Response to "Twisting the Tale"
Rajan P. Parrikar
to comment on it.
In this posting, I shall concern myself with the admirable sentiment
embraced by Frederick Noronha (FN) that history ought not to be
re-invented or distorted for narrow political ends. Anyone who
starts out with this premise deserves a round of commendation.
It is, therefore, all the more regrettable that FN should have
slipped from this high ideal that he has set for himself and
which he expects of others, notably of the Hindu Right.
Although in what follows I address FN directly, I bear no personal
rancour towards him.
> Selective Narration
>
> Against the backdrop of violence and screams, silhouettes of
> Portuguese soldiers are shown damaging Hindu religious icons. Guns
> tangle with temples in the fast-changing visuals. We are told:
> 'hazaron mandir' (thousands of temples) were broken, and 'bhajans' and
> 'kirtans' were stopped in colonial times. Like any stereotype, this is
> based in truth, but not the whole truth and with just one side of the
> picture being selectively narrated. Conversions to Christianity in Goa
> are shown as arising entirely to violence, trickery and fraud.
Since we are here passionate about the "whole truth," to the three
time-tested techniques FN has cited - violence, trickery and fraud -
must be added another: the institution and promulgation
of oppressive laws by the Portuguese to make life for the Hindu
infidels so unbearable that relief could only come by pledging
allegiance to the Bible. There is a term - "Hobson's choice" - for
this kind of situation.
It is hinted that the early converts were primarily moved by
Christian beliefs and/or sought to escape internal Hindu
inequalities of caste, and may have willingly crossed over.
The evidence, however, points to the contrary, that it was
a lethal combination of terror, fear, subterfuge, draconian
edicts and material blandishments, not conviction, that was
responsible for the overwhelming number of early Christian
converts. There are references available aplenty. It is
perplexing that in his polemic FN has left out the one work
that would have illuminated the subject: Anant Kakba Priolkar's
splendid monograph, "The Goa Inquisition," first published
in 1961.
Priolkar's sources are for the most part Portuguese historians
and other white European men of the 18th and 19th C. It is
rather unlikely that those eminences were members of the
BJP or votaries of "Hindutva."
In Chapter V, Priolkar quotes Boies Penrose ("Sea Fights in the
East Indies in the years 1602-1689"):
"Religious bigotry and proselytism, fostered by the Inquisition,
sapped the vitals of the empire while mere cruel terrorism took
the place of the strength - albeit cruel strength - on which the
early giants had relied. In so far as any one date can be taken
as of prime importance in the ruin of the Portuguese empire, it
is 6 May 1542, when Francis Xavier set foot ashore at Goa.
>From then on the Jesuits did their worst, using every form of
bribery, threat, and torture to effect a conversion..."
Priolkar continues:
"Recently, Fr. H. Heras, S.J., made a gallant effort to refute
the statements of Penrose and other historians holding
similar views, in two essays....On hearing that I remain
unconvinced by his arguments, he accused me of being
prejudiced against the Catholics under the influence of the
writings of Protestant historians. I smilingly replied that,
although I did plead guilty to having read the works of
Protestant writers, the main basis of my own convictions
in the matter was my study of material available in
Portuguese archives in Goa..."
It is curious that FN makes light of the destruction of
"thousands of [Hindu] temples" as a stereotype.
Priolkar in Chapter VI ("Religious Persecution in India"):
"The territory conquered by Afonso de Albuquerque at the
outset comprised the island of Goa and three adjacent
islands of Divar, Chorao and Jua. The Hindu temples
which existed in the territory were destroyed in 1540.
In 1543, Ibrahim Adilkhan presented the sub-districts
of Bardez and Salcete to the Portuguese. As stated earlier,
Minguel Vaz suggested to the King that the temples in
these areas should also be destroyed and accordingly
in the letter addressed to the Governor of Goa in 1546,
the king included the following directive:
'Since my principal aim in regard to matters relating to
these parts, which I have in mind oftener than any other,
is that our Lord should be served and His faith increased,
to me it appears good that in the mainlands of Bardez and
Salcete, which Idalcao presented to me should be abolished
all vestiges of idolatry which therein exist and that effort
should be made to effect the conversion of the Hindus
living therein.'"(Antonio de Silva Rego)
Priolkar cites the razing of 208 temples in Salcette and
over 300 temples in Bardez and provides a catalogue
of specific deities and locations that were laid to waste
by Portuguese bigots. Right off, we have over 500 temples.
What precisely is the stereotype that FN sees in this
scenario and what is the threshold numerical value of
fallen temples that FN would like to hear before he can
concede that the destruction of Hindu temples by the
Portuguese is worthy of consideration?
> In its defence, the ideology behind this VCD has argued that it has
> depicted reality, that colonial rule was indeed harsh and often
> violent in Goa, and that many of these 'facts' have already been
> documented. While all this may well be true, and religion and
Note the "...may well be true..." - that reliable ace of the obfuscator,
the sneaky cover-your-ass strategem of someone who wants
to slip one by quickly. Many of the facts of the harsh and violent
colonial rule have indeed been documented. Furthermore, there
is also evidence to suggest that the key records detailing the
horrors of the Goa Inquisition were later destroyed by the
Portuguese.
> colonialism was combined into a lethal mix in the past, should the
> government of a secular state continue with such trends? Is this not
> an attempt at preying on the realities of the past with a dubious
> political agenda for the present?
This cant about the "secular state" is counterfeit. Had it been
a private individual, he would have been villified equally
vehemently as an RSS-wallah, a BJP-stooge, a
Hindutva-ideologue. For decades, JNU historians funded
by the Congress govts to manufacture history and sanitize
atrocities committed by Islamic rulers of the past have
been churning out compliant tracts. That, I take it, is fine,
since as a "secular state" we ought to whitewash
unpleasant truths and live with comfortable lies, the
exception being when these unpleasant truths can
be joined to the majority Hindus.
Priolkar himself had anticipated this and knew that his Hindu
background could well be called into question. He writes:
"...the story of the Inquisition is a dismal record of callousness
and cruelty, tyranny and injustice, espionage and blackmail,
avarice and corruption, repression of thought and culture and
promotion of obscurantism and an Indian writer who undertakes
to tell it can easily be accused of being inspired by ulterior
motives. From this point of view, it would have been
appropriate if the task had been undertaken by a Portuguese
historian of the stature of Oliveira Martins, Pinheiro Chagas,
Alexandre Herculano or Cunha Rivara..."
> game worth risking. Can one overlook the fact that the Portuguese took
> over large parts of current-day Goa simply through treaties with
> neighbouring rulers? Or that they worked out a successful modus
> vivendi with local elites (of all religious groups), more so in the
> latter part of their reign? And that critical segments of the Goan
> economy were in Hindu hands for significant parts of the colonial
> period ('native' merchants and also village officials like the
> 'sinay', 'kulkarni' and 'potekar' or tax collector)?
Your argument is similar in spirit to that offered by some
whites who say that since the Africans had slavery of their
own, their slavery at the hands of the colonialists was simply
a continuation of that tradition. So the Portuguese crimes
were okay since they were in collusion with some natives,
is that it?
That a critical part of the economy was in Goan Hindu hands
is not hard to understand. The Portuguese had to run the place
after all and collect revenue, and the Hindu population needed
work to subsist. Why do YOU think it was so? Go ahead, take
a shot.
And what is this thing about "latter part of their reign"? It is
the EARLIER part of their reign that paved the way and
established their dominion over the natives. Columbus and
his band of thugs did the same on the American continent,
irrigating the landscape with rivers of blood and decorating
it with mounds of native skulls, all so that the 'nice' guys
with the Bible and the cross could LATER move in and
harvest souls. In contemporary parlance, this is known
as "softening the target" (think B52 American bombers).
Why this selective penchant for only on the latter part
of their reign? I thought you were campaigning against
"selective narration."
> Portuguese soldiers are depicted laughing sadistically while locals
> are tortured. Shivaji and Sambhaji are shown as fighting the
> 'atrocities' on the people in Goa; never mind that neighbouring rulers
> like them did have pacts with the Portuguese along the way.
Shivaji also cut deals with the Mughals when it suited him.
How else do you think he could fight them given their large
resources? Do you think he was their friend? Why, Hindus
are not supposed to exhibit political astuteness?
Priolkar again, quoting "English Records on Sivagy, vol II,
Poona 1931, p. 74 (Doc. 131)":
"Sevagee and they (the Portuguese) daily quarrell, the
chiefest cause of his hatred to them being for forced
orphans of his cast to turn Roman Catholicks..."
> Provocative Depiction
>
> In scenes depicting the Portuguese rulers' political misuse of
> religion, the camera focuses on the statues of the Infant Jesus and
> Ignatius Loyola in the Bom Jesu Basilica in Old Goa – places of
> worship still for a significant number in today's Goa. What exactly is
> the message being sent out?
Since I haven't seen the movie I don't know. But I do know
that for many years now, political sermons in Goan churches
are not uncommon and that men of the cloth enjoining their
flock to vote for certain prescribed candidates are public
knowledge. Yet why do you lay the charge of this
alchemy of politics and religion only at the BJP's door?
Where may we read your condemnation of the cocktail of
politics and religion whipped up by the guardians of Goan
Christendom?
> All this fits in with the stated historical position of the RSS and
> the Hindutva movement that 'Hindus' have been oppressed in their 'own
> homeland' of India for many years. Or that the RSS 'is only asserting
> the natural rights of Hindus and correcting historical wrongs'. In
> both Gujarat 2002 and Mumbai 1993, history has shown that people need
> to be made to feel insecure and threatened before being provoked into
> violence.
It is puzzling that the certitude you exhibit about the RSS's, BJP's
and Hindutva's culpability in Gujarat and Mumbai evaporates
when it comes to acknowledging the religious bigotry and
murderous zeal of the Portuguese. There you turn into the
hard-nosed skeptic, you discover nuances like "context" and
parlay exceptions to the normative behaviour of the Portuguese.
This is an odd habit for someone who declaims "selective
narration" and who professes respect for truth and nothing
but the "whole truth."
An impartial observer innocent of Goa reading the string
of 'news' items posted to soc.culture.india.goa (scig) over the
past few years would be led to conclude that Christians
are under siege, are being oppressed, that Manohar Parrikar
is a fascist in the mould of Hitler, that BJP is the second coming
of Nazism and so on. As moderator and editor of many of
these 'news' snippets on scig, how do you explain this fluid
running tap of "selective narration"? Put another way,
why do you deny the BJP that which you claim for yourself?
You know what they say, what is sauce for the goose...
> For the BJP-inspired film, Goa's history was interpreted as driven
> mainly by religious conflict. It does the same in interpreting the
> case of Cuncolim, a south Goa village which was caught up in a bitter
> battle with the colonial Portuguese.
>
> Writing in another context, the noted Indo-Portuguese historian from
> Goa Teotonio R de Souza says the battle at Cuncolim in 1583 wasn't
> primarily about religion. He writes: "My analysis suggests that both
> the Portuguese rulers and the native dominant class of Cuncolim were
> using religion for their own vested interests. Religious beliefs were
> not the main issue, but the economic and political implications of
> conversion were seen as a threat." (See
> http://www.goacom.com/culture/history/cuncolim.html)
>
> Souza explains how the Portuguese found collaborators in Goa: "It was
> so in Goa at the time of its conquest by Afonso de Albuquerque. The
> Hindu population seems to have been unhappy with the Muslim overlords,
> and the representatives of the dominant Hindu class thought that they
> could use the Portuguese to regain its earlier dominance."
Since "context" means much to you, here is some:
It was Timoja, the Hindu commander of King of Honavar, who
'invited' Afonso de Albuquerque to help him overcome the tyranny
of Adilshah. Timoja wanted Afonso de A to leave after the peaceful
surrender of Goa, but the latter had other ideas.
Later, after Afonso de Albuquerque re-captured Goa, he ordered
the indiscriminate massacre of Muslims. Men, women & children
were slaughtered like cattle by Afonso de A's men in what is one
of the bloodiest mass murders in recorded Indian history. I see
that your heart bleeds for the Muslim victims of the Gujarat riots.
But were I to propose renaming of one of the main thoroughfares
in Panjim that carries the name of this butcher, the keepers of the
only true Faith in Goa will be up in arms, cries of "secularism is in
danger" will rent the still air from Baga to Benaulim, and you
will publish my "Wanted: Dead or Alive" picture in EPW:-).
> Undeniably, Goa's past was one of religious conflict and strife. But
> this needs to be projected in context. The Portuguese came here much
> earlier than the British, French or Dutch, in times when religious
> intolerance was a little more acceptable to the ruler. Their bigotry
> lasted for the first part of their rule here; while in the 18th
> century, they were about as religiously bigoted (or not) as the
> British were in the rest of India. The inquisition wasn't targeted at
> the Hindus, but primarily against those Catholics (or neo-Catholics)
> who weren't seen as Catholic enough.
No man familiar with even a cursory knowledge of the Goa
Inquisition could have written that last sentence unless his
object was to imagine extenuating circumstances for the
Portuguese as they marched on in their fervour to spread
Christianity. Try suggesting to the Jews that the Holocaust
wasn't as severe as they imagine and watch their reaction.
But Hindus are fair game - simply conflate "BJP" "RSS" and
"Hindutva" and pin it on the hapless Hindu countering
contemporary Christian and Islamic propaganda. He
will be pummeled by the apostles of secularism and will
be forced to retreat, discredited and demonised.
Yes, the Inquisition began with a view to bring in line
the New Christians (Inquisited Jews and local converts), but
that is not where it drew a line and stopped. For someone
railing against "selective narration," this is a startling
position to take.
The "Edict of the Goa Inquisition" makes it abundantly
clear that extraordinary steps had to be taken to keep
the converted from reverting to their old religion, scarcely
the kind of environment one would expect to prevail had
the infidels seen the light of their own accord and flocked
to the welcoming arms of Jesus.
One of the features of the Goa Inquisition was that it
turned one Hindu against another.
Priolkar in Ch VII ("Procedures of Inquisition of Goa"):
"...in a letter addressed by the King of Portugal to the
viceroy of India on March 24, 1702, we find a reference
to the arrest of six recent Indian converts who moved
from door to door demanding money from the Hindu
residents under the threat that if the latter refused they
would be falsely denounced to the Inquisitor Frei Manoel
de Assumpcao as having hidden away Hindu orphans
to prevent their being baptised." (Cunha Rivara, Archivo
Portuguez Oriental, Fasc, VI, p.1, Doc. 1)
"It was to be expected that Christians would denounce
Hindus in this manner to the Inquisitors. But there were
cases where Hindus accused other Hindus out of malice.
We reproduce hereunder a petition addressed by the
Hindu residents to the king of Portugal in which one of
the requests made is that the Holy Office should be
ordered not to take cognisance of accusations against
Hindus for which the sole evidence was the denunciation
made by their correligionists. The petition also provides
an idea of the extent of harrassment to which the Holy
Office subjected the Hindu population..."
A passage from the petition reads as follows:
"Sir, the supplicants do not seek exemption from the
punishment which deserves the performance of rites
which are intrinsically related to the Hindu sect, when
these are against natural law, and even of those which
are merely of the nature of ceremonies, when they are
performed with such publicity as to cause offense to
the Christian population, or in association with or
company of Christians. They are well aware that in
these two cases they can hope for no favour from
His Majesty, since as a Christian prince His Majesty
can make no concessions in respect of ceremonies
intrinsically related to the Hindu sect which are
specified in the Bull of Gregory XIII..."
"...In their homes and in association solely of the Hindu
members of their families, in secret and without any
communication with Christian persons, they may be
permitted to perform the rites and ceremonies ordered
by their ancestors, which are neither contrary to natural
law or offensive in any manner to Christianity..."
"...the harrassment begins with imprisonment in the
Aljube or the prison of the Holy Office, which leads to
the death of a majority of the prisoners, as according
to their custom they cannot eat food unless it is
cooked by persons of their own caste...only dry food.
>From such food spring mortal diseases which end
their lives either before they are sentenced or soon
after the sentences are passed and they are in exile.
This causes great distress among the Hindus, and
being naturally timid they leave the territories even
when there exists the slightest fear of being denounced..."
Chapter VIII by Priolkar deals with Anti-Hindu Laws
in Goa and there are passages retailing Portuguese
deceit and cruelty towards Hindu children and their
families.
"It should be remembered that when children were
snatched away from their families for being baptized,
their share of the estates went with them. Further,
when children were baptized, frequently mother and
other near relatives were tempted to embrace
Christianity in order that they might not lose their
children. These were substantial advantages
involved in the conversion of children and there was
therefore a tendency to apply the provision for the
conversion of Hindu orphans in cases where it
obviously did not apply. The Holy Office assisted
in this abuse of law."
"A remarkable incident, illustrating how conversioin
of children led to the conversion of their families, is
narrated by Padre Francisco de Souza, celebrated
historian of the Society of Jesus:
"The Brahmins of superior understanding and authority
of Divar, finding themselves surrounded on all sides
by Christians, convened their assembly and proposed
that as the law of Christ had reached their very gates, it
would be advisable to receive either the same or to
migrate to other lands. The proposal caused perplexity.
Some judged, and rightly so, that it was the will of God
that they should also become Christians; and that the
time fixed by Heaven for change of their religion had
arrived. Others, however, could not bring themselves
to give up their ancient superstitions and were prepared
to abandon the land of their birth rather than the religion
of their forefathers. The more devout in the assembly
pacified the discord by advising that counsel might be
taken of God Ganessa, an idol with a human body and
the head of an elephant, which was very famous and
held in great reverence in a village in the mainland called
Malar, which is in front of Divar. The suggestion was
agreed to and for carrying gifts to the idol were selected
a band of boys from the noblest and richest families
of the area. While they were passing through the river
between the island and the mainland they fell into the
hands of the Portuguese soldiers who, without
discriminating between the mainland where Portuguese
subjects could practice their rites and the Portuguese
territories where they were prohibited from doing so,
seized them and took them to Goa. The viceroy ordered
that the children should be lodged in the house of
Cathecumens while he investigated the offence. The
priests proceeded immediately with the utmost care
to catechise the boys and all of them promised to
be Christians. On receiving their promise, the fathers
who were demanding their sons back were given
permission to speak to their sons so that they might
enquire whether the latter were embracing the faith
of Christ of their free will. They put the questions, as
was often allowed to satisfy the complaints of the
Hindus, and the replies were such that, either because
they were convinced of the truth or being carried away
by the love of their children, they let themselves remain
with the children and sent for their wives in order that
all of them might be instructed and baptised." (Francisco de
Souza, Oriente Conquistado a Jesus Christo)
Priolkar:
"There were also cases where children were
removed from their families even during the lifetime
of their fathers. The king in a letter addressed to the
viceroy on March 21, 1709 refers to a representation
of the Hindus complaining of such excesses:
'I have seen representation made by the Hindu people
of this city in regard to the excess of zeal shown by the
Father of Christians in taking account of the orphans
who are placed in his charge, by attempting to take
away even those who have fathers and other ascendant
lineals...' "
And finally, this:
"It is interesting to note that although the New Christians
were preferred to the Hindus, the racial distinction
between the Indian Christians and the Portuguese was
scrupulously maintained. In a letter dated February 19,
1718 the king impressed on the viceroy that while the
laws in regard to giving preference to New Christians
in appointments to Government jobs should be carefully
observed, greatest care should be taken to see that the
Canarins (Indian Christians) were not given preference
over or equalised with the Portuguese in any manner,
"as this is necessary in the interests of my service and
authority and respect of the nation." (Cunha Rivara)
Priolkar also touches upon internal dissensions among
Hindus, especially among the Brahmins and Charados,
and the Smartas and Vaishnavas and offers the following
remarks:
"It is sad to note that while some Hindus were making
heroic sacrifices out of love for their religion, others, at
the same time, utterly oblivious of the common peril, were
bent on magnifying petty differences, fomenting internal
discord and inviting the intervention of foreign rulers
in their family bickerings, thereby impairing the capacity
of the Hindus to resist the foreign onslaught against
their religion and culture."
I concur with Frederick Noronha that the study of
history should be motivated by honest intellectual
inquiry and not be guided by narrow political or
parochial objectives. But it is seen that when facts
collide with his own cherished mythos, FN turns coy.
He cries foul and imputes unholy motives to the BJP,
but he is content living with the manufactured history
of the past, and with the half-truths and demagoguery
of "noted historians."
Far from arousing passions, children brought up in
a culture of vigorous and open intellectual inquiry
are likely to grow up to be responsible, thinking
adults. If it is explained to them that the object of
honest historical investigations and findings is
not to settle scores, point fingers or denigrate our
fellow men today, it is likely to lead to an empathetic
understanding of their world and the events that
have informed it. Or we can continue with the
current logjam where the Frederick Noronha
school of half-truths battles the Hindutva chariot
of half-truths with more half-truths.
Warm regards,
r