Goa is a small state on the western coast of
India. Even though it is the smallest of all Indian states it has played a very noteworthy role in
Indian history. Goa was one of the major trade centers in India, thus it had always been attracting the influential dynasties, seafarers, merchants, traders, monks and missionaries since its earliest known history. Through the passage of time, Goa has undergone a constant flux, transition, change and transformation, which has left an indelible impression on various aspects of cultural and socio-economic development of Goa.
Mythological origins
The first literary reference to Goa is mentioned in the
Bhishma Parva of
Mahabharata as
Gomanta which means the region of cows.
[1] Even though there are no archeological and historical evidences,
Hindu scriptures mention
Parashurama, as its creator(see:
Skanda Purana:
Sahyadrikhanda). He is said to have settled ten sages in this land and performed fire sacrifices. Another legend has that after performing the penance, the seven sages or the
Saptarshis were blessed by lord
Shiva therefore known as
Saptakoteshwar. Further Lord Shiva is believed to have taken up temporary residence after having tiff with his consort
Parvati. Yet another legend says that Lord
Krishna defeated
Jarasandha the king of
Magadha on
Gomanchal mountain in Goa. (see:
Hari Vamsha purana)
[2]
In
Suta Samhita Govapuri or Goa is associated with spiritually cleansing touch:
...The very sight of Govapuri destroys any sin committed in former existence just as sunrise dispels darkness... Certainly there is no other kshetra equal to Govapuri [3]
A similar hymn praising Govapuri city is found in Sahyadrikhanda of Skanda Purana,which says the extent of Goapuri was about seven
Yojanas.
| “ | गोकर्णादुत्तरे भागे सप्तयोजनविस्तृतं
तत्र गोवापुरी नाम नगरी पापनाशिनी | ” |
Parashurama bearing an axe
Prehistoric period
Paleolithic and Mesolithic era
Until 1993 ,the existence of
Homo sapiens in Goa during the
Paleolithic and
Mesolithic period was highly debated.The discovery of
rock art engravings on lateritic platforms and granite boulders from
Usgalimal on the banks of west-flowing river
Kushavati,has shed light on
prehistory of Goa.
[6] The rock shelter at Usgalimal has enough space for 25 to 30 people.The perennial stream in the vicinity as a source of water which might have served the
Stone age man for centuries.
[7] An
anthropomorphic figure of
Mother goddess and tectiforms resembling tree-like motifs have been found.
[7] This site was discovered by
Dr P.P.Shirodkar.Exploration of several Mesolithic sites of the
Mandovi-
Zuari basin,other sites at
Keri,
Thane,
Anjuna,
Mauxim,
Kazur in
Quepem,
Virdi, has led to finding of several scrapers,points,bores,cones etc.A hand
axe has also been found at usgalimal.
[8] Further
unifacial choppers were recovered on a flat-based pebble of quartzite from a pebble conglomerate at
Shigaon on the river
Dudhsagar.
[9] Shirodakar carried out a detailed study of the rock engravings and dated them to
Upper paleolithic and Mesolithic phase i.e. 8000-6000 BC.
[8] These historical discoveries have proved that well before the advent of agriculture,the region had been supporting a population of hunter-gatherers. Palaeolithic cave existence is seen at Dabolim, Adkon, Shigao, Fatorpa, Arli, Maulinguinim, Diwar, Sanguem, Pilerne, Aquem-Margaon etc. Difficulty in
carbon dating the laterite rock compounds poses problems in determination of exact time period.
[10]
Rock cut engraving at Usgalimal
Kushavati Shamanic culture
Dr Nandkumar Kamat(
University of Goa),made a discovery of the prehistoric
petroglyphs of Goa.
[note 1] More than 125 forms were found scattered on the banks of river
Kushavati in south-eastern Goa. This according to him are the evidence of prehistoric Goan
shamanistic practice.For hundreds of years the Kushavati rock art gallery of Goa was known locally as
goravarakhnyachi chitram or pictures made by the local cowherds. But people did not know about the antiquity of the work nor could interpret it.After thorough study of these forms it was concluded that these petroglyphs are different from those found elsewhere in Goa.Deeper studies and analysis over a period of 10 years showed that it was an exquisitely carved
ocular labyrinth, one of the best in India and Asia. Its ocular nature also clinched the evidence of prehistoric shamanism.The studies have shown that,the Kushavati culture was a hunter, food gatherer culture embedded in the knowledge of local natural resources and processes - water, fish, plants, game, animal breeding cycles, seasons and natural calamities. It was obsessed with water security, so the camp was set up near the stream. It was looking for food security, so the jungle near the steam ensured plentiful food. It was also confronting the mysteries of illness, death and birth.This culture dates back around 8000-6000 BC.On basis of recent DNA based work on human migration Dr Nandkumar Kamat has ruled out the possibility of Kushavati shamans belonging to the first wave of humans to step in Goa. They were not negritoes or austrics. Most probably they were the earliest
Mediterraneans who had descended the
Western Ghats probably in their search for sea salt on Goa’s coast. As they transited to a Neolithic society, domesticated animals and were in the last phase of using stone tools – the entire realm of shamanism underwent a radical transition. Today we see its’ metamorphosis in masked dance drama
Perni jagor in the same cultural region.
[11]
Neolithic period
The archeological evidences in the form of polished stone axe, suggest the settlements of Neolithic man in Goa.
[8] These axes have been found in
Goa Velha.
[12] It is believed that tribes of
Austric origin like
Kols,
Mundaris,
Kharvis may have settled Goa during this period, living on hunting, fishing and a primitive form of agriculture since 3500 BC.
[8] According to Goan historian
Anant Ramakrishna Dhume, the
Gauda and Kunbi and other such castes are modern descendants of ancient Mundari tribes. In his work he mentions several words of Mundari origin in the
Konkani language. He also elaborates on the deities worshiped by the ancient tribes, their customs, methods of farming and its overall impact on modern day Goan society
[13] The
Negroids were in an Neolithic stage of primitive culture, and they were food-gatherers rather. Traces of Negroid physical characteristics are found in parts of Goa, at least up to the middle of the first millennium.
[13] The
Proto-Australoid tribe known as the
Konkas, from whom is derived the name of the region,
Kongvan or Konkan with the other mentioned tribes formed reportedly the earliest settlers in the territory.
[14] Agriculture was not fully developed at this stage, and was just shaping up. The Kols and Mundaris might have been using stone and wood implements as iron implements were used by the
megalithic tribes as late as 1200 BC. The Kol tribe is believed to have migrated from
Gujarat.
[11]
During this period worship of mother goddess in the form of
anthill or
Santer, was started. Anthill is called as
Roen(
Konkani:रोयण), this word has been derived from the austric word
Rono meaning with holes. The later Indo-Aryan and Dravidian settlers also adopted anthill worship, which was translated to
Santara in Prakrit by them. They also worshiped the mother earth in the form of
Bhumika (in Prakrit). The anthill worship still continues in Goa not only by the descendants of these ancients settlers but by all the Goans.
[13]
The Iron age
The Indo-Aryan migrations to Goa
The first wave of
Indo-Aryans came and settled in Goa about 2400 BC.Some of them might have been followers of
Vedic religion.
[15] They were known to speak earliest form of
Prakrit or
Vedic Sanskrit vernacular.This migration of the
northerners is mainly attributed to the drying up of the mighty
Sarasvati River.Almost of Historians claim only
Gowda Saraswat Brahmins and few of the other Brahmins to be their descendants.This hypothesis is not authoritative according to some.Balakrishna Dattaram Kamat Satoskar a renowned Goan Indologist and historian,in his work
Gomantak prakruti ani sanskruti,Volume I explains that the original
Sarasvat tribe consisted of people of all the folds who followed the
Vedic fourfold system and not just Brahmins,as the caste system was not fully developed then,and did not play an important role.(see
Gomantak prakruti ani sanskruti,Volume I).
Some historians also propose a theory of migration of the
Bhargava tribe to Goa, from Gujarat. This tribe was called so because of their clan symbol which was an axe. This theory links the Parashurama myth with the history.
[11] According to this theory the Bhargava clan is connected to the mighty
Phrygians in
Asia Minor, and Parashurama, also known as
Bhargavarama, was one of their clan leaders. These Bhargavas might have started their sea-expedition before the
Mahabharata war.
[11] The
Angiras tribe is also believed to have migrated from the North-western India during this time.
[15]
Dhume maintains that the first wave of Aryans did not introduce any radical changes in the then existing religious systems. Whatever changes took place were done by the Sumerians.
[15] Thus the modern historians have concluded that there is no connection between the migrations from the North and the Parashurama legend.
[16]
The advent of Sumerians 2200 BC
The first written reference to Goa appears to have been in
Cuneiform,in
Sumerian times when the King
Gudea of
Lagash called it
Gubio.This was around 2200 BC.Sumerians had established trade contacts with Goa.Many Sumerians settled in Goa and along the Konkan coast.Sumerians must have designed the fields of Goa because these follow their measure till date.Unlike 0.46 unit generally prevalent elsewhere in India,it is pointed out that the positioning in Goa agrees with Sumerian 12
cubits to a pole,and 0.495 of a meter to a cubit.
[17][17] Later the seaborne community of
Phoenicians became extensive settlers of Goa around 1775 BC. Severals Cuneiforms have been found in Goa and an
Oracle plate dedicated to
Inana has been recovered from
Savoi Verem.Sumerian are believed to have modified many local customs and introduce their own systems eg.the temple building style,the
Devadasi system,they also influenced the language,the caste system and the kinship practices to some extent.Sumerian influence on Goa could also be traced in the entertainment and games
[18]
The Formations of Gavkaris and the self rule
The theocratic democracy of Sumer was transformed into the
oligarchic democracy in village-administration in Goa known as
Gavkari,when it overlapped with the practices of the locals then.The agricultural land was jointly owned by the group of villagers,they had right to auction the land,this rent was used for development,and the remaining of distributed amongst the
Gavkars .Sumerian view that the village land must belong to the village god or goddess,this was the main feature of the
Gavkari system where the presiding village deity temple was the centre of all the activities.
[18] It consisted of definite boundaries of land from village to village with its topographic detail, its management and social, religious and cultural interaction.Gavkari thus were in existence much before constitution of the state of Goa itself.
[19]
Thus even before any king ruled the territory oligarchic democracy in the form of Gavkari existed in Goa.This form of village-administration was called as
Gaunponn(
Konkani:गांवपण),even though the rulers changed from time to time the Gaunponn always remained,hence the attachment and fidelity of the Goans to their village has always been greater than their loyalty to their rulers(most of them were not from the territory).
[20] This system for further systematized and fortified,and it has continued to exist ever since.Even today 223 comunidades are still functioning in Goa,though not in the true sense.
[19]
The later migrations
The second wave of Indo-Aryans occurred sometime between 1700 to 1400 BC.This second wave migration was accompanied by
Dravidians from the Deccan plateau.A wave of
Kusha or
Harappan people a
Lothal probably around 1600 BC to escape submergence of their civilization which thrived on sea-trade.
[11] With the admixture of several cultures,customs,religions,dialects and beliefs,led to revolutionary change in the formation of early Goan society.
[15]
The age of empires
The Mauryas
Main article:
Mauryan empireThe history of the dynasty is almost a blank. The records so far found disclose the names of only three of its Kings, namely
Suketavarvan who ruled some time in the fourth or fifth century,
Chandravarman in the sixth century and
Ajitavarman in the seventh, who ruled from
Kumardvipa or modern
Kumarjuve, but furnish no clue as to their mutual relationship. The dates are approximate. They are fixed by comparing the style of the
Nagari script in which these records are written with the stages in the evolution of this script, which may be dated fairly correctly. It is possible to infer from the places mentioned in these records and their find-spots that at its zenith the Western Maurya Kingdom comprised the Lata or South Gujarat. coastal Maharashtra, Goa, and half of the North Kanara district.After the Maurya Empire had passed its meridian in the second century B.C. its satrap in Aparanta made himself independent. A scion of the imperial Mauryas,the dynasty he founded ruled over the West Coast for well nigh four centuries from its capital
Shurparaka or modern
Sopara.This dynasty was known as the
Konkan Mauryas.Goa was called as
Sunaparant by the Mauryas.
[21]
Chandragupta Maurya incorporated the West Coast of India in his province of
Aparanta, and the impact of
Magadhan Prakrit, the official language of the strongest empire India has ever known, on the local dialetcs spoken in this part of the coast, resulted in the formation of early
Konkani, as was the case with other Aryan vernaculars.During this era
Buddhism was introduces to Goa. Similarly a native goan
Purna also known as
Punna in
Pali went to
Sarnath is considered as direct disciple of
Buddha who made Buddhism popular in Goa in 5th century BC.
[21]
The Shatavahanas
The Satavahanas started out as feudatories to the Mauryan Empire, but declared independence with its decline.They ruled Goa through their coastal feudatories,the
Chutus of
Karwar.This period may be estimated somewhere around 2nd century BC to 100 AD.They had established maritime power and their contacts with
Roman empire due to the coastal trade from
Sindh to
Saurashtra,from
Bharuch to Sopara to Goa,where
Greek and Roman ships would halt during voyages.The Bhojas fortified themselves after the end of Satavahana empire.
[22] With the fall of the Satavahanas,the lucrative seaborne trade also seems to have declined.
[23] Many Greek converts to Buddhism settled in Goa during this period.Buddha status in Greek style have been found in Goa.(see Pius Melkandathil,
Martitime activities of Goa and the Indian ocean.)It can be seen that they ruled a very small part of Goa.
Maharashtri prakrit was their language of administration,which influenced medieval Konkani to a very grate extent.
[24]
[edit] Goa under the Western Kshatrapas
In the year 150 AD
Vashishtiputra Satakarni,was defeated by his son-in-law,the
Kshatrapa king
Rudradaman I established his rule over Goa.
[25] This dynasty ruled the territory till AD 249. Thereafter their power seems to have been weakened by their own army generals,the
Abhiras[26]
Bhojas
First as feudatories of the Mauryas and then as an independent empire, the
Bhojas ruled Goa for more than 500 years and annexed entire Goa to their kingdom. The earliest known record of the Bhoja empire from Goa date from the 3rd century BC were found in the town of
Shiroda in Goa. According to Puranik, tradition the Bhojas belonged to the clan of
Yadavas, who according to the historians might have migrated to Goa via
Dwaraka after the
Mahabharata war.
[27] Two Bhoja
copperplate grants dating back 3rd century BC were unearthed from
Bandora village,written by the king
Prithvimallavarman. Many other copper plates have also been recovered from many other places in Goa dating from 3rd century BC to 8th century AD. Ancient
Chandrapur or modern
Chandor was they capital and they ruled
Goa,
Belgaum and
North Canara from there.
[28]
From the Bhoja inscriptions found in Goa and Konkan, it can be seen that they used
Sanskrit and
Prakrit for administration. According to Vithal Raghavendra Mitragotri, many
Brahmins and
Vaishyas had come with Kshatriyas Bhojas from the North. (see
A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara) The
Kshatriya Bhojas patronised
Buddhism and employed many Buddhist converts of
Greek and
Persian origin.
[29]
Medieval period
Goa was ruled by several dynasties of various origins from 1st century BC to 1500 AD.
[17] Since Goa had been under the sway of several dynasties there was organised judicial or policing system prevalent in those days,except for traditional arrangements done by the absolute rulers ans the local chieftains.Muslim rule may said to have brought a little order than before.
[30] An important aspect of Goa history of those days is that Goa was not one kingdom.Several parts of this tiny territory were ruled by several different kingdoms.the boundaries of the kingdom were not clearly marked.the kings were content to consider their dominions as extending over many villages,which paid them tributes and owned them allegiance.
[31]
This period in Goan history was a period of turmoil.The
Goa Shilahara power was waning.The Arab traders started controlling the overseas business and enjoyed autonomy from the Shilaharas.,in order to control this Kadamba King
Guhalladeva I(ruling from
Chandor only) established secular,political and economic partnership with them.After the Chalukyas defeated the Rashtrakutas, exploiting this situation to their advantage the kadamba King
Shashthadeva II firmly planted his rule in Goa.
[32]
Ruins of Gopkapattana port in
Agassaim in Goa
The Kadambas of Goa
The Kadambas ruled Goa over 10th to 14th century AD.In the beginning they ruled only
Sashti and a small part of Konkan.They ruled from Chandor,over a large part,but the port of
Gopakpattana was not a part in the beginning.
[33] The Goa Kadambas were the later scions of the main Kadamba dynasty,whose modern descendants still live in Goa.
Gold coins issued by the Kadamba king of Goa, Shivachitta Paramadideva.
Circa 1147-1187 AD.
The port of Goapakapattna
Later King Shashthadeva conquered the island of Goa i.e.,port Gopakpattana and
Kapardikadvipa,and annexed a large part of South Konkan to his kingdom,and made Gopakpattana as his secondary capital.The next King
Jayakeshi I further expanded the Goan kingdom.Sanskrit Jain text
Dvayashraya mention the extend of his capital.Port Gopakapattna had trade contacts with
Zanzibar,
Bengal,
Gujarat and
Sri Lanka(mentioned as
Zaguva,Gauda,Gurjara,Simhala in the Sanskrit text).The city has been described in the contemporary records not only as aesthetically pleasing but spiritually cleansing as well.On account of its commercial nature,Gopakapattna possessed a cosmopolitan look.The capital was served by an important highway called as
Rajvithi or
Rajpath which linked it with
Ela,ruins of whose glory can still be seen.For more than 300 years it remained a neucleus of intra-coastal and trans-oceanic trade,from Africa to Malaya Goa became a known destination.Later in the 14th century the port was looted by
Khilji general
Malik Kafur,the headquarters were shifted to Chandor and back to Gopakapattna because of
Muhammad bin Tughluq's attack on Chandor.
[33]
Guhalladeva III,Jayakeshi II,Shivachitta Paramadideva,Vinshuchitta II,Jayakeshi III dominated Goa's political scene in the 12th century. During the rule of Kadambas,the name and fame of
Goapuri had reached it zenith.Goa's religion,culture,trade,arts flourished under the rule of these kings.The pious Kings and their queens built many
Shiva temples as they were devote
Shaivites.they assumed titles like
Konkanadhipati,
Saptakotisha Ladbha Varaveera,
Gopakapura varadhishva,
Konkanmahacharavarti,
Panchamahashabda.
[34] The kings had matrimonial relationships with the Kings of Saurashtra,and even the local chieftains.the kings patronized
Vedic religion and performed major fire sacrifices like
the horse sacrifice or
Ashvamedha.They popularised Shaivsm in Goa.(see:Goa through ages)They are also known for patronising
Jainism in Goa.
Though their language of administration was
Sanskrit and
Kannada they also patronized Konkani and
Marathi.They introduced Kannada language to Goa,influence of which was very profound on the local tongue.
Nagari script,
Kadamba script,
Halekannada script and
Goykanadi scripts were very popular. It is known from another inscription of Kadamba Tribhuvanamalla, saka 1028 i.e. AD 1106 that he established a
Brahmapuri at Gopaka.Brahmapuris were ancient universities run by the Brahmins where Vedas,astrology,philosophy,medicine etc. were taught.(see:Gazetteer of the Union Territory Goa, Daman and Diu: district Volume 1).Such Brahampuris were found in many places in Goa,Savoi verem,Gauli moula,and other places.
Kadambas having ruled Goa for more than 400 glorious years,lost in power to Devagiri Yadavas,further with the Muslim invasions the once magnificent dynasty was lost forever.Ruins of the palaces,mansions,temples and markets can be still seen in Chandor village.
Muslim rule
In 1350 CE, Goa was conquered by the
Bahmani Sultanate. However in 1370, the
Vijayanagar empire, a resurgent Hindu empire situated at modern day
Hampi, reconquered the area. The Vijayanagar rulers held on to Goa for nearly 100 years, during which its harbours were important landing places for
Arabian horses on their way to Hampi to strengthen the Vijaynagar cavalry. In 1469, however, Goa was reconquered, by the
Bahmani Sultans of
Gulbarga. When this dynasty broke up in 1492, Goa became a part of Adil Shah's
Bijapur Sultanate, who made
Goa Velha their second capital. The former Secretariat building in Panaji is a former Adil Shahi palace, later taken over by the
Portuguese Viceroys as their official residence.
Portuguese conquest and colonisation
In 1498,
Vasco da Gama rounded the
Cape of Good Hope and landed at
Calicut. In 1510, Portuguese admiral
Afonso de Albuquerque attacked Goa at the behest of the local cheftian
Thimayya. After losing the city briefly to its former ruler,
Ismail Adil Shah, the Muslim king of
Bijapur, Albuquerque returned in force only three months later, on November 25, with a fleet fully renovated.
[35] In less than a day they took possession of Goa from Ismail Adil Shah and his Ottoman allies, who surrendered on 10 December. It is estimated that 6000 of the 9000 Muslim defenders of the city died, either on the fierce battle in the streets or drowned while trying to escape.
[36] He gained the support of the Hindu population, although frustrating the initial expectations Thimayya who aspired to gain the city. Afonso de Albuquerque rewarded him by appointing him chief "Aguazil" of the city, an administrator and representative of the Hindu and Muslim people, as a knowing interpreter of the local customs.
[37] He then made an agreement to lower yearly dues and taxes. In spite of constant attacks, Goa became the center of Portuguese India, with the conquest triggering the compliance of neighboring kingdoms: the
Sultan of Gujarat and the
Zamorin of Calicut sent embassies, offering alliances and local grants to fortify.
In Goa Albuquerque started the first Portuguese
mint in the East, after complaints from merchants and Timoja about the scarcity of currency, taking it as an opportunity to announce the territorial conquest.
[38] The new
coin, based on the existing local coins, showed a cross on one side and the design of an
armillary sphere (or "espera"), King Manuel's badge, on the other. Gold, silver and bronze coins were issued, respectively gold cruzados or
manueis,
esperas and
alf-esperas, and "leais".
[39][40] More mints would follow in Malacca in 1511.
Chapel of St. Catherine, built during the Portuguese occupation in
Old Goa. It should not to be confused with the Cathedral of Santa Catarina, also in Old Goa.
Albuquerque and his successors left almost untouched the customs and constitutions of the thirty village communities on the island, only abolishing the rite of
sati (widow-burning). A register of these customs (
Foral de usos e costumes) was published in 1526; it is among the most valuable historical documents pertaining to Goan customs.
[41]
Goa was the base for Albuquerque's conquest of
Malacca (1511) and Hormuz (1515). Albuquerque intended it to be a colony and a naval base, as distinct from the fortified factories established in certain Indian seaports. Goa was made capital of the Portuguese Vice-Kingdom in Asia, and the other Portuguese possessions in
India,
Malacca and other bases in
Indonesia,
East Timor, the
Persian Gulf,
Macau in
China and trade bases in
Japan were under the suzerainty of its
Viceroy. By mid-16th century, the area under occupation had expanded to most of present-day limits.
Goa was granted the same civic privileges as
Lisbon. Its senate or municipal chamber maintained direct communications with the king and paid a special representative to attend to its interests at court. In 1563 the governor even proposed to make Goa the seat of a parliament representing all parts of the Portuguese east but this was rejected by the king.
The Portuguese set up a base in Goa in their quest to control the spice trade. Merchandise from all parts of the East was displayed in its
bazaar, and separate streets were set aside for the sale of different classes of goods–
Bahrain pearls and coral,
Chinese porcelain and silk, Portuguese velvet and piece-goods, drugs and spices from the
Malay Archipelago.
In 1542, St.
Francis Xavier mentions the architectural splendour of the city; but it reached the climax of its prosperity between 1575 and 1625. Travellers marvelled at
Goa Dourada, or Golden Goa, and there was a Portuguese proverb, "He who has seen Goa need not see
Lisbon."
Map of Goa, in
Histoire générale des Voyages, de la Harpe, 1750.
In the main street slaves were sold by auction. The houses of the rich were surrounded by gardens and
palm groves; they were built of stone and painted red or white. Instead of glass, their balconied windows had thin polished oyster-shells set in lattice-work. The social life of Goa's rulers befitted the headquarters of the viceregal court, the army and navy, and the church; luxury and ostentation becoming a byword before the end of the 16th century.
[citation needed]
Almost all manual labour was done by slaves; common soldiers assumed high-sounding titles, and it was even customary for the poor noblemen who congregated together in boarding-houses to subscribe for a few silken cloaks, a silken umbrella and a common man-servant, so that each could take his turn to promenade the streets, fashionably attired and with a proper escort.
[citation needed]
Around 1583, missionary activity in
Cuncolim led first to small skirmishes and finally to the murder of all the missionaries. The Portuguese authorities called the 16 chieftains of each ward (
vado) of the Cuncolim village to the Assolna fort, ostensibly to form a peace pact with the villagers. At the fort, the chieftains were slain, except for two who jumped from the fort into the Arabian sea and presumably swam to Karwar. The villagers were left without their traditional leaders and the Portuguese began confiscating the land of the locals and set up the
Goa Inquisition. See main article:
Cuncolim Revolt.
Decline
The appearance of the
Dutch in Indian waters was followed by the gradual ruin of Goa. In 1603 and 1639 the city was blockaded by Dutch fleets, though never captured, and in 1635 it was ravaged by an epidemic. With the situation already volatile,
Maratha troops entered parts of Bicholim in 1641 and began the minor
Bicholim conflict, which ended in peace treaty between the Portuguese and Maratha Empire.
[42]
Trade was gradually monopolised by the
Jesuits.
Jean de Thévenot in 1666,
Baldaeus in 1672, Fryer in 1675 describe its ever-increasing poverty and decay. After escaping from Agra Shivaji slowly started gaining the areas which he lost in Treaty of Purendar to Moghuls. In this he conquered most of the area adjoining to Old Conquestas of Goa. He captured Pernem, Bicholim, Sattari, Ponda, Sanguem, Quepem, Cancona. Sawantwadi Bonsale and Saudekar Rajas became his vassals. In 1683 Chatrapati Sambhaji, the son of Shivaji, tried to conquer entire Goa including the area in then Portuguese Goa. He almost ousted Portugues but to their surprise
Mughal army prevented it from capture by the
Marathas. In 1739 the whole territory of Bardez was attacked by the Marathas again in order to pressurize Protuguese Northern possession at Vasai (or Bassaiem), but could not be won because of the unexpected arrival of a new viceroy with a fleet.
After
Third Battle of Panipat, Peshawa control over Maratha Empire got weakened and Portuguese then defeated Rajas of Sawantwadi and Raja of Sunda to conquer area stretched from Pernem till Cancona. This formed the Novas Conquestas and thus the present day Goa is formed.
In the same year the viceroy transferred his residence from the vicinity of Goa city to New Goa (in
Portuguese Nova Goa), today's
Panaji, which became the official seat of government in 1843, effecting a move which had been discussed as early as 1684.
Old Goa city's population fell steeply during the 18th century as Europeans moved to the new city.
In 1757, King
Joseph I of Portugal issued a decree penned by his prime minister, the
Marquês de Pombal, granting the Portuguese citizenship and representation to all subjects in the Portuguese Indies. The enclaves of Goa,
Damão,
Diu,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli became collectively known as the
Estado da Índia Portuguesa, and had representation in the Portuguese parliament.
In 1787, there was a rebellion started by some priests against Portuguese rule. It became famous as the
Conspiracy of the Pintos. Goa was peacefully occupied by the
British between 1812-1815 in the context of the
Anglo-Portuguese Alliance during the
Napoleonic Wars.
After the independence of India
Unarmed Indians move against Goa border (newsreel)
When India became independent in 1947, Goa remained under Portuguese control. The Indian government of
Jawaharlal Nehru insisted that Goa, along with a few other minor Portuguese holdings, be turned over to India. Portugal, however, refused. France, which also had small enclaves in India (most notably
Pondicherry, see
French India), gave them up.
[43][44]
During the tenure of Marquês de Pombal, Act of 1761 was promulgated whereby all Portuguese subjects born in Portuguese India were considered Portuguese citizens, and as such, Goans had the right to elect their representatives to the Portuguese Parliament. The first election was held in Goa on 14 Jan 1822, electing 3 locals as members of Parliament.
[45]
In 1954, unarmed Indians
[46] took over the tiny land-locked enclaves of Dadra and Nagar-Haveli. This incident led the Portuguese to lodge a complaint against India in the
International Court of Justice at
The Hague. The final judgement on this case, given in 1960, held that the Portuguese had a right to the enclaves, but that India equally had a right to deny Portugal access to the enclaves over Indian territory.
In 1955 a group of unarmed civilians, satyagrahis
[46] demonstrated against Portugal. At least 22 of them were killed by Portuguese gunfire.
[46]
Later the same year, the satyagrahis took over a fort at Tiracol and hoisted the Indian flag. They were driven away by the Portuguese, with a number of casualties. On 1 September 1955, the Indian consulate in Goa was closed. In 1955 also
Jawaharlal Nehru declared his government would not tolerate Portuguese presence in Goa. India then instituted a blockade against Goa, Damão and Diu, in an effort to force the Portuguese to leave. Goa was then given its own airline by the Portuguese, the
Transportes Aéreos da Índia Portuguesa to overcome the blockade.
On December 16, 1961, Indian troops crossed the border into Goa. Code named '
Operation Vijay', the move involved sustained land, sea, and air strikes for more than 36 hours; it resulted in the unconditional surrender of Portuguese forces on 19 December. A United Nations resolution condemning the invasion was proposed by the United States and the United Kingdom in the United Nations Security Council, but it was vetoed by the USSR.
Under Indian rule, Goan voters went to the polls in a referendum and elected to become an autonomous, federally administered territory. Goa was admitted to Indian statehood in 1987.
After re-joining India, the area was under military rule for five months, but the previous civil service was soon restored and the area became a federally administered territory. Goa celebrates its "Liberation Day" on 19 December every year, which is also a state holiday. fist Goa was a union territory of India which afterwards changed to state
Source :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Goa
