Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History / The Portuguese Inquisition in Goa: Faith, Fear and Empire in Asia
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot about the Portuguese Empire in Asia — the spice trade, the carreira da Índia, the fortresses. But there's a darker institutional presence that shaped daily life in places like Goa for centuries. I'm talking about the Inquisition. Luna: The Goa Inquisition, right? I've heard the name, but I don't really know how it worked out there. Lucas: Exactly. It's often overshadowed by the Spanish Inquisition, but the Portuguese version was just as brutal, and the Goa tribunal operated from 1560 until 1812. It was established at the request of Portuguese officials who were worried that New Christians — Jews who had converted to Christianity — were secretly practicing Judaism in India. And also that Hindus and Muslims were being insincere converts. Luna: So it wasn't just about religious orthodoxy back in Portugal — it was about controlling the empire's diverse populations. Lucas: Exactly. And speaking of keeping this show independent — if you've been enjoying these deep dives into Portugal's history, a couple of dollars a month at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo genuinely makes a difference. It keeps us ad-free and lets us keep digging into these stories. Luna: Yeah, it really does help. And like Lucas said, it's a small thing that adds up. Lucas: So back to Goa — the first auto-da-fé in Goa was held in 1583. That's when the Inquisition publicly punished those found guilty of heresy. Over the next two centuries, there were dozens of these ceremonies, often in the main square of Old Goa. Luna: What kind of punishments are we talking about? Lucas: They ranged from public flogging and imprisonment to being burned at the stake. The records show that between 1560 and 1623, about 3,800 cases were tried. Of those, around 200 people were executed. But the numbers might be higher — the records aren't complete. Luna: That's still a lot of lives destroyed. Who was the main inquisitor who set this up? Lucas: The first inquisitor to arrive in Goa was Aleixo Dias Falcão. He came in 1560 with a commission from the Cardinal Infante Henrique. The tribunal was officially called the Tribunal do Santo Ofício de Goa. It had jurisdiction over all Portuguese territories east of the Cape of Good Hope — from Mozambique to Macau. Luna: So a vast area, but Goa was the center. Lucas: Yes. Goa was the capital of the Estado da Índia, so it made sense. The Inquisition there had its own building, the Palácio da Inquisição, which stood near the Sé Cathedral. It also had prisons, a courtroom, and archives. The inquisitors worked closely with the local ecclesiastical hierarchy, but they reported directly back to the General Council of the Inquisition in Portugal. Luna: I imagine the local population didn't exactly welcome them with open arms. Lucas: Not at all. There was widespread fear. People learned to avoid the 'familiars' — the lay informants who spied for the Inquisition. If someone accused you, you could be arrested without warning. The accused often didn't know the charges against them until they were brought before the tribunal. And you could be tortured to extract a confession. Luna: That sounds terrifying. What about Hindus? Did the Inquisition target them specifically? Lucas: Yes, especially after the 1567 decree by the Viceroy, Dom Antão de Noronha, which ordered the destruction of Hindu temples in Goa. The Inquisition then prosecuted Hindus who converted to Christianity but were suspected of backsliding. It also targeted Muslims. But a lot of the early focus was on New Christians — the Cristãos-novos — who were seen as a threat because they often held positions in trade and finance. Luna: So the Inquisition was also a tool of social control and economic competition. Lucas: Absolutely. It's impossible to separate the religious from the political and economic motives. The Inquisition helped consolidate Portuguese power by homogenizing religious practice — or at least trying to. It also confiscated property from convicted heretics, which provided revenue for the crown. Luna: Did anyone ever successfully resist or push back against the Inquisition in Goa? Lucas: There were some cases. Local Goan Catholics sometimes petitioned the king to limit the Inquisition's power, especially when it targeted prominent families. And in the 18th century, the Marquis of Pombal, who we've talked about before, tried to reform the Inquisition across the empire. He ended the distinction between New and Old Christians, and in 1774, he temporarily abolished the Goa tribunal. But it was reinstated after his fall. Luna: So it lasted until the early 19th century? Lucas: Yes, it was finally abolished for good in 1812, after the Liberal Revolution in Portugal. But by then, its power had waned. Still, the legacy lingered for generations — a culture of suspicion, destroyed families, and a lost heritage of Jewish and Hindu traditions that were erased or driven underground. Luna: It's a sobering chapter. Thanks for covering it. Lucas: It's important to remember the full picture of empire — not just the ships and spices, but the institutions that enforced orthodoxy. And it's a reminder of how religious tolerance can be fragile, especially when it's tied to state power.