Goa - A brief History

 History of Goa:

History of Goa

In ancient literature, Goa was known by many names, such as Gomanchala, Gopakapattana, Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri, Govapuri, Govem, and Gomantak. Other historical names for Goa are Sindapur, Sandabur, and Mahassapatam.

The history of Goa dates back to prehistoric times, though the present-day state of Goa was only established as recently as 1987. ... The Portuguese rule lasted for about 450 years, and heavily influenced Goan culture, cuisine, and architecture. In 1961, the Indian Army invaded and annexed Goa after a 36 hour battle.

Goa was the first territorial possession of the Portuguese in Asia. Albuquerque and his successors left almost untouched the customs and constitutions of the 30 village.

It was founded in 1543 and remained in Portuguese hands until 1961, when the territory was lost to India. Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was the first European to reach India by sea.

It was ruled by the Kadamba dynasty from the 2nd century ce to 1312 and by Muslim invaders of the Deccan from 1312 to 1367. The city was then annexed by the Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar and was later conquered by the Bahmanī sultanate, which founded Old Goa on the island in 1440.

Goa – The Name – In the later Vedic period (c.1000-500 BC) when the Hindu epic “Mahabharata” was written, Goa has been referred to with the Sanskrit name “Gomantak”, a word with many meanings , signifying mostly a fertile land; but however, it is the Portuguese who gave Goa its name. Before they arrived on the scene, Goa, or Gove or Gowapura, was the name only of the port town near the mouth of the Mandovi River. This was also the same site on which the Portuguese later built their capital, today’s Old Goa.

Goa area were called “Sastikars” because they settled in the eight villages of Sasti taluka. Today’s Salcete taluka derives its name from the Sanskrit word “Sassast” meaning the number 66, Tiswadi derived from the Sanskrit word for the number 30, and Bardesh/Bardez derived from the Sanskrit word for the number 12. Their settlements called as Agraharas set the pace for agriculture and development in the area in partnership with the local indigenous people, the Kumbhis. The earliest “Matha” of the Saraswat community was the “Kavle Math” founded in 740 AD and established at Kushasthali near Keloshi in Goa. This Math was subsequently destroyed by the Portuguese in 1564 but the tradition continued on elsewhere.

The Muslim era – The invasion of Goa by the Bahamini Kingdom in 1350 brought about complete destruction to Goa, its temples and its institutions.

The end of the first period of the Bahamini rule was following their defeat by the the Hindu Empire of Vijayanagar (14-15th century AD). The Bahaminis returned again in 1470 and won and with that victory, Goa became a part of the Muslim Bahmani Kingdom of the Deccan (15th century). The Bahaminis created a new city to facilitate trade on the northern banks of the river Mandovi, a city they called Ela. In 1492, the Bahmani Kingdom split into five kingdoms, namely Bidar, Berar, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bijapur. One of the kingdoms namely Bijapur (which was the capital of the territory) included Goa and was ruled by Sultan Yusuf Adil Shah Khan.

Portuguese expansion was rather different from their initial conquests. By the time these territories were added, their attitude had changed and their zeal for religious conversions had died down. In a strange quirk of fate they banned the order of Jesuits in 1759, because they believed them to be puppets of the pope in Rome. By 1835, all religious orders were banned, and the Hindu majority were granted the freedom to practice their religion. As a result, the “New Conquests” retained their Hindu identity, a characteristic feature that persists even today, and this is also why there is a religious/cultural/language or dialect difference existing in Goa .

The Christianity in Goa: The Portuguese introduced Christianity to Goa. One of Vasco da Gama’s goals in finding the sea route to India was to find new Christians. Upon landing at Calicut in 1498 he was surprised to find a thriving Christian community.

The next group that was more successful in propagating Christianity was the Franciscans, who arrived in Goa in 1517. 

The most successful group to arrive soon after were the Jesuits of the newly formed Society of Jesus. With the arrival of St. Francis Xavier S.J., one of its founders, the activity of the Jesuits went into overdrive. Goa became the base for Fr. Francis Xavier’s voyages to the east. 

The Portuguese also implemented the compulsory learning of the Portuguese Language under the Viceroy, Count of Alvor ( 1681-1686).

The Portuguese of Goa has a big history which will see in my next blog.