The beginning of the Inquisition in
Goa started in 1560. Aimed primarily against the new converts to
Christianity, it also took action against any Hindu practicing, his.
religion openly. The inquisition was a Tribunal presided over by the
'Grant Inquisitor' a judge sent from Portugal. Even the Governor of
Goa did not have control over him. He and his two other judges
framed their own codified rules and laws. The terror it spread and
the misery it caused is unprecedented. It went on for two hundred
years and many a so called heretic was burned alive under its
orders. Finally under the pressure of the British, it was abolished
on 16th June 1812. The Palace of the Inquisition is now destroyed
and all that remains is a table said to have belonged to it. There
is a chair in a private collection. However, one more relic of the
Inquisition is the Cross with a beautifully executed figure of
Christ. It is almost life like and preserved in the Chapel of St.
Sebastian in Panjim. It is a unique representation where the head is
erect and the eyes open.
Along with the Inquisition, the efforts of the Portuguese continued
to convert the local populace. The Archbishop of Goa also had
control over Cochin and Malacca. From time to time, meetings known
as Provincial Councils were held by the Archbishop. The first
Council was held in 1567. This was followed by Councils in 1575,
1585, 1592 and 1606. Repression and conversions continued till about
the end of the 16th century. After that the zeal of the Portuguese
lessened. At any rate, Goa had a Christian population of about
50,000 by the beginning of the 17th century. Daman also had a small
Christian population, while Diu had none.
Events in Europe soon took their toll against the Portuguese in
India. In 1580, Portugal came under the Spanish Rule. This
domination' continued till 1640. The Dutch were fighting against the
Spanish to free themselves from their rule. They were very good
sailors. This fight spread to the colonies and in India, the Dutch
posed a serious challenge to the Portuguese. The English also had
their differences with the Spanish in Europe and helped the Dutch.
Initially, the Dutch sent out trading fleets in 1597, 1598 and 1601.
In 1604, the Dutch blocked Goa from the sea. They also entered into
an Alliance with the Samundri of Calicut against the Portuguese.
Henceforth blocking of Goa by the Dutch fleet became a regular
feature every year. Thus they stopped the free movement of the
Portuguese ships from Mandovi river. This caused great damage to the
Portuguese. Their commerce suffered very badly and they lost most of
their territories. In 1614, the Mughal Emperor sought the help of
the Dutch fleet to attack Diu and Daman. However before anything
could come out of it, there was peace between the Mughals and the
Portuguese. Muhammed Adil Shah entered into a Treaty with the Dutch
against the Portuguese. The outcome of this Treaty, however, was not
much as the Kingdom of Bijapur was not strong enough by this time to
do much. However, the Dutch blackade of Goa regularly continued
during the period 15361641. The Portuguese lost their best 3
warships in a Dutch raid on Mormugoa harbour in 1639. As many as
over 4000 men and 155 ships are estimated to have been lost to the
Duch during 16291635. This weakened the Portuguese so much that they
lost territories in India, and Ceylon to the Dutch by 1640. There
was a truce for 10 years from 1641 to 1651, but war continued
between the Dutch and Portuguese in India and Ceylon till 1644. The
Dutch ships blockaded Goa from sea between 1641 and 1644. In 1648, a
peace treaty was signed in Europe between the Duth and the King of
Spain. However, the state of war continued in the East between, the
Dutch and the Portuguese. By the time, peace came in 166869, the
Portuguese had lost the whole of Ceylon and forts and territories
South of Goa as well as other areas, except Diu, Daman and Bassein.
The Spanish yoke in Europe thus proved disastrous for the commercial
and territorial aspirations of the Portuguese in the East.
Even before the Dutch interlude was over, the Portuguese had to face
the might of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji, while consolidating his
hold against the Mughals, also attacked the Bijapur Sultan with
skillfully planned gurrilla raids, he managed to acquire many
strongholds of the Bijapur Sultan's. While some areas on the borders
of Goa were administered directly by the Sultan of Bijapur, areas
like Bicholim and Pernem were ruled by Desais who were vassals of
the Sultan. Shivaji in 1664 took possession of Kudal
Bicholim and
Pernem and thus acquired a common border with Goa. The Sultan of
Bijapur was in no position to help the Desais and they fled to
Bardez for shelter. An attack on Goa by Shivaji seemed imminent but
while Shivaji attacked territories south of Goa, he did not
challenge the Portuguese. Perhaps the Mughal attack under Mirza Raja
Jai Singh on Shivaji saved the day for the Portuguese who saw with
great relief the departure of the army of Shivaji towards the North.
The next two years saw Shivaji busy with Mughal army under Jai
Singh. After that a series of clashes occurred at the Goa borders.
Shivaji's complaint was that the Desais were making raids into their
former territories from the safety of Bardez. When Shivaji's
patience wore thin, he carried out a punitive raid into Bardez in
1667. The Marathas plundered the villages at will and are said to
have taken away as many as 1600 prisoners. The Portuguese hastily
entered into a Treaty with Shivaji and along with other things
promised to control the Desais. The prisoners were released. Next
year, Shivaji again camped in Bicholim. Over 500 of his agents were
driven away by the Portuguese who it seems discovered the plot to
takeover Goa just in time. In 1666, Shivaji also attacked Ponda
which was garisoned by the Adil Shah troops. The Desais and the
Portuguese aided these troops to successfully resist Shivaji. When
in 1672, Shivaji conquered the Raja of Ramnagar near Daman, he
demanded the tribute due to the Raja from the Portuguese of Daman.
The Portuguese delayed the payment of the tribute and also helped
the Raja of Ramnagar to continue the struggle. However, in 1677,
Shivaji finally defeated the Raja. He now prepared to attack Goa. In
the meantime in 1675, Shivaji had again besieged Ponda and conquered
it in spite of the aid sent by the Portuguese in Goa to the Sultans
troops in Ponda. All was ready when the untimely death of Shivaji in
1680 saved the Portuguese.
