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Sign the Petition requesting The Honble Minister of State for Environment
and Forests (I/C) to maintain the moratorium on issuing further
environmental clearances for mining activities in Goa
http://goanvoice.org.uk/miningpetition.php
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Though the Portuguese conquered Old Goa on November 25, 1510, their rule was
confined to Tiswadi, Bardez and Salcete for over 200 years. They could annex
only seven more talukas in the 18th century.
"It was only in 1543 that they took over Bardez and Salcete through an
agreement with Muslim rulers, after extending their jurisdiction to other parts
of Tiswadi and adjoining islands," says Percival Noronha of the Indian Heritage
Society. At that time, Mormugao was part of Salcete. "In 1917, the Portuguese
separated Mormugao," he adds.
The conquest of the other seven talukas started with the tide turning in favour
of the Portuguese. They got Ponda on May 31, 1763; a month later, on June 1,
1763, they bagged Canacona, and in the same year they got the remaining two
talukas of Sanguem and Quepem from the King of Sunda.
Bicholim was added on August 25, 1781, and a month later, Sattari, with due
guarantee to the people of protecting their rights and religion. Two years
later, on May 15, 1783, Pernem was added to what was then called Portuguese
Estado da India, following an agreement with the King of Sawantwadi who held
sway over these three talukas.
The Sonda king signed a treaty with the Portuguese in 1764, compelled by Hyder
Ali’s attacks, which helped the Portuguese confirm their annexure of the four
talukas of Ponda, Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona in lieu of payment of an annual
stipend to the Sondekars.
Interestingly, what may be talukas today, were earlier designated as provinces.
The province of Ponda or Antruj had 28 villages when the Portuguese took over
and Queula, a village on the south-eastern end of the taluka, was its capital.
The only district under the Sondekars was Zambaulim or Panchmal, as it had five
provinces. The first province, Astraghar, comprised of 18 villages, including
most areas of the present Sanguem (51 villages) with Rivona as the capital. The
other province, Embarbarcem, comprised 38 villages, including Surla, Oxel and
Sancorda. The province had nine torofos. Balli, with 27 villages and divided
into four torofos, was the third province, while Cacora was considered an
incomplete province as it was small. Chandravadi province was part of Quepem.
The province of Canacona, with a same-name capital, had seven villages. Cabo de
Rama village was called a jurisdiction, with Cola or Khola as its capital.
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