Most Indians believe that Goa was settled by the Portuguese. This is what the history textbooks have taught them. But the facts are quite different. Goa (Gomantak) was a bustling place, settled by Indians continuously from at least 1200 B.C. It was a famous pilgrimage, often known as Kashi of West till the Portuguese missionaries came. They launched an aggressive program of converting native Hindus and Muslims to Christianity. Hundreds of Hindu temples were destroyed, and Brahmins were chased out.
Many converted as a result of this. The new converts were ordered to give up their ‘heathen’ practices. However, when friendly methods failed to keep the newly converted within the flock, Inquisition was called in. The Goan Inquisition has often been called the worst in the history of Christianity.
Incidentally, the Goans did not take this lying down. According to the World Book encyclopaedia, Goa witnessed 400 revolts in the 400 years of Portuguese occupation.
Portuguese King Manuel I sent Vasco da Gama to India in 1498. The tolerant King of Vijaynagara Veer Narsingh allowed the Portuguese to Propagate Christianity in his Empire. Vasco da Gama met King Zamorin of Calicut. The King allowed him to conduct business in his Empire. King Zamorin was big trouble for the Portuguese so the Portuguese killed him by giving him poison. Portuguese Governor Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the forces of Yusuf Adil Shah on 25th November 1510. His forces killed 3000 Muslims. After killing the Muslims, Albuquerque celebrated victory and decided to set up the Portuguese Empire in Goa.
The Portuguese conquered Goa in 1510 A.D. All the Mosques in Goa were destroyed by them. Muslims were burnt inside their Mosques by the occupying Portuguese. In 1541 the Portuguese destroyed all the major Hindu temples in Goa, additionally, Hindus were forbidden from erecting new ones.
St. Francis Xavier came to Goa in 1542. He converted many Hindus to Christianity. St. Francis Xavier told his soldiers that it was his first duty to convert all mankind to Christianity by convenience or by using force. The Portuguese destroyed many Hindu temples and built Churches on them. Hindus were tortured to extract false confessions from them. Hindu marriages were forbidden in Portuguese territories. Hindus had to pay 1000 Xeraphins (Portuguese currency) for each marriage ceremony.
The revered Tulsi plant of the Hindus was banned and Hindus were not allowed to rear them in the compounds of their homes. This auspicious medical tradition of India was brutally repressed by the invader. Hindus that continued to practise Hindu rituals even after embracing Christianity were burnt in full public view.
Hindu rituals and ceremonies were banned and offenders were persecuted. Hindus were tortured after ‘confessing’ to idolatry and heathen worship. One of the most horrible tortures is ‘Pilori’. The Portuguese banned funerals of the Hindus (Like in today’s time, Hindus have to take written consent from the Christians to conduct the last rites of Hindus who are still living in Meghalaya). The Hindus had to burn their dead ones secretly in the night and throw the remains in the rivers. Hindu children were snatched from their families and were forcibly baptized and brainwashed against Hinduism. These converted children then committed heinous crimes against their own families and community.
Bajirao Peshwa sent Chimaji Appa to attack Vasai Fort in 1739. He defeated the Portuguese army on 16th May. The Portuguese were forced to vacate the Vasai Fort on 23rd May 1739. Dipaji Rane captured the fort of Nanuz from the Portuguese in Sattari in 1852. He was successful in ejecting the Portuguese from Sattari. Dada Rane and his soldiers organized an armed rebellion in 1895. They attacked Bicholim and looted Government and Church treasuries. On 19th December 1961, the Portuguese Governor Manuel Antonio Vassalo signed the instrument of surrender, thus bringing to an end 451 years of Portuguese rule of Goa.
‘Hath Katro Khambh’ or ‘Pillar of Inquisition’ – This is where St. Xavier’s missionaries used to chop off the hands of those refusing to convert to Christianity. The ‘Hath Katro Khambh’ still exists today. Where the Kadamba bypass converges at Old Goa, stands a tall and slender column. It is a very intriguing pillar. This elegant pillar quietly narrates a tale of woe. In local, it is popularly called the ‘Hatkatro Khambo’ literally meaning a pillar where hands were chopped.
In 1985, Pope John Paul apologized publically to all the natives of Africa for Christian Inquisition and torture against them. In 2002, Pope again apologized publically for the Christian torture against the children in Canada. But the same Pope does not even recognise the Christian tortures in India. Our Globally strong PM meets the Pope and touches the Bible to his forehead. The RSS (Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh), the self-appointed guardian of Hindus in recent times, constitutes a new subsidiary “Rashtriya Isai Manch” which arranges Christmas dinners with all the Padris in India. All these are in the name of diplomacy which returned no results for Hindus to date. Be it Qatar’s petro(l)macy or Europes supremacy, Hindus are always been a subject of trade, even when one of their chosen ones is leading the world in many ways today.
