From around 1656-1663, Chhatrapati was involved in a > triangular battle between Adil Shah {Bijapur}, Aurangzeb > {Mughal} and Self. He was consistently eating away at > Adilshahi, and was succeeding in expanding slowly, town by > town, careful not to attract too much attention to himself, > doing just enough to irritate, but not to go into open > conflict, at least not till he was ready for the big battle, > as he was intent on acquiring strength. > > While the question is about the Portuguese, this is > relevant as it establishes Chhattrapati as a smart, > intelligent and politically suave military > tactician, who knew fully well his strengths and > weaknesses. He was careful to exploit the > faultlines of his enemies, and rode them hard till > they cracked along those lines. He was brave, and > he and his soldiers are almost legendary {in Modern > India} in their bravery as well as their integrity, > as symobolised in the Marathi movie Rajmata Jijau. > > That was why, he initially went along a proposed friendship > treaty with Shahjah {Murad} and then Aurangzeb, as he was > keen to avoid a direct bi-partite conflict. That conflict did > come eventually, in the fullness of time, around 1660. But by > then, he had acquired enough skill and strength to ride it > out, and triumph. That tells us a lot about Chhatrapati -- > who was quick to spot strengths and weaknesses. > > He did try to take Goa, when he surrounded Goa, but the Goa > ruler welcomed him and offered a friendship treaty, to which > Chhatrapati agreed. I am not surprised, especially as this > had come after a long, sustained and brutally hard battle > against the superior might of the Mughals of Delhi and the > Adilshahi of Bijapur > > There is of course far more to this that needs consideration > -- the overall atmosphere in those days, Chhatrapati > rising animosity with the English, his rising Naval strength > as well as the primacy of his attention being Bijapur and Delhi... > > Why did the Marathas never overthrow the Portuguese in Goa? > The answer to that is both simple and complex at the same time. > > The Marathas were never interested in possessing > Goa, although they were certainly interested in > checking the growth of the Portuguese and often > collaborated with allies to achieve this objective. > They were also more interested in obtaining revenue > such as the Chauth and the Sardeshmukhi from > captured territories rather than staying back and > administering them. This revenue helped finance the > constant military campaigns undertaken by the > Marathas in Central and Northern India. It is well > known that the Marathas maintained their focus on > actively fighting battles on several fronts against > their arch enemies such as the Mughals, the Nizam > and later, Haider in the Deccan. > > Invading the Portuguese territory of Goa would be a waste of > resources and presented no significant gain. Beginning with > the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu, the Marathas followed mainly > a Northward expansion policy. This focus shifted Southward > toward the Deccan (against Haider) only during the Peshwaship > of Madhavrao I. > > By the end of the 17th century the Portuguese dominance on > the west coast of India had reduced considerably and they > were confined to coastal enclaves such as Goa, Bassein, > Salsette, Daman and Diu. Bombay was transferred to the > British in 1661 as part of the dowry of Catherine de Braganza > on the occasion of her wedding to Charles II of England. > > The religious intolerance stemming from the infamous > Portuguese Inquisition between the 16th to the 18th century > had made the Portuguese unpopular rulers within their > territories and among the Marathas. Ironically the Portuguese > targeted their subjects for conversion selectively. It was > easier for them to convert the underprivileged classes among > the Hindus. They were careful not to touch the influential > Saraswat Brahmins and allowed them religious freedom. This > explains why the famous temples such as the Shantadurga of > Kavlem was left undisturbed after it was built during the > reign of Shahu, although the Portuguese had razed smaller > Hindu shrines to the ground in other parts of Goa. > > Sawantwadi acted as a buffer state between the > Portuguese and the Maratha Chhatrapati of Satara > and Kolhapur, Tarabai and the Angres who commanded > the Maratha Navy. The Portuguese cunningly > encouraged the rulers of Sawantwadi to fight > against the Marathas, even supplying them with > ammunition, rather than risk an open confrontation > with the latter. In return the Sawant reported back > the activities of the Marathas. The Portuguese > continued to help and exploit to their own benefit > anyone who resisted the Marathas. They always had > spies in the Peshwa's court who reported back with > information. > > The conflict between the Marathas and the Portuguese over the > latter's northern territories resulted in a treaty signed on > 3rd July 1731. Both parties avoided confrontation for a few > years. However as a result of the continuing religious > persecution of the Hindus and forcible conversions in Bassein > by the Portuguese, Chimaji Appa (brother of Peshwa Bajirao I) > led an aggressive campaign against the Portuguese between > 1730-40. The Portuguese surrendered and as per the treaty > signed with the Peshwa, they were allowed to retain their > presence in other territories provided they did not > interfere with the Marathas any more. > > Another treaty followed on the 18th September 1740, and this > was signed in Poona between the Portuguese and Peshwa Balaji > Bajirao who had succeeded his father Bajirao I following the > latter's death in April 1740. Except for the time when the > Marathas successfully took over fort of Phonda, relation > between the two remained peaceful between 1756-63. When the > Marathas under the Peshwa helped the English bring down the > fleet of their rivals the Angres it actually benefited the > Portuguese who had been harassed in the past by the raids of > the Angres. When the power of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao was at > its peak, the Portuguese solicited and signed with him a > treaty of friendship on the 20th March 1760. > > Following the defeat of the Marathas at Panipat in > 1761 and the death of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao soon > after that, the Portuguese used the opportunity to > target territories such as Phonda which they had > lost earlier. > > However after the death of Peshwa Madhavrao in 1771 the > British gained significant ground and managed to overtake the > Portuguese. Following the First Anglo-Maratha war and in > accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Salbai of 1782 > signed between the Peshwa and the British, the latter gained > control on Salsette and Bharuch. By 1818 the British had > taken over control of the Maratha Confederacy thus ending any > possible skirmish between the Marathas and the Portuguese. > > Balaji Taware > > Great summary but you missed most important part here, > southern Konkan campaign taken by Chhatrap... > > Andrew Roberts > Andrew Roberts, Read a bit and chatted, as Indian books are > cheap and the electricity is erratic > > The Portuguese, apart from a brief squabble, were > their primary arms supplier, and Agent provocateur, > encouraging the various factions to raid (Bargi), > loot, and rape their way across the Mughal Empire, > in an economic attritional war on the Empire. They > sold the Maratha the majority of their cannon, > muskets, Firangi (sword) -- Wikipedia, ...as well > as supplying the gunnery crews, and Commanders for > their coastal raiders (Maratha Navy), and their > armies. They also supplied Naval architects to help > design the boats, for those piratical coastal raids. > The French may have added to the munitions, and > military advisers during the Napoleonic wars, but > the Portuguese were their primary dealer for almost > two centuries. All the way up to the 1814-1815 > treaties of Paris and Vienna, where the European > nations sat down, agreed borders, and overseas > possession, banned slavery, and then handed over > territory, per the treaties, and Portugal, France, > the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom declared > best of friends, recalling, or abandoning the > personnel previously sent to cause each other mischief. > > https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Marathas-never-overthrow-the-Portuguese-in-Goa
