From: maurice dmello <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Portuguese conquest of GOA
It is evident from the following articles that the Portuguese did not
occupy Goa on their own, but were invited by Timmoja, who was a naval
officer of the Vijaya Nagar empire (or feudatory Lord of Goa?). At that
time Goa was under the rule of Sultan of Bijapur, which the Goans,
especially the higher cast Saraswath Brahmins did not want. So they joined
hands with Timmoja to invite Portuguese to take over Goa from the
Sultan of Bijapur. Read on:
(I)
KONKANI MIGRATION TO KOCHI
At the time of the Portuguese conquest in Goa in 1510, Malpe was a
resident of Verne in Salcette and an important leader of Goa as Sardesai of
Salsette. Goa was then under the Sultan of Bijapur, and wanted to save
themselves by any means, good or bad. Malpe there fore joined hands
with Timoza (Timoja) who was a naval officer in the service of
Vijayanagar. Timoza was in friendly terms with the Portuguese. Malpe and Timoza invited the Portuguese General Albuquerque to invade Goa and offered all help in the adventure. Truly adventurous as Albuquerque was, the plan
was put through successfully in February 1510. Without much fighting,
Goa fell before Albuquerque: but the Sultan of Bijapur came and gave a
good fight. This fight continued till November 1510, when both the
parties decided to have peace.
In accordance with the peace treaty, Portuguese were allowed to keep
the Island of Goa lying between the rivers Mandovi and Zuari. But they
had to withdraw from Salcette, Bardesh etc. For Malpe this was a bolt
from the blue. He knew that the Sultan would not pardon him for having
invited and helped the Portuguese. So he prudently decided to withdraw
from Verne. He made up his mind to leave Salcette once and for all and try
his luck in Kochi, which had then begun as an important port and
commercial centre under the Portuguese. This Malpe's family was the first to
migrate to Kochi in a very silent unobtrusive manner. Slowly, his
Daijees, Soirees, friends and dependents and acquaintances also might have
migrated to Kochi. For about two centuries this family of Malpe's held
sway over the Konkanis as their leaders. Portuguese also held this
family in great esteem.
It may be noted that the Konkanis under the leadership of Malpe in
Kochi had almost nothing to do with the Kings of Kochi. There were two
reasons for this. First, there were the Portuguese prot�g�s. Second: they
came in imperceptibly small numbers. The attention of the Kings began to
fall upon them, when their prowess in business was deeply felt and they
began to make wonderful progress in all walks of life. The
establishment of the Kochi Thirumala temple was a turning point this direction.
(II)
Goans, had voluntarily sought the aid and assistance of the Portuguese
to liberate them from the tyranny of Bijapur, and Portugal obliged
them. The Portuguese did not abuse their trust and affection; on the
contrary, they reciprocated it and built up on it.
It is certainly true that the Goans had not sought specifically the
Portuguese - they had gone to the Vijayanagar Empire, beseeching it for
aid. And it was the Emperor that suggested that they seek the aid of
Portugal instead.
Again, as for Timoja, it is doubtful that he really desired the
Portuguese to stay. Timoja, the then feudatory Lord of Goa, merely sought to
play off one power against another and to emerge himself the sole power,
the King, as it were, of Goa. As such, he had no real loyalty to any
power - Vijayanagar, Gersoppa, Bijapur, whose king he also served as a
feudatory, or Portugal, etc., each of which powers he served, at one time
or the other, even as he schemed and manoeuvred to establish his own
independent kingdom in Goa.
Again, it is true that the Goans had no conception of the religious
program of the Portuguese or that they sought it or approved of it before
asking Portugal for aid.
When Portugal liberated Goa, for the second and final time on 25th
November 1510, the Goans were truly grateful to them. This friendly feeling
and the reciprocated friendly feeling of the Portuguese towards the
Goans acted to cement ties and to fuse hearts and minds.
It was natural that Portugal should introduce Christianity into their
possession. It was natural that they should do all that is legitimate in
order for them to gain the voluntary accession of Goans to
Christianity, which Christians always, and the Portuguese certainly then too, saw
as Man�s Greatest Good - the one and only means of salvation.
Lucio Joao Mascarenhas
Literature
In the State of Karnataka Father Prabhudas (b-1941) contributed his
poetic work 'Sheth Bhangarayle' (The field made golden) to Konkani poetry.
Sri B.V.Baliga (b-1918) of Mangalore has translated into Konkani verse
the 'Geeth Ramayana' from Marathi.
In Kerala eminent poets like Sri R.C.Sarma (1896-1980) wrote 'Bhasha
Gana Manjari' (a collection of devotional songs G.Kamalammal (b-1902)
wrote Patra Charithram and Balakandum Ramayana in Konkani. Narayana
Narasimha Pai (1879-1959) wrote beautiful verse in Konkani. Utter poverty
that he suffered in his life naturally gave originality and beauty to his
songs.
Folk Literature
In the matter of folk literature Konkani is a rich gold mine. The
traces of Konkani folk literature even left after the Portuguese conquest is
enough to prove Konkani's richness in folk literature. Even to this day
in rural and urban areas of Kerala, North and South Canara districts of
Karnataka and in the State of Goa one can hear folk songs in Konkani
being sung by elderly men and women belonging to Konkani speaking
community.
The themes of Konkani folk songs are versatile. They associate with
religious rites, social ceremonies and all forms of occupation of men and
women whether young or old. The tone of the songs is also joyful, sad,
satirical etc. There are songs of love, beauty and youth, glories of
the past and dreams of the future. In Goa due to the Christian missionary
activities we have a unique blend of folk songs with native and foreign
elements.
Folk Dance
Goff is a folk dance with cords famous among the farmers. Dekhni is the
beauty dance of Goa. Only women perform this. The famous song of this
dance begins like this,
"Aum Saiba Polthody Voitam" (Oh, boatman takes me across the river)
Kunbi dance: This dance is rustic in tone. The songs are accompanied by
percussion instruments like the Ghumat. Women sing short quick tempo
verses and dance with ecstasy to the tune of rhythmic beats. This dance is
also known as fuggdi. In one of the songs, mention is there of the
birth of a child and address is made to the male member to bring oil to
light lamp for the performance of rituals. The song begins,
"Ashi Dhav Teshi Dhav Tendulleche bella,
Ghara Vonni Balanjatha Tela Dhavre Anna"
(Oh, Tendelle creeper, you run this and that way. Inside the home a
child is being born, hurry up brother to bring oil)
The innermost joy of having a child at home naturally envelops the
surrounding also with an air of happiness and even the tiny creeper of
nature seems to be running here and there in wild excitement. Nature is
glorified in many songs. An example is:
"Yedi Yedi Phula Ambuli Kerru Chonchaitha,
Vatari Vache Baila Kithyak Keeru Apaith".
The song is addressed to a parrot in the field who speaks tender mango
and flowers. The farmers in the field thus enjoy nature. Corridinho is
a Portuguese peasant dance popular among Goan elite youth. Tonyamel,
Talagadi, Mando, Veerabhadra, Hanpet and Ghode Modni are also varieties
of folk dance.
Ovi is a verse pattern used the people for religious and secular
compositions. This metre is used by Fr. Thomas Stephans (1549-1619), the
first English Jesuit Missionary in India for the composition of his
Christian Epic, Christa Purana (1616). The Ovi form has also been used in
songs sung by the women at the occasion of traditional marriage
celebration. There are anonymous ballads, which are sung by people and handed down from generation after generation. To cite an example is the following one: which begins,
"Vaten Vathalya Vatache Vallara*
Rukmini Kullara Bolav Sangla"
*Vollar = glass bangle seller, usually a saraswath man or
woman(vollarlem) who would go from home to home and sell bangles to the housewives,
girls, this was prevalent in olden days.
(Oh, bangle seller passing by the way, please go and inform Rukmini's
Parents).
It is the form of a dialogue in which Rukmini calls the bangle seller
and requests him to convey her message to her parents.
Besides all the aforementioned forms there are proverbs and short tales
also which come under the folk literature of Konkani. N.Purushothama
Mallaya, Secretary of Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha, Cochin has published
a collection of Konkani proverbs under the title 'Konkani Manni' in the
year 1978. He has also published a collection of folk songs under the
name 'Konkani Lok Geet' in the year 1976.
(various sources)
Portuguese conquest of GOA
It is evident from the following articles that the Portuguese did not
occupy Goa on their own, but were invited by Timmoja, who was a naval
officer of the Vijaya Nagar empire (or feudatory Lord of Goa?). At that
time Goa was under the rule of Sultan of Bijapur, which the Goans,
especially the higher cast Saraswath Brahmins did not want. So they joined
hands with Timmoja to invite Portuguese to take over Goa from the
Sultan of Bijapur. Read on:
(I)
KONKANI MIGRATION TO KOCHI
At the time of the Portuguese conquest in Goa in 1510, Malpe was a
resident of Verne in Salcette and an important leader of Goa as Sardesai of
Salsette. Goa was then under the Sultan of Bijapur, and wanted to save
themselves by any means, good or bad. Malpe there fore joined hands
with Timoza (Timoja) who was a naval officer in the service of
Vijayanagar. Timoza was in friendly terms with the Portuguese. Malpe and Timoza invited the Portuguese General Albuquerque to invade Goa and offered all help in the adventure. Truly adventurous as Albuquerque was, the plan
was put through successfully in February 1510. Without much fighting,
Goa fell before Albuquerque: but the Sultan of Bijapur came and gave a
good fight. This fight continued till November 1510, when both the
parties decided to have peace.
In accordance with the peace treaty, Portuguese were allowed to keep
the Island of Goa lying between the rivers Mandovi and Zuari. But they
had to withdraw from Salcette, Bardesh etc. For Malpe this was a bolt
from the blue. He knew that the Sultan would not pardon him for having
invited and helped the Portuguese. So he prudently decided to withdraw
from Verne. He made up his mind to leave Salcette once and for all and try
his luck in Kochi, which had then begun as an important port and
commercial centre under the Portuguese. This Malpe's family was the first to
migrate to Kochi in a very silent unobtrusive manner. Slowly, his
Daijees, Soirees, friends and dependents and acquaintances also might have
migrated to Kochi. For about two centuries this family of Malpe's held
sway over the Konkanis as their leaders. Portuguese also held this
family in great esteem.
It may be noted that the Konkanis under the leadership of Malpe in
Kochi had almost nothing to do with the Kings of Kochi. There were two
reasons for this. First, there were the Portuguese prot�g�s. Second: they
came in imperceptibly small numbers. The attention of the Kings began to
fall upon them, when their prowess in business was deeply felt and they
began to make wonderful progress in all walks of life. The
establishment of the Kochi Thirumala temple was a turning point this direction.
(II)
Goans, had voluntarily sought the aid and assistance of the Portuguese
to liberate them from the tyranny of Bijapur, and Portugal obliged
them. The Portuguese did not abuse their trust and affection; on the
contrary, they reciprocated it and built up on it.
It is certainly true that the Goans had not sought specifically the
Portuguese - they had gone to the Vijayanagar Empire, beseeching it for
aid. And it was the Emperor that suggested that they seek the aid of
Portugal instead.
Again, as for Timoja, it is doubtful that he really desired the
Portuguese to stay. Timoja, the then feudatory Lord of Goa, merely sought to
play off one power against another and to emerge himself the sole power,
the King, as it were, of Goa. As such, he had no real loyalty to any
power - Vijayanagar, Gersoppa, Bijapur, whose king he also served as a
feudatory, or Portugal, etc., each of which powers he served, at one time
or the other, even as he schemed and manoeuvred to establish his own
independent kingdom in Goa.
Again, it is true that the Goans had no conception of the religious
program of the Portuguese or that they sought it or approved of it before
asking Portugal for aid.
When Portugal liberated Goa, for the second and final time on 25th
November 1510, the Goans were truly grateful to them. This friendly feeling
and the reciprocated friendly feeling of the Portuguese towards the
Goans acted to cement ties and to fuse hearts and minds.
It was natural that Portugal should introduce Christianity into their
possession. It was natural that they should do all that is legitimate in
order for them to gain the voluntary accession of Goans to
Christianity, which Christians always, and the Portuguese certainly then too, saw
as Man�s Greatest Good - the one and only means of salvation.
Lucio Joao Mascarenhas
Literature
In the State of Karnataka Father Prabhudas (b-1941) contributed his
poetic work 'Sheth Bhangarayle' (The field made golden) to Konkani poetry.
Sri B.V.Baliga (b-1918) of Mangalore has translated into Konkani verse
the 'Geeth Ramayana' from Marathi.
In Kerala eminent poets like Sri R.C.Sarma (1896-1980) wrote 'Bhasha
Gana Manjari' (a collection of devotional songs G.Kamalammal (b-1902)
wrote Patra Charithram and Balakandum Ramayana in Konkani. Narayana
Narasimha Pai (1879-1959) wrote beautiful verse in Konkani. Utter poverty
that he suffered in his life naturally gave originality and beauty to his
songs.
Folk Literature
In the matter of folk literature Konkani is a rich gold mine. The
traces of Konkani folk literature even left after the Portuguese conquest is
enough to prove Konkani's richness in folk literature. Even to this day
in rural and urban areas of Kerala, North and South Canara districts of
Karnataka and in the State of Goa one can hear folk songs in Konkani
being sung by elderly men and women belonging to Konkani speaking
community.
The themes of Konkani folk songs are versatile. They associate with
religious rites, social ceremonies and all forms of occupation of men and
women whether young or old. The tone of the songs is also joyful, sad,
satirical etc. There are songs of love, beauty and youth, glories of
the past and dreams of the future. In Goa due to the Christian missionary
activities we have a unique blend of folk songs with native and foreign
elements.
Folk Dance
Goff is a folk dance with cords famous among the farmers. Dekhni is the
beauty dance of Goa. Only women perform this. The famous song of this
dance begins like this,
"Aum Saiba Polthody Voitam" (Oh, boatman takes me across the river)
Kunbi dance: This dance is rustic in tone. The songs are accompanied by
percussion instruments like the Ghumat. Women sing short quick tempo
verses and dance with ecstasy to the tune of rhythmic beats. This dance is
also known as fuggdi. In one of the songs, mention is there of the
birth of a child and address is made to the male member to bring oil to
light lamp for the performance of rituals. The song begins,
"Ashi Dhav Teshi Dhav Tendulleche bella,
Ghara Vonni Balanjatha Tela Dhavre Anna"
(Oh, Tendelle creeper, you run this and that way. Inside the home a
child is being born, hurry up brother to bring oil)
The innermost joy of having a child at home naturally envelops the
surrounding also with an air of happiness and even the tiny creeper of
nature seems to be running here and there in wild excitement. Nature is
glorified in many songs. An example is:
"Yedi Yedi Phula Ambuli Kerru Chonchaitha,
Vatari Vache Baila Kithyak Keeru Apaith".
The song is addressed to a parrot in the field who speaks tender mango
and flowers. The farmers in the field thus enjoy nature. Corridinho is
a Portuguese peasant dance popular among Goan elite youth. Tonyamel,
Talagadi, Mando, Veerabhadra, Hanpet and Ghode Modni are also varieties
of folk dance.
Ovi is a verse pattern used the people for religious and secular
compositions. This metre is used by Fr. Thomas Stephans (1549-1619), the
first English Jesuit Missionary in India for the composition of his
Christian Epic, Christa Purana (1616). The Ovi form has also been used in
songs sung by the women at the occasion of traditional marriage
celebration. There are anonymous ballads, which are sung by people and handed down from generation after generation. To cite an example is the following one: which begins,
"Vaten Vathalya Vatache Vallara*
Rukmini Kullara Bolav Sangla"
*Vollar = glass bangle seller, usually a saraswath man or
woman(vollarlem) who would go from home to home and sell bangles to the housewives,
girls, this was prevalent in olden days.
(Oh, bangle seller passing by the way, please go and inform Rukmini's
Parents).
It is the form of a dialogue in which Rukmini calls the bangle seller
and requests him to convey her message to her parents.
Besides all the aforementioned forms there are proverbs and short tales
also which come under the folk literature of Konkani. N.Purushothama
Mallaya, Secretary of Konkani Bhasha Prachar Sabha, Cochin has published
a collection of Konkani proverbs under the title 'Konkani Manni' in the
year 1978. He has also published a collection of folk songs under the
name 'Konkani Lok Geet' in the year 1976.
(various sources)
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