001 The Opening up of the Inquisition's Archives and Statistics (Alan Machado Prabhu)
77 views
Skip to first unread message
Frederick Noronha
Mar 17, 2022, 8:15:54 PM3/17/22
to goa-bo...@googlegroups.com
001 The Opening up of the Inquisition's Archives and Statistics
---------------------------------------------------------------
Based on a forthcoming book
Goa's Inquisition Facts Fiction Factoids.
Alan Machado (Prabhu)
Goa 1556; ATC.2022. Forthcoming.
Writing the history of Goa's Inquisition
involves a balancing act and an unbiased
evaluation of primary archival data, not
selective repetitions of earlier
histories compiled largely from secondary
sources and peppered by personal biases.
Fortunately, the modern historian can
easily access a large volume of recently
digitized primary documents in global
archives.
Goa’s Inquisition survived for 252 years with a
short break of four years in between. The first
inquisitors arrived in Goa in December 1560. The
Inquisition operated from the Sabayo Palace until
the king ordered its closure in 1774. It was
reinstated in April 1778, but permanently closed in
June 1812.
The inquisitors recorded and the proceedings of
every case and preserved them in a secure room
(secreto) in accordance with the directives of the
Regimento, its governing rules. In 1774, an
inventory of all case files and other documents was
made. It is preserved along with many other
documents in Lisbon's Arquivo Nacional da Torre do
Tombo (ANTT).
The process of identifying globally available
archival sources began in the 1970s. Many of them
are available online today. Written in Portuguese,
their fading lines tell much of the true story of
Goa's Inquisition.
The ANTT contains auto-da-fe lists from Goa dating
from 1650 to 1801, complete process files,
correspondence, and much else. The Biblioteca
Nacional de Portugal (Lisbon) preserves case
details from 1561-1623 compiled by Inquisitor
Figueira, and a number of auto-da-fe lists not
available at the ANTT compiled by Antonio Moreira.
The Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro)
preserves copies of decrees, royal permits,
regulations, edicts of faith, private edicts, lists
of defendants, and correspondence dating from the
sixteenth to nineteenth century. Other crates are
still being catalogued and digitized.
Here are some statistics compiled by me from these
documents:
• Numbers: 19,425 persons investigated. This
number is 20% higher than the oft-quoted
figure given by Antonio Baiao in 1945.
• Socially deprived members of society
comprised the highest percentage of those
sentenced. Of 6,532 persons convicted in 85
autos-da-fe between 1650 and 1773 (for which
details are available), 66% came from lesser
privileged castes and professions. During
the time of intensifying economic and
military reverses between 1685 and 1736, the
Inquisition shifted its focus to the
Provincia do Norte, and these numbers touched
71%.
• Non-Christians constituted 26%. Of these,
89% of cases were conducted between 1685 and
1736. Non-Christian numbers rose to 37%,
with 86% coming from the North. Offences
related mostly to defying the ban on the
public practice of 'gentile' rituals which
was seen as undermining Christianity and the
security of the State. Whipping was a common
punishment. Other punishments included terms
in the gun powder factory or galleys, exile,
and fines. Some escaped by converting, and
4% were absolved. Except in the case of two
Muslims (from Bijapur and Belgaum) burnt for
sodomy in 1612, there is no record of any
non-Christian being executed.
• At least 287 priests, about 1.5% of the total
number, were investigated and punished for
various offences, like heresy, which were
seen as undermining Christianity.
• The number physically executed in 136
autos-da-fe for which details are known is
177. The effigies of a further 154 were
burnt, the convicted being absent or dead.
For more you will need to read the book or even
better access and research the numerous primary
source documents preserved in global archives.
![]()
Based on a forthcoming book
Goa's Inquisition Facts Fiction Factoids.
Alan Machado (Prabhu)
Goa 1556; ATC.2022. Forthcoming.
Writing the history of Goa's Inquisition
involves a balancing act and an unbiased
evaluation of primary archival data, not
selective repetitions of earlier
histories compiled largely from secondary
sources and peppered by personal biases.
Fortunately, the modern historian can
easily access a large volume of recently
digitized primary documents in global
archives.
Goa’s Inquisition survived for 252 years with a
short break of four years in between. The first
inquisitors arrived in Goa in December 1560. The
Inquisition operated from the Sabayo Palace until
the king ordered its closure in 1774. It was
reinstated in April 1778, but permanently closed in
June 1812.
The inquisitors recorded and the proceedings of
every case and preserved them in a secure room
(secreto) in accordance with the directives of the
Regimento, its governing rules. In 1774, an
inventory of all case files and other documents was
made. It is preserved along with many other
documents in Lisbon's Arquivo Nacional da Torre do
Tombo (ANTT).
The process of identifying globally available
archival sources began in the 1970s. Many of them
are available online today. Written in Portuguese,
their fading lines tell much of the true story of
Goa's Inquisition.
The ANTT contains auto-da-fe lists from Goa dating
from 1650 to 1801, complete process files,
correspondence, and much else. The Biblioteca
Nacional de Portugal (Lisbon) preserves case
details from 1561-1623 compiled by Inquisitor
Figueira, and a number of auto-da-fe lists not
available at the ANTT compiled by Antonio Moreira.
The Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro)
preserves copies of decrees, royal permits,
regulations, edicts of faith, private edicts, lists
of defendants, and correspondence dating from the
sixteenth to nineteenth century. Other crates are
still being catalogued and digitized.
Here are some statistics compiled by me from these
documents:
• Numbers: 19,425 persons investigated. This
number is 20% higher than the oft-quoted
figure given by Antonio Baiao in 1945.
• Socially deprived members of society
comprised the highest percentage of those
sentenced. Of 6,532 persons convicted in 85
autos-da-fe between 1650 and 1773 (for which
details are available), 66% came from lesser
privileged castes and professions. During
the time of intensifying economic and
military reverses between 1685 and 1736, the
Inquisition shifted its focus to the
Provincia do Norte, and these numbers touched
71%.
• Non-Christians constituted 26%. Of these,
89% of cases were conducted between 1685 and
1736. Non-Christian numbers rose to 37%,
with 86% coming from the North. Offences
related mostly to defying the ban on the
public practice of 'gentile' rituals which
was seen as undermining Christianity and the
security of the State. Whipping was a common
punishment. Other punishments included terms
in the gun powder factory or galleys, exile,
and fines. Some escaped by converting, and
4% were absolved. Except in the case of two
Muslims (from Bijapur and Belgaum) burnt for
sodomy in 1612, there is no record of any
non-Christian being executed.
• At least 287 priests, about 1.5% of the total
number, were investigated and punished for
various offences, like heresy, which were
seen as undermining Christianity.
• The number physically executed in 136
autos-da-fe for which details are known is
177. The effigies of a further 154 were
burnt, the convicted being absent or dead.
For more you will need to read the book or even
better access and research the numerous primary
source documents preserved in global archives.
ᐧ
ᐧ
|
Sender notified by Mailtrack | 18/03/22, 05:43:21 am |
ᐧ
ᐧ
Braz Menezes
Mar 18, 2022, 7:24:53 AM3/18/22
to goa-book-club
Great news this Alan Machado. When is the book scheduled to be released?
<cover-smaller.jpg>ᐧ
Sender notified by
Mailtrack18/03/22, 05:43:21 am
ᐧ--
*** Please be polite and on-topic in your posts. ***
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Goa Book Club" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to goa-book-clu...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-book-club/CAMCR53LeM%3DhBwMBZMfV2U0UG_bmEwzCDQ7fQejeYQVe5JQdJGw%40mail.gmail.com.
Romualdo & Maria Lobo
Mar 18, 2022, 7:24:57 AM3/18/22
to goa-bo...@googlegroups.com
I can't wait to lay my hands on this forthcoming Book.
Congratulations to Alan Machado and Frederick.
Romualdo Lobo
--
Frederick Noronha
Mar 18, 2022, 7:27:58 AM3/18/22
to goa-bo...@googlegroups.com
Needless to say, it's all Alan's work. FN
|
|
Sender notified by Mailtrack |
| 18/03/22, 04:56:33 pm |
On Fri, 18 Mar 2022 at 16:54, Romualdo & Maria Lobo <romuald...@gmail.com> wrote:
I can't wait to lay my hands on this forthcoming Book.Congratulations to Alan Machado and Frederick.Romualdo Lobo
ᐧ
ᐧ
Anish Esteves
Mar 18, 2022, 6:22:34 PM3/18/22
to goa-bo...@googlegroups.com
Wow! I really love the cover! :)
Anish Esteves
Follow: @AEthejourno
www.anishesteves.home.blog
Subscribe:https://anishesteves.substack.com/
Follow: @AEthejourno
www.anishesteves.home.blog
Subscribe:https://anishesteves.substack.com/
--
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages