Hi Frederick, Being the weekend, I followed your advice in the "Jan Huyghen van Linschoten" thread. While not computer savvy, I checked edits and references in the Wiki article on the Goa Inquisition.
Clicking some references, led me to web-articles written in the 21st century. These web-articles were general reviews with NO REFERENCES to the writings of the period or real-time accounts (16th /17th / 18th century historians). Hence the references in the Wiki article converted someones' off-the-cuff ramblings and opinions into historical facts. This includes writings of French philosopher Voltaire about Goa's history. (Venantius and others please note) In the Goa inquisition write-up in Wiki, there is the account on "suppression of Konkani" in seminaries and liturgy. I do not understand how this becomes part of Goa Inquisition. So too, is the account of Synod of Diamper in 1599. This synod related to the mutual relations and workings of the Roman Church and Syrian-Orthodox Church in India. How does this become part of Goa Inquisition? Were measures like these passed by / through the office of the inquisition? Are the author(s) of the Wiki article (like many others) confusing the Goa Inquisition with the history of Goa during the Inquisition period? And, they are doing a poor accounting of both topics. I am unaware of the author of Goa Inquisition article in Wiki. That is good. As an avid history reader, I have to give the writing poor grades. It is a 'LAZY HISTORIAN' writings relating to the Inquisition any-and-all stipulations (laws, rules and regulations) in 16-17-18 century Goa. Instead of relating and analyzing the stipulations to the military-political-social-economic changes and challenges in Goa at that specific period in time. Some of the social changes in this period (for a variety of reasons, starting with the Dutch blockade in 1603 and again in 1636-1639) was the transition of "Golden Goa" (Goa Dourado) to an economically "stagnant Goa." This led to significant out-migration of Goans (Firangis and Mesticios) to Portugal and Brazil where gold was discovered. This vacuum in Goa led to Indians to come to Goa as unwelcome immigrants. It is immigrants of this time (17th / 18th century) who are the forebears of most of today's Goans - Hindus and Catholics. Many of the laws are to contain this uncontrolled and unwelcome migration; akin to the current laws enacted in various states across America to stem Mexican immigration. Finally, I am surprised Goan historians have not addressed the Wiki article. Usually they are fairly obsessive (a.k.a. anal retentive) to specifics about semantics; having conclusions and opinions supported by facts; (as in the controversy about "Invention of Goa"). Yet in the Wiki article, many statements of facts are permitted to stand without data and evidence to back-up and explain the accounts. The only hard data is the number of individuals subject to capital punishment from 1561 to 1774; with no mention of their demographics and crimes they committed or are accused of committing. Please feel free to forward these comments to Wiki office; especially now that they have one in India. Regards, Gilbert Lawrence
