Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / Goa Inquisition: The Portuguese Crackdown on Hinduism
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about how the Portuguese built their trading empire across the Indian Ocean, but today I want to focus on something darker: the Goa Inquisition. It's one of those chapters that doesn't get as much attention as it should, but it really reshaped the culture of western India. Luna: I know the Spanish Inquisition is famous, but I didn't realize the Portuguese had one in India too. Lucas: Exactly. Most people think of the Inquisition as a Spanish thing, but Portugal actually established its own Inquisition in 1536, and in 1560 they extended it to Goa, which was the capital of Portuguese India. The stated goal was to root out heresy among Christians, but in practice it was used to enforce conversion and suppress Hinduism. Luna: So it was targeting Hindus who had converted but might still be practicing their old faith? Lucas: Right. The Portuguese called them 'crypto-Hindus' — people who appeared to be Christian but secretly observed Hindu rituals. And the Inquisition had a lot of power. They could arrest anyone, confiscate property, and put them on trial. The punishments ranged from public whipping to death by burning at the stake, in a ceremony called the auto-da-fé. Luna: That's horrifying. Was there a particular figure who pushed for this? Lucas: Yes, actually. The most famous advocate was Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary. He visited Goa in the 1540s and was appalled by what he saw — he thought the Portuguese settlers were too lenient on Hindu practices. He wrote letters to King John III of Portugal urging him to bring the Inquisition to Goa. Xavier died in 1552, but his influence helped make it happen. Lucas: The first Inquisitor General was Aleixo Dias Falcão, and he set up the tribunal in the palace of the Old Goa. The Inquisition operated for over 250 years, until it was finally suppressed in 1774 by the Marquis of Pombal, the Portuguese prime minister. Luna: How many people were affected? Do we have numbers? Lucas: Records from the Inquisition's own archives suggest that between 1560 and 1774, over 16,000 cases were tried. Of those, about 121 people were executed, many of them by burning. But thousands more were punished in other ways — flogging, imprisonment, exile. And that doesn't count the cultural devastation: temples were demolished, Hindu texts were burned, and many families were torn apart. Luna: Were there specific communities that suffered more than others? Lucas: The Goan Brahmins were particularly targeted, because they were the religious and intellectual elite. The Inquisition saw them as the main obstacle to conversion. One infamous event was the destruction of the Mangeshi Temple in Priol, which was one of the oldest and most important Hindu temples in Goa. It was dismantled in the 1560s, and the site later had a church built on it. Lucas: But the Mangeshi Temple was secretly rebuilt elsewhere, and it still stands today as a symbol of resistance. I find it remarkable that despite the Inquisition, Hindu traditions survived in Goa, though they went underground for centuries. Luna: So the Inquisition didn't fully succeed in erasing Hinduism. Lucas: No, it didn't. But it caused a massive demographic shift. Many Hindus fled Goa to neighboring kingdoms like the Maratha Empire, the Bijapur Sultanate, or the Vijayanagara Empire. Those who stayed often had to pay a heavy price for their faith. The Inquisition also targeted other non-Christians, including Jews and Muslims, though Hindus were the majority. Lucas: The end came in the 1770s, when the Marquis of Pombal, influenced by Enlightenment ideas, ordered the suppression of the Inquisition in all Portuguese territories. He saw it as an obstacle to economic development and a source of bad reputation. But by then, the damage was done. Luna: It's interesting that Pombal is the same guy we mentioned in the episode about the Goan Inquisition before. He seems to have had a big impact. Lucas: Absolutely. He was a reformer who also expelled the Jesuits from Portugal and its colonies. He wanted to modernize the empire, and part of that was ending the religious persecution that was driving away skilled workers and merchants. So the Inquisition ended, but its legacy persists in the collective memory of Goa's Hindu community. Luna: Is there any physical reminder of the Inquisition in Goa today? Lucas: There is. In Old Goa, you can visit the ruins of the Inquisition Palace, and the Archaeological Museum of Goa has some artifacts, including instruments of torture. But perhaps the most poignant reminder is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was built on the site of a demolished temple. And then there are the many families who still carry the trauma of ancestors who were tried or executed. Luna: I wonder how this history is taught in Goa today. Lucas: It's a sensitive subject. For a long time, the Inquisition was downplayed in official narratives, but in recent decades, there's been more open discussion. The state government has even erected memorials to the victims. It's part of a broader reckoning with the colonial past that's happening across the former Portuguese world. Luna: So it's not just a footnote in history — it's still relevant. Lucas: Exactly. The Goa Inquisition is a powerful example of how colonialism used religious institutions to control populations. It wasn't just about trade or territory; it was about reshaping souls. And the effects of that are still being felt today, in the religious demographics of Goa and in the cultural heritage that was lost or hidden. Lucas: But I think what's remarkable is the resilience. Despite centuries of persecution, Hinduism not only survived in Goa but thrived in some ways. The rebuilding of the Mangeshi Temple, the preservation of rituals in secret — it shows how faith can endure even under the most oppressive conditions. Luna: That's a powerful note to end on. Thanks for shedding light on this, Lucas. Lucas: My pleasure, Luna. It's a difficult but important story to tell.