Goa (state)
In the Puranas and certain inscriptions, the name of the place appears as Gove, Govapuri, and Gomant. It has also been known as Aprant. The medieval Arabian geographers knew it as Sindabur, or Sandabur, and the Portuguese as Goa. When the capital was transferred to "Nova Goa" or New Goa (today's Panaji), the old capital came to be known as "Velha Goa" or Old Goa.
After India's independence in 1947 Portugal refused to relinquish the colony. Goa became part of India after 450 years of Portuguese rule on December 19, 1961, when the Indian army invaded. A famous telegram was sent to a newspaper correspondent at the time – the single word "Goa?". He replied, "Gone" – surely setting a record for brevity! Goa became an Indian Union Territory, and later a state.
The region still retains many features from the period of Portuguese rule, including Catholic churches.
Few Goans speak Portuguese now (3 to 5%), although the language lives on in place names and some family names. The language is mainly spoken at home. English is the most widely spoken foreign language, and shops in tourist areas invariably have signs in English. Some shops also have signs in Hebrew or Finnish.
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View northwards of Fort Aguada, south of Baga
The local language is Konkani, an Indo-European language related to Hindi and Marathi. It is spoken by 1.5 to 2 million people in Goa and the Konkan coast.
The region is famous for its excellent white sand beaches, and in the 1960s was a popular destination on the hippie trail. Goa trance music originated here and became popular as a result of the hippie culture. Today the region has a booming tourist industry, and many large hotels have been built in the last twenty years.
Political history
After a millennium of relatively stable Hindu rule, two centuries of alternating Hindu and Muslim dynasties ended in Goa's conquest by the Portuguese admiral Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510. After losing the city briefly to its former ruler, the Muslim king of Bijapur, Albuquerque returned in force, massacring the Muslim inhabitants.
Church in Old Goa
As Portugal's first territorial possession in Asia, Goa was the base for Albuquerque's conquest of Malacca (1511) and Hormuz (1515). Albuquerque intended it to be a colony and a naval base, as distinct from the fortified factories established in certain Indian seaports. He encouraged his men to marry local women, and to settle in Goa as farmers, retail traders or artisans.
These married men soon became a privileged caste, and Goa acquired a large Eurasian population. Goa became the capital of the whole Portuguese empire in the East. It was granted the same civic privileges as Lisbon. Its senate or municipal chamber maintained direct communications with the king and paid a special representative to attend to its interests at court. In 1563 the governor even proposed to make Goa the seat of a parliament, in which all parts of the Portuguese east were to be represented; this was vetoed by the king.
In 1542 St. Francis Xavier mentions the architectural splendour of the city; but it reached the climax of its prosperity between 1575 and 1625. Travellers marvelled at Goa Dourada, or Golden Goa, and there was a Portuguese proverb, "He who has seen Goa need not see Lisbon."
Merchandise from all parts of the East was displayed in its bazaar, and separate streets were set aside for the sale of different classes of goods–Bahrain pearls and coral, Chinese porcelain and silk, Portuguese velvet and piece-goods, drugs and spices from the Malay Archipelago.
In the main street slaves were sold by auction. The houses of the rich were surrounded by gardens and palm groves; they were built of stone and painted red or white. Instead of glass, their balconied windows had thin polished oyster-shells set in lattice-work. The social life of Goa's rulers befitted the headquarters of the viceregal court, the army and navy, and the church; luxury and ostentation becoming a byword before the end of the 16th century.
Almost all manual labour was done by slaves; common soldiers assumed high-sounding titles, and it was even customary for the poor noblemen who congregated together in boarding-houses to subscribe for a few silken cloaks, a silken umbrella and a common man-servant, so that each could take his turn to promenade the streets, fashionably attired and with a proper escort.
There were huge gambling salons, licensed by the municipality, where determined players lodged for weeks together; and every form of vice, except drunkenness, was practised by both sexes, although European women were forced to lead a kind of zenana life of seclusion, and never ventured unveiled into the streets; they even attended church in their palanquins, so as to avoid observation.
Albuquerque and his successors left almost untouched the customs and constitutions of the thirty village communities on the island, only abolishing the rite of sati (widow-burning). A register of these customs (Foral de usos e costumes) was published in 1526, and is an historical document of much value; an abstract of it is given in R. S. Whiteway's Rise of the Portuguese Empire in India (London, 1898).
The appearance of the Dutch in Indian waters was followed by the gradual ruin of Goa. In 1603 and 1639 the city was blockaded by Dutch fleets, though never captured, and in 1635 it was ravaged by an epidemic.
Its trade was gradually monopolized by the Jesuits. Jean de Thévenot in 1666, Baldaeus in 1672, Fryer in 1675 describe its ever-increasing poverty and decay. In 1683 only the timely appearance of a Mughal army saved it from capture by the Marathas, and in 1739 the whole territory was attacked by the same enemies, and only saved by the unexpected arrival of a new viceroy with a fleet. This peril was always imminent until 1759, when a peace with the Marathas was concluded.
In the same year the viceroy transferred his residence from the vicinity of Goa city to New Goa (in Portuguese Nova Goa), today's Panaji, which became the official seat of government in 1843, effecting a move which had been discussed as early as 1684. Old Goa city's population fell steeply during the 18th century as Europeans moved to the new city.
When India became independent in 1947, Goa remained Portuguese. The Indian government of Jawaharlal Nehru insisted that it, along with a few other minor Portuguese holdings, be turned over to India. Portugal, however, refused. France, which had also had small enclaves in India (most notably Pondicherry), gave them up. Portugal, however, amended its constitution to have Goa made a Portuguese province and refused to surrender it.
Opinions within Goa were mixed. The port was profiting immensely from being a conduit of smuggled goods into India, the strong Roman Catholic faith of the inhabitants also led to some affinity for Portugal. Many of the people were pro-India, however, and a pro-Indian resistance group began operating in the territory. In 1955 an unarmed invasion was launched by a mass of Indians following the teachings of Gandhi. The Portuguese met them with force and 21 were reported killed.
In the 1960s the World Court and the United Nations General Assembly both ruled in India's favour in the dispute. World public opinion was also turning against Portugal due to their brutal actions in Angola. The United States, however, remained supportive of its NATO ally and would not allow the UN Security Council to rule against Portugal.
The Indians offered continued special treatment for the Portuguese in Goa and protection of the area's distinct culture, but still the Portuguese refused to negotiate. This was mostly out of concern for the situation in Angola, where any concessions in Goa would weaken Portugal's colonial hold.
In December 1961 India, under pressure from public opinion, and foreign pressure from the rest of the third world to oppose colonialism, moved into Goa. Twenty Indians and 17 Portuguese were killed in the fighting, which lasted twenty-six hours.
After annexation the area was under military rule for five months, but the previous civil service was soon restored and the area became a federally administered territory.
Stranded ship at Anjuna Beach
There still remain a lot of virgin beaches, where one can find peace, as well as beautiful islands like Divar and St. Jacinto island.
Tourism was adversely affected in the couple of years following the September 11 attacks.
Birdwatching is another attraction for tourists. With a huge array of birds in a small province, Goa is an easy introduction to Asian birding. The respect for life that is part of the local culture means that most wildlife is very approachable. The Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Kumbharjuem is one of India's famous bird sanctuaries and is a major stopping point for the Great Siberian Cranes on their journey from the North to warmer areas and back.
Tourism in Goa
View southwards of the Goan coastline
External links
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