A DEBATE FROM QUORA: ---------------------------- Why did the Marathas never overthrow the Portuguese in Goa?
Akshar Prabhu Desai Answered Dec 31, 2015 There are a number of reasons for the same as outlined in the book "Hindoos of Goa" by Justice António Floriano de Noronha (1873-1931). The book was published in 1923 and described in great details the Portuguese perspective on India/Goa and dwelled a lot on Marathi-Portuguese relationship. Given that this is written by a post-liberalization Portuguese judge, it is likely to be much more unbiased. 1. Pacts. Shivaji's father Shahaji made a not-so-formal pact with Portuguese. When Shivaji was yet to become the force he was, Shahaji had already suspected that his family might run into trouble. As per the pact, Shahaji would let Portuguese mind their own business and in return Portuguese would take a neutral stand in future conflict and give shelter to Shahaji's family. 2. Reliability of trade. Portuguese had a natural port of Vasco in Goa. They hoped to buy stuff from surrounding regions and then export it to other parts of the world. However, Maratha forces were at a constant war in nearby areas which lowered the productivity of the region. Portuguese hoped for peace and made whatever concessions Marathi forces asked for. 3. Concessions. Maratha forces and traders affiliated with Shivaji's empire had access to all the trade routes that passed through Goa. In certain cases without any tax and for most cases with much lower tax. 4. Geography. While for most people today Goa is about beaches and party; Goa of olden times was mostly a tribal region with several islands, rivers and rampant with dangerous wildlife as well as mercenaries. It is always hard to launch a campaign in a region like that especially when there is nothing of significance to gain. Sambhaji's almost-successful campaign in Goa also ended as he got stuck in a flood and eventually had to be saved by his bodyguard. Conclusion: I think for most of the time Portuguese simply ensured that they pretend to be the friends of Marathas. That worked in their favor. Goa was not really a territory Marathas valued which is the second reason. There is, however, an interesting exchange of letters between the Goa Governor and Portuguese King. The governor claims that he can simply run over the Marathi forces because the Marathi forces seemed like rag-tag malnourished warriors who did not have proper uniform, discipline, healthy horses and did not eat pigs. The King reprimands him saying his primary job is conversion and spreading the love to true God among the barbarians and conquest of territory should come second. It later turns out that he fails at both. The conversions see some strong resistance from the locals. Also, the governor loses badly all the small battles he had to fight with local marathi forces. his successor writes that while these soldiers appear to be malnourished are in fact capable of traveling and fighting without food for several days, while they are barefoot they travel in small groups at much faster pace and never face an army in open battle but totally rely on surprise attacks and tactical movements. 4.2k Views Vishal Kale Vishal Kale, History & Business Book Blogger and Reviewer @reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in Answered Dec 6, 2015 Source : Mahaaparaakrami Veer Maraathaa Chhattrapati Shivaji, Tulsi Sahtiya Publications >From around 1656-1663, Chhatrapati was involved in a triangular battle between Adil Shah {Bijapur}, Aurangzeb {Mughal} and Self. He was consistently eating away at Adilshahi, and was succeeding in expanding slowly, town by town, careful not to attract too much attention to himself, doing just enough to irritate, but not to go into open conflict, at least not till he was ready for the big battle, as he was intent on acquiring strength. While the question is about the Portuguese, this is relevant as it establishes Chhattrapati as a smart, intelligent and politically suave military tactician, who knew fully well his strengths and weaknesses. He was careful to exploit the faultlines of his enemies, and rode them hard till they cracked along those lines. He was brave, and he and his soldiers are almost legendary {in Modern India} in their bravery as well as their integrity, as symobolised in the Marathi movie Rajmata Jijau. That was why, he initially went along a proposed friendship treaty with Shahjah {Murad} and then Aurangzeb, as he was keen to avoid a direct bi-partite conflict. That conflict did come eventually, in the fullness of time, around 1660. But by then, he had acquired enough skill and strength to ride it out, and triumph. That tells us a lot about Chhatrapati -- who was quick to spot strengths and weaknesses. He did try to take Goa, when he surrounded Goa, but the Goa ruler welcomed him and offered a friendship treaty, to which Chhatrapati agreed. I am not surprised, especially as this had come after a long, sustained and brutally hard battle against the superior might of the Mughals of Delhi and the Adilshahi of Bijapur There is of course far more to this that needs consideration -- the overall atmosphere in those days, Chhatrapati rising animosity with the English, his rising Naval strength as well as the primacy of his attention being Bijapur and Delhi... Why did the Marathas never overthrow the Portuguese in Goa? The answer to that is both simple and complex at the same time. The Marathas were never interested in possessing Goa, although they were certainly interested in checking the growth of the Portuguese and often collaborated with allies to achieve this objective. They were also more interested in obtaining revenue such as the Chauth and the Sardeshmukhi from captured territories rather than staying back and administering them. This revenue helped finance the constant military campaigns undertaken by the Marathas in Central and Northern India. It is well known that the Marathas maintained their focus on actively fighting battles on several fronts against their arch enemies such as the Mughals, the Nizam and later, Haider in the Deccan. Invading the Portuguese territory of Goa would be a waste of resources and presented no significant gain. Beginning with the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu, the Marathas followed mainly a Northward expansion policy. This focus shifted Southward toward the Deccan (against Haider) only during the Peshwaship of Madhavrao I. By the end of the 17th century the Portuguese dominance on the west coast of India had reduced considerably and they were confined to coastal enclaves such as Goa, Bassein, Salsette, Daman and Diu. Bombay was transferred to the British in 1661 as part of the dowry of Catherine de Braganza on the occasion of her wedding to Charles II of England. The religious intolerance stemming from the infamous Portuguese Inquisition between the 16th to the 18th century had made the Portuguese unpopular rulers within their territories and among the Marathas. Ironically the Portuguese targeted their subjects for conversion selectively. It was easier for them to convert the underprivileged classes among the Hindus. They were careful not to touch the influential Saraswat Brahmins and allowed them religious freedom. This explains why the famous temples such as the Shantadurga of Kavlem was left undisturbed after it was built during the reign of Shahu, although the Portuguese had razed smaller Hindu shrines to the ground in other parts of Goa. Sawantwadi acted as a buffer state between the Portuguese and the Maratha Chhatrapati of Satara and Kolhapur, Tarabai and the Angres who commanded the Maratha Navy. The Portuguese cunningly encouraged the rulers of Sawantwadi to fight against the Marathas, even supplying them with ammunition, rather than risk an open confrontation with the latter. In return the Sawant reported back the activities of the Marathas. The Portuguese continued to help and exploit to their own benefit anyone who resisted the Marathas. They always had spies in the Peshwa's court who reported back with information. The conflict between the Marathas and the Portuguese over the latter's northern territories resulted in a treaty signed on 3rd July 1731. Both parties avoided confrontation for a few years. However as a result of the continuing religious persecution of the Hindus and forcible conversions in Bassein by the Portuguese, Chimaji Appa (brother of Peshwa Bajirao I) led an aggressive campaign against the Portuguese between 1730-40. The Portuguese surrendered and as per the treaty signed with the Peshwa, they were allowed to retain their presence in other territories provided they did not interfere with the Marathas any more. Another treaty followed on the 18th September 1740, and this was signed in Poona between the Portuguese and Peshwa Balaji Bajirao who had succeeded his father Bajirao I following the latter's death in April 1740. Except for the time when the Marathas successfully took over fort of Phonda, relation between the two remained peaceful between 1756-63. When the Marathas under the Peshwa helped the English bring down the fleet of their rivals the Angres it actually benefited the Portuguese who had been harassed in the past by the raids of the Angres. When the power of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao was at its peak, the Portuguese solicited and signed with him a treaty of friendship on the 20th March 1760. Following the defeat of the Marathas at Panipat in 1761 and the death of Peshwa Balaji Bajirao soon after that, the Portuguese used the opportunity to target territories such as Phonda which they had lost earlier. However after the death of Peshwa Madhavrao in 1771 the British gained significant ground and managed to overtake the Portuguese. Following the First Anglo-Maratha war and in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Salbai of 1782 signed between the Peshwa and the British, the latter gained control on Salsette and Bharuch. By 1818 the British had taken over control of the Maratha Confederacy thus ending any possible skirmish between the Marathas and the Portuguese. Balaji Taware Great summary but you missed most important part here, southern Konkan campaign taken by Chhatrap... Andrew Roberts Andrew Roberts, Read a bit and chatted, as Indian books are cheap and the electricity is erratic The Portuguese, apart from a brief squabble, were their primary arms supplier, and Agent provocateur, encouraging the various factions to raid (Bargi), loot, and rape their way across the Mughal Empire, in an economic attritional war on the Empire. They sold the Maratha the majority of their cannon, muskets, Firangi (sword) -- Wikipedia, ...as well as supplying the gunnery crews, and Commanders for their coastal raiders (Maratha Navy), and their armies. They also supplied Naval architects to help design the boats, for those piratical coastal raids. The French may have added to the munitions, and military advisers during the Napoleonic wars, but the Portuguese were their primary dealer for almost two centuries. All the way up to the 1814-1815 treaties of Paris and Vienna, where the European nations sat down, agreed borders, and overseas possession, banned slavery, and then handed over territory, per the treaties, and Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom declared best of friends, recalling, or abandoning the personnel previously sent to cause each other mischief. https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Marathas-never-overthrow-the-Portuguese-in-Goa