It is indeed a little surprise to read Alan Machado’s treatise on the Inquisition in Goa. From my reading of texts and novels about the Goan Inquisition, I came away with the impression it was sadistic and brutal, often described as the most savage in the world.
Attached here is a description of the Inquisition I read a long time ago: http://indiafacts.org/the-portuguese-inquisition-in-goa-a-brief-history/ Cheers Antonio On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 6:03 PM Goanet Reader <goanetrea...@gmail.com> wrote: > The Goa Inquisition: when FACT creates Fiction > > Alan Machado > alan.macha...@gmail.com > > The subject of the Goa Inquisition appears to rise like a > bubble from murky waters every few years. Being in the > process of writing a book on the subject, I have accessed a > vast amount of primary and secondary sources. Also, I have > found a lot of misinformation unsupported by verifiable > historical content being propagated as historical fact for a > variety of reasons. This sadly is the case with an > 'exhibition' about the Goa Inquisition entitled Goa > Inquisition -- The Epitome of Christian Missionary Violence > floated recently on the internet by a group with the acronym > FACT (Foundation for Advancement of Cultural Ties). > > From the point of view of serious historical > research, I found this 'exhibition' disturbing for > its numerous factual gaffes, misconceptions, and > distortions. However, these can mislead people who > do not have any background reading about the Goa > Inquisition. Those who seek and take the trouble > to learn more, like you, deserve better. > > Readers may access FACT for fiction; here I intend to > highlight some facts, with citations for those who wish to > pursue the subject further. For clarity, I have used > quotation marks for statements made by FACT. > > Fiction: "Most Indians believe that Goa was settled by > Portuguese. This is what the history textbooks have taught > them." > > Fact: This statement undermines the intelligence of Indians. > History books state that Goa, rather Tiswadi, a small part of > present-day Goa, was captured by the Portuguese in 1510, > obviously from people who had already settled Goa. > > Fiction: Albuquerque encouraged mixed marriages which "formed > the race that has become known as Luso-Indians and later as > Goans." > > Fact: The policy was abandoned on the king's orders > almost immediately after it was initiated. Goa has > a complex population structure composed of Gaudes, > Kunbis and Velips, Bandaris, Sudras, Chardos, and > Bamons, all of whom descend from people who had > settled Goa long, long before the arrival of the > Portuguese. > > Fiction: The Inquisition was "basically a holocaust inflicted > on the Indian people." > > Fact: Eighty years after the people of Goa had been > exposed to the activities of the Inquisition, in > 1642, the ganvkars of Salcete petitioned the king > to use the Inquisition to investigate and punish > corrupt officials as there was no one else who > could do it without fearing reprisals (deSouza, T. > Medeival Goa, 2009:196). Clearly they saw the > Inquisition as a powerful and fearless corrective > engine of justice. This opinion, coming from > perhaps Salcete's most influential community, > speaks volumes on how contemporary Goans viewed the > Inquisition. > > Fiction: The Goa Inquisition reported to the Pope in Rome > > Fact: It reported to the King of Portugal. Inquisitors were > appointed by the king. The viceroy and State officials, all > appointed by the king, were present at the public auto da fe. > > These were ceremonies primarily devoted to the reconciliation > of convicted persons through the process of abjuration, and > the relaxation of the very few who were condemned as > obstinate, dogmatic, and irreconcilable heretics to the > secular arm. > > Each offender was given into the care of a familiar, a member > of Goa's Portuguese elite. The tolling of church bells urged > people to witness the ceremony conducted in churches or the > Terreiro da Sabayo, the great square enclosed by the Palace > of the Inquisition, the Se Cathedral, the Senate House, and > the Rua Direita. The Inquisition carried out the > investigation and passed sentence; civil authority executed > the sentence. > > Fiction: Francis Xavier laid the foundation of the Goa > Inquisition > > Fact: The Goa Inquisition was established in 1560, > eight years after Xavier's death. Xavier arrived > in Goa in 1542. He stayed there for just a few > months before moving to the Tamil Nadu coast and > then further east into Asia. From the Moluccas, he > wrote to the king in 1546 asking him to establish > the Inquisition as a means of containing the > growing influence of Jews, New Christians (Iberian > Christians of Jewish ancestry), and Muslims in > Portugal's fortresses in Asia, all perceived as a > security threat to both State and Christianity. > The decision to send the Goa Inquisition was not > taken lightly, but took years of debate and a long > tussle between pro- and anti-Inquisition policy > makers in Lisbon. > > Fiction: The Inquisition used the terms "Hindu" and "Muslim" > for non-Christians > > Fact: These terms never appear in an Inquisition document. > They are of later origin. The Inquisition used the terms > gentio (translated as 'Hindu' today) and mouro (Muslim). It > also classified people according to their caste, profession, > or nationality. > > Fiction: The reason for establishing the Inquisition was to > persecute Hindus > > Fact: The list of those convicted in the first 40 > years of the Goa Inquisition's existence clearly > shows who were most prosecuted in the early years. > Of the 1,582 convicted, 45.2% were convicted for > offenses related to Judaism and Islam. These > details were compiled by Inquisitor Joao Delgado > Figueira in 1623 and are available in Lisbon's > National Library. > > Fiction: The majority of those prosecuted were Hindus > > Fact: Out of 5,108 individuals who appeared in 61 auto da fes > between 1650 and 1801 that I have analysed, 70% were > Christians. The majority of Hindus prosecuted were from the > Northern Province, not Goa proper. Further, their numbers > increased dramatically during in early 18th century when the > region came under increasing military pressure from the Marathas. > > Fiction: All Hindus opposed the Inquisition > > Fact: A petition to the king by prominent gentios > contradicts this. It accepted that "as a Christian > prince" the king could make no concessions in > allowing the public performance of their ceremonies > as it would impede the propagation of Christianity > and should punish transgressors. It asked that the > Inquisition should not take cognition of > denunciations made by fellow gentios as this could > only be a result of personal enmity (Priolkar, A. > The Goa Inquisition, 1961: 111-2). Hindus had > therefore accepted such laws, restrictive and > targeted as they were, as a condition for being > allowed to remain and conduct a profitable > business, but were now being targeted by fellow > gentios out of spite, jealousy, and hatred. > > Fiction: The Inquisition burned people in large numbers > > Fact: The 61 auto da fe lists reveal 39 were burnt > in the flesh and 49 in effigy (i.e.a statue > resembling the person), together constituting 1.72% > of the total. All the burnt were convicted as > relapsed heretics or for sodomy. In comparison, > between April 15-October 15, 1804, 115 widows were > burnt in the sati ritual within thirty miles round > Calcutta. A similar figure for 1803 was 275 > (Buchanan, Claudius. Christian Researches in > India. London 1812). The Portuguese banned sati > in Goa. > > Fiction: The Inquisition prosecuted people for being Hindus > > Fact: It prosecuted those Hindus who were seen to be breaking > laws, however unjust they appear today, that forbade the > public practice of Hindu rites and hindering the Inquisition > in its operations. Its objectives were to root out heresy. > > By definition, heresy was a crime that could only be > committed by a Christian. Under Roman law, which influenced > European civil and ecclesiastical laws, heresy was viewed as > treason. In England, during the time the Goa Inquisition was > in existence, men were hanged, drawn, and quartered, and > women burned for treason. The Inquisition handed over > obstinate heretics to civil authority to carry out the > sentence, usually death by fire. > > Fiction: Hindus were burnt in large numbers > > Fact: In the 61 auto da fe lists, not one > non-Christian was burned. The reason is simple: > burning was reserved only for relapsed heretics > totally beyond redemption. Non-Christians were > punished with prison terms and labour in the > polvara or galleys, exile, and fines. It makes the > Inquisition appear as a recruiting agent of free > labour for the government. > > Fiction: All Inquisitional records have been burnt > > Fact: During the Maratha invasion of Goa in 1739, the records > were sent to Mormugao Fort for safe-keeping. When the > Inquisition was abolished in 1774, an inventory was made, and > the records sent to Lisbon. They were returned in 1779 after > the reinstatement of the Inquisition. > > When it was finally banned in 1812, some records were burnt > and some sent to Rio de Janeiro. Some may still be in Goa. > > Archives and libraries still preserve a number of documents. > For instance, the Lisbon archive preserves an inventory list > of the processes conducted by the Goa Inquisition from 1561 > to 1774 and details of more than 60 auto da fe. These > identify names, nationalities, castes, professions, numbers, > offences, relationships, and sentences. > > Those investigated included Portuguese, other Europeans, > Africans, Asians, priests, Indians of many castes, > professions and religions, slaves, soldiers and others. > > Offences related to practising non-Christian practices in > Portuguese territories, heresy, bigamy, sodomy, etc. Some > were absolved. Most were sentenced to prison, polvara, or > galleys, together with spiritual penances and religious > instruction. The inventory also lists a large number of > books, notebooks, and records. > > Fiction: Hindus abandoned Goa in large numbers because of > persecution. > > Fact: An estimate of how many actually emigrated > can be derived from the 1801 census of Kanara > (Buchanan, Francis. A Journey from Madras..., > 1807: 5-8). The numbers for Konkani speakers > excluding Christians was 18,615. Assuming a > population growth rate of 1% per annum, it gives us > a figure of 1,685 if all the emigration had > occurred in 1560. These numbers would have to be > enhanced to account for emigrations to other regions. > > Fiction: Christian converts did not emigrate from Goa > > Fact: The same census found 10,877 (2,545 households) > Christians of Goan extract in South Kanara. North Kanara had > 476 households, about 2,034 individuals. About 5,000 were > living outside Kanara. This population survived Tipu's > Captivity (1784-99). The pre-Captivity numbers are estimated > at around 50,000. This is roughly 20% of the combined > Goa-Kanara Christian population (Goa 185,824 in 1779) > (Machado, A. Slaves of Sultans, Goa 1556, 2015). > > Fiction: Hindus had a minor role in Goa's economy > > Fact: On the contrary, they exerted a powerful hold > on Goa's economy with resources, acute financial > acumen, and a business and trading network that > extended beyond Goa's borders. Priolkar cites a > 1738 observation that "the main commerce of this > land is wholly dominated by the Hindus" > (Priolkar.1961: 139). This continued till the > closing years of Portuguese rule when business > houses owned by Hindus received great encouragement > and incentives from the Portuguese to bolster a > flagging economy in a desperate move to hinder > Goa's road to independence. > > Fiction: Hindus had no financial transactions with the > Inquisition > > Fact: A 1774 architectural plan shows a number of storerooms > on the ground floor of the Palace of the Inquisition with the > legend that they were rented out to the gentios from the very > beginning. This building was located on prime real estate, > adjacent to the main road, Rua Direita, and the auction > grounds, the Leilao. > > Clearly, these gentios, rather than fleeing "the city in > large numbers," accumulated wealth and privilege by remaining > in Goa, and even provided financial support in the form of > rents to the Inquisition in the interests of their businesses > > Fiction: Christians commanded more respect than Hindus > > Fact: The privileged status of wealthy gentios in Goa is seen > in a remark by a Christian convert that Portuguese officials > offered a seat to a gentio when he entered his room (de > Souza, T. 1009:196). As one whose ancestors were Goan, I > feel a sense of pride that a section of the Goan community > could extract such recognition from an occupying power, but > not how Christians were treated; they were left standing. > > Fiction: Goan priests were given great privileges > > Fact: The Inquisition prosecuted over 200 priests > and friars, Europeans and Indians, for various > offences, mainly associated with doctrine and > heresy. The 1787 revolt was planned by Goan > priests 70 years before the first war for Indian > independence (Mutiny). Among the 55 persons > implicated there were 54 Christians; 19 were > priests (Cunha Rivara. Goa and the Revolt of 1787, > New Delhi 1996: 26-7). > > Fiction: The Goa Inquisition tortured people indiscriminately > > Fact: Torture was used in rare cases to extract confessions > from persons who were considered obstinate. This was as per > prevailing practice in European civil courts. Torture was > not something devised by the Inquisition and used by it > exclusively. > > I have two architectural plans of the Palace of the > Inquisition of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. > Neither of them labels any room as a torture chamber. This, > however, does not mean there was no such room. Further, the > plans do not show any dungeons. > > Fiction: The Goa Inquisition got its bad name because of the > "atrocities" it committed > > Fact: This is partly a fault of the Inquisition for > clothing its operations in a veil of mystery and > secrecy. Its efficiency and network of informants > added to this. The major reason, however, is a > result of a very successful propaganda campaign > undertaken by Protestant countries, especially > England and the Netherlands who fought a long > debilitating war with Spain. > > Denigrating the Inquisition and depicting it as an epitome of > terror and injustice served the purpose of delegitimizing > Spain's claim to being leaders of a Christian world. Jews, > persecuted in and expelled from Spain, contributed to such > propaganda. > > England's propaganda campaign was brought to India > by Claudius Buchanan and promoted by Protestants, > rivals of Catholic Portuguese in converting India's > "heathen" soul to Christianity. This was at a time > when British forces had occupied Goa as a > precaution against possible French aggression. The > theme was later taken by anti-Christian Indian > lobbies. One can see the result of their campaign > in the FACT 'exhibition'. > > Fiction: Charles Dellon's book exposes "atrocities" of the > Goa Inquisition > > Fact: Dellon's book is the only one written by a victim of > the Goa Inquisition. He appeared at the 1676 auto da fe, > served part of his sentence in the galleys, and eventually > gained freedom. His book added fuel to the Protestant > propaganda war and had many reprints. In India, it forms a > considerable part of Priolkar's book. > > Dellon's case needs to be considered in the context > of Portuguese-French rivalry in India from the > second half of the seventeenth century, especially > in Mylapore. It is from here that the French > priest Efraim de Neves was abducted and taken to > Goa for trial by the Inquisition. He was acquitted > in 1650. Both arrests sent a clear message to the > French that even if Portugal could not counter the > French power militarily, it could use power > bestowed by religion which the French, being > Catholics, could not easily challenge. The motives > of the Goa Inquisition in serving Portugal's > political interest needs to be studied. > > I strongly sympathise with Dellon, who, despite his rigorous > treatment, had this to say: "I do not pretend to censure the > Inquisition itself; I am even willing to admit that the > institution may be good" (Dellon, C. Dellon's Account of the > Inquisition at Goa, 1815: 1812: 2). > > The 'exhibition' pictures > > The 'exhibition' is limited to 28 pictures and a text. Only > five pictures, like much of the text, directly relate to > Inquisitional activity. Here are comments on some pictures. > It is too tedious to comment on all, especially as most of > them have no direct relevance to the Goa Inquisition. > > Picture 1: Portuguese soldiers had East Asian facial features > and wore Chinese style hats > > Fact: Not true. They were Europeans. > > Picture 2: "Portuguese King Manuel I sent Vasco da Gama to > India in 1498" > > Fact: Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on July 8, 1497 > > Picture 3: "The tolerant King of Vijaynagara Veer Narsingh > allowed the Portuguese to Propagate Christianity in his > Empire" > > Fact: Vira Narasimha ruled from 1490 to 1509. > Impressed by Portuguese naval power, and seeking an > ally against his powerful neighbour, Bijapur, in > 1505 he sent an embassy to meet Viceroy Almeida in > Cannanore. Another reason was that the Portuguese > controlled the import of horses, vital for > Vijayanagara's cavalry, from Persia and Arabia. > > The historian Castenhada even suggests Vira Narasimha > proposed an alliance offering his only sister in marriage to > the Portuguese prince. One of Vijayanagara's naval > commanders, Thimmayya, based in Honavar, joined Albuquerque > in the capture of Goa in 1510. The Portuguese did not have > enough priests to "Propagate Christianity in his Empire." The > first priest to visit the Vijayanagara court was Fr Louis > Salvador in 1510 when Krishna Deva Raya was the ruler. There is > no record of any conversions in Vijayanagara during Vira > Narasimha's reign. Vijayanagara fell to an alliance led by > Bijapur in 1565. > > Picture 8: "The Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510 A.D. All > the Mosques in Goa were destroyed by them." > > Fact: Safa Masjid, built in 1560 by Ibrahim Adil Shah > in Ponda, Surla Taar of the same period, and Namazgah Mosque, > built by Prince Akbar in 1683, still stand. (Government of > Goa website) > > Picture 12: "St. Francis Xavier addressing soldiers that it > is his first duty to convert all mankind into Christianity by > convenience or by using force." > > Fact: Nothing of this sort is found in the numerous letters > Xavier wrote. > > Picture 15: "Hindu marriages were forbidden in Portuguese > territories. Hindus had to pay 1000 Xeraphins (Portuguese > currency) for each marriage ceremony." > > Fact: If Hindu marriages were forbidden, the > question of payment would not have arisen. The > amount quoted is ridiculously large. In 1742, for > instance, soldiers were paid 6 xerafins per month > (Cunha Rivara, 243). If Hindu marriages were > banned, one might ask a legitimate question: how > did the Hindu population grow? The law forbade the > public performance of Hindu marriages to avoid > temptations to converts. Marriages in private and > in certain places were allowed. > > End comment > > The interaction between an occupying power and subject people > has always been complex, flexible, and changeable with time. > > It is peppered by wars and repression, conciliation and > adjustment, rejection and absorption. The same is the case > with Goa; it cannot be expressed in the stark terms of > conqueror and conquered, the imposition of an alien culture > and religion, loot and rapine. > > The arrival of the Portuguese in Goa threw three different > cultures into close interaction, cultures in which the social > elite expressed their dominance in very different ways: the > supreme creator Brahma, gave birth to the Brahmins from his > mouth, the Kshatriyas from his shoulders, the Vaishyas from > his thighs and Shudras from his feet. (Manu's code I-31) > > Religion and kingship are two brothers, and neither can > dispense with the other. Religion is the foundation of > kingship, and kingship protects religion. --Ibn Miskawayh, > 10th-century Persian historian. Cujus regio, illius religio > (whose realm, his religion) --guiding principle adopted at > Augsburg, Germany 1555 > > There were more, those of Kunbis, Gauddes, Velips > and others. It is out of this soup, compounded by > political and economic rivalry with neighbouring > kingdoms that modern Goa has emerged. The process > imposed much trauma and pain on our forefathers. > Some adapted by adopting a new religion; some > adjusted by retaining their ancestral religion but > reaching an accommodation; some emigrated with > their wealth; some, like my ancestors emigrated > after adopting the new religion but leaving their > wealth behind because by the time they left it had > all disappeared under the burden of increased > taxation, war, and extreme hardship. > > As an Indian of Goan ancestry, the domination of Goa's > economy by Goan Hindus makes me proud. My pride, however, > suffers a setback when I ponder on how it helped the > Portuguese remain in Goa for 450 years. The absurdity of > placing this Goan-Portuguese encounter in a religious light > is brought out by many similar interactions. I will > highlight one. > > Portuguese Goa always suffered from food shortages and > famines. Food was imported from Kanara and other places in > considerable volume. The English traveller Fryer observed > the Portuguese navy protecting 200 boats loaded with rice > sailing from Kanara to Goa. There were many such convoys. > > They carried rice grown by Hindus in Kanara in > boats owned and manned by Hindus to feed Christians > in Goa. The boats were guarded by the Portuguese > (Christian) navy from attack by Hindu pirates > operating off the Kanara coast. The trade was > conducted by Hindu traders. Where does Hindu and > Christian come in all this? It was just plain and > simple trade and commerce in which Hindu and > Christian, Portuguese, Goan, and people from Kanara > were partners. > > Let me end these comments with a forceful assertion: I am no > apologist for the Inquisition. To have an organisation from > a foreign country establish itself in my homeland and pass > judgement and punish my fellow countrymen, perhaps some of my > ancestors, on the basis of a law originating elsewhere, is a > deep affront to my feelings as an Indian. > > Yet, it is important to understand the nuances, the > circumstances, the forces under which such a situation arose. > > To pass judgement otherwise especially on the basis of > deliberate misinformation will not only take our country on a > dangerous road, but is criminally offensive to the discipline > of historiography. > > I pray that good sense and better scholarship prevails. > > ### >
