page_title: Christianization of Goa
section_title: Relations between the Portuguese and their Hindu subjects
hierarchical_section_title: Christianization of Goa / Relations between the Portuguese and their Hindu subjects
caption_attribution_description: Português: Novas e Velhas Conquistas (creme e rosa), Goa
context_page_description: The indigenous population of the erstwhile Portuguese colony of Goa underwent a large-scale conversion from Hinduism to Christianity after its conquest and occupation by the Portuguese Empire, led by admiral Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510. After conversion to Roman Catholicism, they were granted Portuguese citizenship. Almost all the present-day Goan Catholics are descendants of these local converts to the religion. They constitute the largest Christian community in Goa and account for 25 per cent of the total Catholic population in India. The Mangalorean Catholic and Karwari Catholic communities of the Indian state of Karnataka are also largely descended from these Goan converts. East Indian Catholics of northern Konkan districts and Christians of Damaon also have some Portuguese Goan ancestry and interaction, East Indians were formerly Portuguese overseas citizens until when Bombay was handed over as a royal dowry to the British East India Company by the Portuguese Viceroyalty.
context_section_description: The Portuguese aimed to create a native citizenry loyal to their Empire, which they believed they could accomplish through mass conversions to Roman Catholicism. However, the converts largely turned out to be a useless citizenry as far as skills, trade, and ownership of capital were concerned.
  Instead, the Portuguese relied on the Hindus (who were not considered full citizens of their Empire) to fulfill their personal and official ambitions, as they were seen to possess the capital, skills, contacts, and shrewdness required to sustain the Empire and its ambitions. The Portuguese and Hindus were great business and military
  collaborators; religious affiliations did not matter. Therefore, many Hindus who did not convert or even those who consistently refused to convert and overtly opposed Christendom continued to receive from the Portuguese more honours, favours and jobs than the Christians. This was done with the view of gaining their collaboration, not necessarily their conversion, although conversion was encouraged. For instance, the duty of collecting taxes on the cultivation of tobacco in Goa was entrusted to the Hindu tax farmers, who were usually cruel to the native Christians while exercising their powers. With the support of the Portuguese government, they became the most feared and influential native class in the province. The tax farmers would unjustly levy fines on native Christians for the illegal cultivation of tobacco. They would ill treat the native  womenfolk at the tollbooth on the pretext of searching for illegal goods. As a result, entire Christian village communities were deprived of considerable surplus income and many poor Christians were made into vagabonds or forced to flee Goa to the neighbouring kingdoms. The Portuguese colonial and church authorities did not employ politico-economic potentialities to achieve equality by raising the standard of living of the native Christians. The Jesuit report of 1686 stated thus: "They are very poor and surviving on the income of labour which brings in just enough for their sustenance."
  In 1780, the Portuguese conquered from the Marathas the concelhos of Pernem, Sanquelim and Sattari. After a treaty signed on 29 January 1788 with the rajah of Sonda, they acquired the concelhos of Bicholim, Antruz, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona. The influence of the clergy had significantly decreased by this time. The Jesuit order had been banned in 1759 and the political clout of the other religious orders had also considerably diminished. The Portuguese zeal for Christianization gradually died down, so much so that by the last quarter of the 18th century, with the acquisition of the Novas Conquistas, they officially permitted the construction of temples in the territory and agreed not to interfere in the existing religious and social customs. Furthermore, no conversion work was undertaken there. By then, the situation had also greatly improved for the Hindus and Christians in the Velhas Conquistas, with no more anti-Hindu decrees being passed. After 1835, many Hindu families from the Novas Conquistas were permitted by the authorities to settle in the Velhas Conquistas and some Christian families were in turn encouraged to take the reverse route with the lure of land for a small annual rent.
caption: Goa at its height under Portuguese occupation. The Velhas Conquistas (Portuguese: Old Conquests) are highlighted in red, while the Novas Conquistas (Portuguese: New Conquests) are highlighted in cream.
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