Portuguese Inquisition in Goa Inquisição de Goa Goa Inquisition | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | Part of the Portuguese Inquisition |
History | |
Established | 1561 |
Disbanded | 1812 |
Meeting place | |
Portuguese India |
The Goa Inquisition (Portuguese: Inquisição de Goa, Portuguese pronunciation: [ĩkizɨˈsɐ̃w dɨ ˈɣoɐ]) was an extension of the Portuguese Inquisition in Portuguese India. Its objective was to enforce Catholic orthodoxy and allegiance to the Apostolic See of the Pontifex. Many violent conversions took place through the Goan Inquisition with the persecution of Hindus and the destruction of Hindu temples.[1][2][3][4]
The inquisition primarily focused on the New Christians accused of secretly practicing their former religions, and Old Christians accused of involvement in the Protestant Revolution of the 16th century.[5] Also among the offenders were those suspected of committing sodomy; they were given the second most harsh punishments.[6][7]
The inquisition was established in 1560, briefly stopped from 1774 to 1778, and was re-instated and continued thereafter until it was finally abolished in 1812.[8] Forced conversions, while strict, were seen by the Portuguese as a necessary means to bring people into the fold of the true Catholic faith. The resulting crypto-Hinduism was viewed as a challenge to the Church's mission of religious unity. Those accused of such practices were often given the chance to confess and realign with Catholic teachings. Imprisonment, and in extremely rare cases, harsher penalties, were not seen or intended as cruel measures by the Portuguese but were viewed as a way to maintain the sanctity of the faith and to ensure that those who had been introduced to Christianity fully embraced its principles, for their own spiritual well-being.[2][9][10][11][12] The Inquisitors also seized and burned books written in Sanskrit, Dutch, English, or Konkani, as they were suspected of containing teachings that deviated from Catholic doctrine or promoted Protestant, Polytheistic and/or Pagan ideas. The Portuguese did not see this an act of oppression, but as a precaution to protect the community from ideas that could lead them away from the Catholic faith. The Inquisitors aimed to preserve religious purity and ensure that the Catholic teachings remained the guiding principles for the people by removing potentially harmful material.[13]
The aims of the Portuguese Empire in Asia were suppressing Islam (due to the oppressive Islamic rule of Iberia which lasted 781 years), spreading Christianity, and trading spices.[14] The Portuguese were guided by missionary fervor and the 3 G's. Examples of this include the Madura Mission of Roberto de Nobili, the Jesuit mission to the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar as well as the subjection of the Nestorian Church to the Roman Church at the Synod of Diamper in 1599.[15]
[16][17][18][19] Between the Inquisition's beginning in 1561 and its temporary abolition in 1774, around 16,000 persons were brought to trial. Portuguese authorities sought to ensure alignment with the Catholic faith while navigating cultural dynamics in Goa. When the Inquisition ended in 1812, the majority of its records were destroyed by Portuguese officials, making it difficult to determine the exact figures of those prosecuted and the nature of their cases.[9][2] However, the few records that remain indicate that approximately 57 individuals across the 249 year long inquisition were sentenced to execution for significant religious transgressions, while an additional 64 were symbolically condemned after they had passed away in custody.[20][21]
It is estimated that by the end of the 17th century, the Christianisation of Goa meant that there were less than 20,000 people who were non-Christians out of the total Goan population of 250,000.[22][better source needed] From the 1590s onwards, the Goan Inquisition was the most intense, as practices like offerings to local deities were perceived as witchcraft. This became the central focus of the Inquisition in the East in the 17th century.[23]
In Goa, the Inquisition also prosecuted violators observing Hindu or Muslim rituals or festivals, and persons who interfered with Portuguese attempts to convert local muslims and polytheists.[2] The laws of the Goa Inquisition sought to strengthen the spread of Catholicism in the region by discouraging practices that conflicted with Catholic teachings. In this context, the Inquisition prohibited conversion to Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, as well as restricted the use of Konkani and Sanskrit, languages associated with hindu religious practices. These measures were intended to foster a sense of religious unity and consistency within the local population.[11] Although the Goa Inquisition ended in 1812, discrimination against polytheists under Portuguese rule continued in other forms such as the Xenddi tax implemented from 1705 to 1840, which was similar to the Jizya tax.[24][25][26] Religious discrimination ended with the introduction of secularism, via the Portuguese Constitution of 1838 & the subsequent Portuguese Civil Code of Goa and Damaon.[27]
However, his actions in India were not without controversy, as he was involved with the establishment of the Goa Inquisition, which punished converts accused of continuing to practice Hinduism or other religions.