Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Portuguese Inquisition: Beyond Goa's Fire
Transcript
- Lucas: So last time we left the Inquisition in Goa, and it was brutal. But the Portuguese Inquisition wasn't just an overseas thing — it had a whole machinery running in Lisbon, and it touched nearly every part of the empire. Luna: Wait, I thought the Inquisition started in Spain, and Portugal had its own version? Lucas: Right. Spain got its Inquisition in 1478, but Portugal was a bit later. The Portuguese one was formally established in 1536, under King João III. He asked Rome for permission, and after some back and forth with the papacy, he got his own tribunal. Lucas: At first, it was mostly aimed at New Christians, or Cristãos-Novos — Jews who had been forced to convert during the 1497 mass conversion. Many of them were still secretly practising Judaism, and the crown wanted to root that out. Luna: And that was in Portugal itself, right? Not just overseas. Lucas: Exactly. The Lisbon tribunal was the main one, but there were also courts in Coimbra and Évora. They all reported to the Inquisitor-General, who was appointed by the king. So it was very much a state-church partnership. Lucas: The procedure was elaborate. Accusations could come from anyone — often anonymously — and the accused didn't get to know who their accusers were. They were tortured to extract confessions, and then came the auto-da-fé, the act of faith, which was a public spectacle. Luna: I've seen paintings of those. Huge processions, people in pointed hats, burning at the stake. Lucas: Yeah, but not everyone was burned. The auto-da-fé was more like a mass sentencing ceremony. Those who confessed and repented might get lighter sentences — like wearing a sanbenito, a penitential garment, for years. Only the unrepentant, or those who relapsed, were handed over to the secular arm for execution. Lucas: But the numbers are staggering. Between 1536 and 1821, the Portuguese Inquisition held thousands of autos-da-fé. In Lisbon alone, they condemned over a thousand people to death, and many more were imprisoned or exiled. Luna: And this was all happening while Portugal was building its empire overseas? Lucas: Exactly. And the Inquisition followed the flag. In Goa, as we've discussed, it was particularly harsh. But it also spread to Brazil, and even to the Azores and Madeira. The tribunal in Goa was established in 1560, and it became infamous for its severity. Lucas: One of the most controversial aspects was the treatment of New Christians who had fled to Asia or Africa. The Inquisition could reach them through the Estado da Índia, and it often did. There are cases of New Christians being dragged back from as far as Japan to face trial in Goa. Luna: That's terrifying. But did anyone speak out against the Inquisition? Lucas: Yes, and some voices were quite prominent. The Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, who you might remember from our Goa episode, was critical of the Inquisition's methods. He thought it was too heavy-handed and that it harmed the mission to convert locals. Lucas: There were also internal critics within Portugal, like the priest António Vieira, who defended New Christians and argued that many were sincere converts. He even spent time in the Inquisition's prisons himself, so he knew what he was talking about. Lucas: One thing that's often overlooked is how the Inquisition affected Portugal's economy. Many New Christians were merchants, bankers, and professionals. When they were persecuted or forced to flee, Portugal lost a lot of talent. Some historians argue this contributed to Portugal's economic decline in the 17th century. Luna: So it wasn't just a religious issue — it had real economic costs. Lucas: Exactly. And that's something the Marquês de Pombal, the powerful minister of King José I, understood. In the 18th century, he moved to curtail the Inquisition's power. He abolished the distinction between Old and New Christians in 1773, and he pushed to reduce the Inquisition's autonomy. Lucas: Pombal also expelled the Jesuits from Portugal and its empire in 1759, which was partly a power struggle, but also because they were seen as obstacles to his reforms. The Inquisition, though, was a different beast — it took longer to dismantle. Luna: When was it finally abolished? Lucas: It was officially abolished in 1821, during the Liberal Revolution. By then, its power had been waning for decades. But the legacy of the Inquisition, especially in places like Goa, left deep scars. Lucas: And you know, it's interesting — the Inquisition in Portugal didn't just target Jews. It also went after Muslims, Protestants, and even some Catholics who were deemed heretics. But the focus was overwhelmingly on New Christians. Luna: It's hard to imagine living in a society where your neighbors could denounce you anonymously and you'd end up tortured. Lucas: Yeah, and that climate of fear is something we can't fully understand from a distance. It's one of those chapters in history that reminds us how fragile religious tolerance can be. Lucas: Speaking of fragile things — this episode, we've been diving into the darker corners of the Portuguese empire, and it's made me think about how we preserve stories that are hard to tell. That's what we do here on the show, and that's why listener support matters so much. If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, and you value these conversations, consider supporting us on buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps the show ad-free and lets us keep digging into these tough topics. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to keep the history alive. Lucas: So back to the Inquisition — one thing that surprises people is how the Inquisition's records have become a goldmine for historians today. The trial transcripts, the denunciations, the lists of accused — they give us a window into everyday life in early modern Portugal. Luna: Oh, like what? Lucas: You can trace family networks, economic activities, even folk beliefs. Some trials include testimonials about Jewish customs that families had kept in secret for generations. So while the Inquisition was a tragedy, its archives are now invaluable for understanding that period. Lucas: There's also a fascinating story about how the Inquisition's reach extended to the islands. In the Azores, the Inquisition had a commissioner, and there are records of trials there. But it was never as systematic as in mainland Portugal or Goa. Luna: So the Inquisition was really everywhere the Portuguese sails took it. Lucas: Pretty much. From Lisbon to Goa, from Pernambuco to Nagasaki, the Inquisition was a tool of control. And that's why understanding it is so crucial to understanding the Portuguese empire. Lucas: But we should also remember that not everyone went along with it. There were New Christians who fought back, who wrote petitions, who fled to places like Amsterdam or the Ottoman Empire. Their stories are part of the resistance against intolerance. Luna: That's a good note to end on. Thanks for diving into this with me, Lucas. Lucas: Always a pleasure, Luna. And if you want to learn more about the Inquisition's other fronts, we've got plenty of earlier episodes on Goa. This is just one piece of a much larger story.