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About Goa About Goa and Goans Goa is situated on the south west coast of India, 375 km south of Mumbai ( previously known as Bombay). It has an area of 3701 sq. km with a population of 1,500,000. Its economy is basically agrarian although there has been some industrial development based mainly on food processing including a fertiliser plant and the extraction of iron and manganese deposits. Another sector of Goan economy which has expanded rapidly is tourism and associated service industries. Goa was a Portuguese possession for 451 years. In December 1961 Goa became a part of India when the first general elections were held. Portuguese were first to come to India and last to leave. Goa is now a full fledged state and has its own language 'Konkani'. On an average people speak three languages in Goa. Approximately 32% of Goa's present population are Catholics, 64% Hindus and the remainder are mainly Muslims. The large scale conversion of Goans to Catholicism was effected by the Portuguese who under Albuquerque had captured the City of Goa (now known as Old Goa) from the Muslims in 1510. By 1543 the Portuguese had also conquered the neighbouring districts of Bardez, Salcette, Mormugoa and Ilhas. The inhabitants of these districts, collectively known as the Old Conquests, were subject to an intense proselytising campaign with the result that the large numbers were converted to Catholicism. The remaining districts, Pernem, Bicholim, Satari, Ponda, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona were annexed from the Marathas in the middle of the 18th century. The first converts to Catholicism were the widows and daughters of the Muslim defenders of Goa who had died during the conquest of the city in 1510. These converted women were married to the Portuguese men who served under Albuquerque. This was in pursuance of his policy of miscegenation which was designed to produce a new breed of people who, as well as being well adapted to local environmental conditions would also be loyal to the Portuguese forces which he intended to establish in Goa. With the acquisition of the Old Conquests the conversion process was intensified. One of the best known missionaries during this early period of evangelisation was St. Francis Xavier who first arrived in Goa in 1542. After his death enroute to China in 1552 his body was returned to Goa where it currently rests in the church of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world flock to Goa for the periodic expositions of the body which have occurred over the last four centuries. The sacred Relics of St. Francis Xavier was last exposed from 21 November 1994 to January 1995. The next exposition is in December 2004. Catholicism became firmly entrenched in Goa largely as a result of the conversion policies adopted by the Portuguese and the application of the principle 'cajus regio, illius religio'. In 1534 Pope Paul III, at the request of Dom Joao III, then king of Portugal promulgated his Bull Reputanmus which established the Diocese of Goa. Henceforth Goa became the seat of great ecclesiastical power and became widely known as the 'Rome of the Orient'. To become Catholic was virtually synonymous with the adoption of Portuguese outlook and way of life. On conversion Catholics were given Portuguese names. Western music was introduced, initially in church services which then spread to weddings and dances. The dietary habits of the Catholic Goans included the eating
of all kinds of meat and the drinking of alcohol. Architecture
in Goa was changed in order to reflect the designs in vogue in
Portugal and many baroque churches still exist in Goa as testimony
to the Portuguese era. The radical transformation which occurred
in Goa is illustrated by the comment of a visitor to Goa when
Portuguese rule was at its height in the 17th century who said
that: The great majority of Goans are ethnically Indians, though their centuries-old adoption of the Roman Catholic religion and of the Portuguese language and mores, together with their assumption of Portuguese names, have integrated them in a dual cultural orbit. After Goa was taken over by India, we had a sizeable exodus of Goans who chose to settle in Portugal. Today, there are about 50,000 Goans in Portugal. Goans have followed the footsteps of Vasco De Gama and have spread themselves throughout the length and breadth of the universe. |
