Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Portuguese Inquisition in Goa: Fear and Fire
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Portuguese empire spreading across the oceans, but today I want to pull us back to something that happened right at the heart of their Asian capital, Goa. In 1560, the Portuguese Inquisition set up shop there, and it ran for over two centuries. It's a side of the empire that's often glossed over. Luna: I know about the Inquisition in Spain, but I didn't realize Portugal had one in India. Lucas: Exactly. Most people think of the Inquisition as a European thing, but the Portuguese took it global. The Goa Inquisition, the Inquisição de Goa, was established by King João III, and its official mission was to preserve Catholic orthodoxy among the Portuguese settlers and the native converts. But in practice, it became a tool of social control, policing everything from religious practice to cultural identity. Lucas: The targets were primarily the New Christians, the Cristãos-Novos, who were Jews and Muslims forcibly converted to Christianity in Portugal, and then their descendants who migrated to Goa. But it also went after the native converts who were suspected of secretly keeping their old Hindu or Muslim customs. The tribunal had the power to arrest, torture, and even execute people. Luna: That sounds terrifying. How did it actually operate? Lucas: The Inquisition operated much like its Spanish counterpart. There were visitations, where inquisitors would travel around the region gathering denunciations. People were encouraged to confess their own sins and accuse others. Then those accused were arrested, often in the dead of night, and taken to the tribunal's prisons. The trials could drag on for years, with the accused kept in the dark about the charges and the witnesses against them. Lucas: The most dramatic public displays were the auto-da-fé, the 'act of faith.' These were elaborate ceremonies held in the main square of Old Goa, where the sentences were read out. Some people were just made to do penance, wearing the sanbenito, a yellow tunic with crosses. Others were handed over to the secular authorities to be burned at the stake. It was meant to be a spectacle, a warning to everyone watching. Luna: Did they actually burn people alive? Lucas: Yes, they did. The records are incomplete, but we know of at least 57 people who were executed, and many more who died in prison or were tortured into madness. The exact numbers are debated because the archives were destroyed in the 19th century, but the impact was profound. The fear of the Inquisition shaped how people behaved, what they wore, what they ate, even what language they spoke at home. Lucas: One of the most infamous incidents was the trial of a Brahmin convert named Pedro de Silva, who was accused of 'judaizing' — that is, secretly practicing Jewish rituals. He was tortured until he implicated his entire family, and then they were all condemned. His story is a reminder that the Inquisition didn't just target individuals; it could destroy entire families. Luna: That's brutal. But why Goa? Why not somewhere else? Lucas: Goa was the capital of the Estado da Índia, the Portuguese state in Asia. It was the hub of their trade and the center of their missionary efforts. The Jesuits, led by figures like Alessandro Valignano, were very influential there, and they pushed for the Inquisition to keep converts in line. There was also a large community of New Christians who had fled Europe, and the Portuguese authorities were worried that they might revert to their old faith or, worse, help Muslim traders. Lucas: But it wasn't just about religion. The Inquisition also became a way to control the native population. For example, it was used to suppress Hindu practices like the caste system, which the Church saw as a threat to Christian equality. But many Goan Catholics continued to observe caste distinctions in private, leading to a kind of underground resistance. Luna: That's fascinating. So the Inquisition actually shaped Goan culture, even after it was abolished. Lucas: Absolutely. The Inquisition created a culture of surveillance and suspicion. People learned to hide their traditions, to practice their rituals in secret. The festival of Divar, for instance, was banned because it was seen as pagan, but people kept celebrating it in a modified Christian form. Even today, you can see echoes of that in Goan Catholic practices, which are often a blend of Catholic and Hindu elements. Lucas: The Inquisition also had a huge impact on the Jews of Goa. Many New Christians tried to flee to other parts of India, like Cochin, where there was an ancient Jewish community. But the Inquisition pursued them even there. The fear was so great that some families completely assimilated, losing all trace of their Jewish identity, while others maintained secret rituals for generations. Luna: I can't imagine living with that kind of fear. Was there any resistance to the Inquisition itself? Lucas: There were appeals to the king, but they rarely went anywhere. Some missionaries, like the Jesuit Thomas Stephens, actually defended the Inquisition, arguing that it was necessary to protect the faith. But there were also voices of criticism. A Franciscan friar named Fr. António do Rosário wrote a tract against the Inquisition, but it was suppressed. The real change only came in the 18th century with the Enlightenment and the reforms of the Marquês de Pombal, who saw the Inquisition as a brake on economic progress. Luna: So what finally ended it? Lucas: Pombal, who was the chief minister of King José I, managed to get the Inquisition in Goa weakened in the 1770s. He banned the use of torture and limited its powers. But it was only in 1812 that the Goa Inquisition was finally abolished, as part of a broader reform of the Portuguese empire. By then, it had already lost much of its influence, but the memory of its brutality lingered. Lucas: The archives of the Goa Inquisition were mostly destroyed in the early 19th century, which is a tragedy for historians. But some records survived, and they give us glimpses of the everyday horrors. There's one case of a woman named Isabel de Sousa, who was accused of performing Hindu rituals. She was tortured and eventually confessed, but she refused to name her neighbors, and she died in prison. Her story, like so many others, is a reminder of the human cost of religious intolerance. Luna: It's heartbreaking. And it's a part of Portuguese history that's not often talked about. Lucas: That's true. When we think of the Portuguese empire, we think of explorers, traders, missionaries. But the Inquisition shows the darker side of that encounter. It's a reminder that the spread of European power was often accompanied by violence, not just physical but psychological. And that legacy is still felt in Goa today, where the Catholic Church has had to reckon with this history. Lucas: In a way, the Inquisition also shaped the identity of Goan Catholics. They were caught between two worlds: the European Catholic world, which demanded strict conformity, and the Indian world, with its rich traditions. They had to carve out a new identity that could navigate both. That's why Goan culture is so distinctive, with its blend of Portuguese and Indian influences in everything from food to music to architecture. Luna: I never thought about it that way. It's like the Inquisition, in trying to erase local culture, ended up creating something new. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a common story in colonial history. The oppressor tries to impose a single identity, but the result is always more complex, more hybrid. The Inquisition is a perfect example of that, even in its cruelty. Lucas: Before we go on, I want to be honest about something. We can do these deep dives every episode because of a small group of listeners who chip in a few dollars a month on buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's what keeps this show ad-free and accessible to everyone. If you're one of them, thank you. If you're curious, there's no pressure, but that link is easy to find. Luna: Yeah, it's a nice way to support something you love, and it really does make a difference. Lucas: So, back to the Inquisition. One of the most controversial aspects was its use of 'cristãos-novos' as a category. The Inquisition was obsessed with purity of blood, and this idea carried over to India. Even in Goa, there was a hierarchy among Christians, with those of European blood considered superior to those of Indian descent, and those with Jewish or Muslim ancestry looked down upon. This created deep divisions within the Christian community that persisted for centuries. Lucas: The Inquisition also had a significant impact on the Jewish community in Goa. Many New Christians had hoped to escape persecution by moving to Asia, but they found the long arm of the Inquisition reaching across the ocean. Some of them managed to blend in, but others were not so lucky. The trial of the Garcia family is particularly well-documented. They were accused of celebrating Yom Kippur in secret, and they were all sentenced to public penance and imprisonment. Luna: It's just so chilling that people could be punished for practicing their own religion in private. Lucas: And it wasn't just religion. The Inquisition was also used to silence political opponents. Anyone who criticized the Portuguese administration could be accused of heresy. So it became a tool of state control, not just religious enforcement. The power it wielded over people's lives was immense. Lucas: There's a story that's often told about a Goan physician named Dr. João de Castro, who was accused of having a Jewish mother. He was arrested and tortured, and even though he eventually recanted, he lost his position and his reputation. His case shows how the Inquisition could destroy a person's life even if they weren't executed. The stigma of being accused could follow you forever. Luna: That's terrible. It's like a stain that never washed away. Lucas: Yes, and that stigma often extended to families. Children of those condemned were often barred from certain positions, and marriages were arranged with care to avoid any taint. The Inquisition's reach was so deep that it affected the most intimate aspects of life. Lucas: But it's also important to note that the Inquisition wasn't universally hated. Some people supported it, seeing it as a way to maintain order and purity in a colony that was far from the Catholic heartland. The Jesuits, for example, were strong advocates, and they saw the Inquisition as necessary to protect the new converts from backsliding. So it's not a simple story of oppressors and victims; it's a complex web of complicity and resistance. Luna: That makes sense. It's rarely black and white in history. Lucas: And that complexity is what makes studying the Inquisition so important. It forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about faith, power, and identity. What does it mean to force someone to convert? What does it do to a society when a secret police can arrest you based on an anonymous denunciation? These questions resonate even today, in contexts far beyond Goa. Lucas: The legacy of the Inquisition in Goa is still visible. There's a museum in Old Goa that displays some of the instruments of torture, and there are still families who carry the memory of ancestors who were persecuted. But there's also a movement to remember and to heal, to acknowledge this painful history as part of a shared heritage. Lucas: So while it's a dark chapter, it's one that we need to understand, not only to know what happened, but to learn something about ourselves and our capacity for both cruelty and forgiveness. And I think that's a good note to end on. Luna: Thanks for sharing this, Lucas. It's not an easy topic, but it's important. Lucas: You're welcome. And if you want to explore further, there are some excellent books and articles on the Goa Inquisition, many of which are available online. But for now, maybe take a moment to think about how history's shadows still shape our world today.