Hi Dilip, Agreed with your latest post (right below). Colonialism isn't a teddy-bear's picnic, nor is it some kind of social work.
I was only pointing out that Fr Nascimento's comment that IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF Portuguese colonial rule the Portuguese respected local norms and did not increase local taxes. (Their religious intolerance came later.) No question of rose-tinted glasses here. In fact, the continuation of the comunidades/gaunkaria in Goa probably has a lot to do with the Portugese intention of not wanting to upset the local elite interest of those times. FN Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 Dilip wrote: I only just had an opportunity to study the article by Mr Nascimento, circulated by FN. (below) It is fascinating except for those 'rose-tinted glasses' that have not yet been put to bed. My comments: One has to be careful with articles such as these. I cannot, for instance believe that 'When Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Goa (1510) he respected the religious norms, which were administered through effective laws. He allowed the customs and traditions to continue, and did not increase the taxes already existent.' On 17 October 2010 13:19, dilip dacruz <[email protected]> wrote: Dont > misunderstand such alliances of convenience, for love or respect. There was > no love lost between the trio. In fact, Albuquerque, like all conquerors, > despised his captors, muslim and hindu alike. Of course he cultivated > opportunistic friendship wih the hindus when convenient but he was the > complete arrogant imperialist who despised all 'natives'. > > From his biography*: "In 1510 he captured Goa, which he fortified and made > the chief trading post and permanent naval base in India. To give it a > stable character, he offered lands and subsidies to Portuguese men who would > marry native women.'' > > Consider that! He was distributing our land and our women to his countrymen > in 1510! I dont expect the weddings were Hindu! > > Again FN, this not my field but the problem with this period of our history > is that it has been written by the Portugese. Quote*: > > "The best source for material on Albuquerque is by his son, Afonso de > Albuquerque, The Commentaries of the Great Afonso Dalboquerque (1774; trans. > with an introduction by W. de Gray Birch, 4 vols., 1875-1884). Edgar > Prestage, Afonso de Albuquerque, Governor of India (1929), is a brief > account. Elaine Sanceau, Indies Adventure: The Amazing Career of Afonso de > Albuquerque (1936), is a pro-Portuguese treatment that makes extensive use > of the sources. Richard Stephen Whiteway, The Rise of Portuguese Power in > India, 1497-1550 (1899; 2d ed. 1967), and Charles R. Boxer's scholarly The > Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1415-1825 (1969) are excellent background works > that rely on the writings of 16th century Portuguese historians for source > material. See also K. G. Jayne, Vasco da Gama and His Successors (1910)". > > If one is making the case for 'imperial benevelonce', one had better make it > strong because it is an oxymoron that occured nowhere in the world - not in > Africa, australia, the Americas, Europe, the far East or, indeed, India. > > Bias? What bias? ;) -- This message comes via the Google Groups "Saligao-Net" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net?hl=en Please post regularly to keep the e-village active!
