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Message: 11
Date: Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:35:52 -0500
From: Goanet News Service <n...@goanet.org>
To: goa...@goanet.org
Subject: [Goanet] OPINION: Put Timmayya On Trial!
Message-ID: <4f013428.7060...@goanet.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Put Timmayya On Trial!
?scar de Noronha
Robert Kerr on thwe subject:
Dom Alfonso de Albuquerque on his way back, home, arrived at Cochin,
made preparations to conquer Ormuz. So Albuquerque set sail from
Cochin with 1700 troops (many could be Malabari Nairs or 'bhaile') in
21 vessels of various sorts and sizes. On arriving at the river of
Onor (Honavar), he sent for the pirate Timoja who, being powerful and
desirous of acquiring the friendship of the Portuguese, came
immediately and supplied Albuquerque with provisions.
Albuquerque consulted Timoja, who was skilful in the political affairs
of India on his intended enterprise against Ormuz. Timoja dissuaded
Albuquerque from that attempt, and suggested that Goa would be a more
advantageous conquest, and might be easily taken as it had weak
defences. This advice pleased Albuquerque, and it was resolved upon in
a council of war to change the destination of the armada.
Timoja agreed to supply twelve ships. Timoja had been dispossessed of
his inheritance and was ill treated by his kin and neighbours, and the
desire of vengeance and of recovering his losses caused him to embrace
the alliance of the Portuguese. (Timmoja’s plan must have been to use
the Portuguese to liberate Goa from Muslim and become the governor of
Goa and then contact Vijaya Nagara king to take over Goa. However
Albuquerque found Goa to be an ideal post to his benefit and decided
to retain it for his king). In this conspiracy of Timmoja, he had
support of Local Sasarawat bigwigs, including the sardesai Malpai who
later fled to Malabar).
The small island of Ticuari (Tiswadi), in which the city of Goa
stands, is situated in lat. 15° 30' N. in a bay at the mouth of the
river Gasim. This city was built by a Moor named Malek Husseyn about
40 years before the arrival of the Portuguese in India. It is not
known when the old city was founded. The sovereign of Goa was named
Sabayo (Adil Shah), who died about the time that Albuquerque went
against Goa; upon which Kufo Adel Khan, king of Bisnagar (Bijapur),
possessed himself of Goa, and placed it in the hands of his son
Ismael.
Having sailed from Onor (Honavar) accompanied by Timoja, Albuquerque
came to anchor off the bar of Goa on the 25th of February 1510. As it
was necessary to sail up the northern arm of the bay or river, on the
bank of which the city was situated, Albuquerque sent his nephew
Antonio de Noronha, accompanied by Timoja, to explore the channel. A
fort, erected for protecting the entrance of the harbour, with
artillery and 400 men, was commanded by Yazu Gorji, a Turk. Noronha
attacked and took the fort after stiff resistance. Meanwhile, Timoja
attacked and took another fort on the continental shore of the channel
leading to Goa, defended by artillery and forty men.
Next day, as Albuquerque was sailing up the channel, he was met by Mir
Ali and other chief men of the city, who came to surrender it to him,
only stipulating, that their lives, liberties, and goods should be
secured.
Albuquerque readily accepted the surrender on the terms proposed, and
having anchored before the town on the 27th of February, was received
on shore by the inhabitants with as much honour and respect as if he
had been their native prince. Mounting on a superbly caparisoned horse
which was brought for his use, he entered the city gates, and rode in
great pomp to the palace which had been built by Sabayo, where he
found a great quantity of cannon, arms, warlike ammunition, and
horses.
The command of the fort or castle was given to Don Antonio de Noronha,
the government to Timoja, and the other offices were disposed of to
the general satisfaction. Understanding that several ships belonging
to Ormuz and other places on the Arabian coast were loading in the
port of Baticala (Bhatkal), four Portuguese vessels were sent there,
which took and carried them to Cochin, and sent an ample supply of
provisions to Goa.
About four months after the easy conquest of Goa, the fortune of
Albuquerque began to change its appearance, as some persons in Goa
plotted the return of Ismael, who after lengthy preparation, sent his
general-in-chief Kamal Khan with 1500 horse and 8000 foot on June
1510, and Albuquerque took measures to defend his acquisition.
Having detected a conspiracy of the Moors his first step was to punish
the chief conspirators, Mir Cassem and his nephew. More than 100 were
convicted for participating in the plot, some were cut to pieces by
Albuquerque’s guards; several others were hanged in public places and
the rest were rigorously imprisoned. By these rigid measures the city
was terrified into submission.
By the arrival of this vast army the city of Goa was completely
surrounded, and Albuquerque had no other option and after holding off
for twenty days, resolved to abandon the city and retreat to their
ships and decided to spend the winter in the sea.
During the winter, the Portuguese fleet suffered extreme hardships,
especially from scarcity of provisions. ( they even abducted a
brahman's daughter to procure rice and cattle in exchange, whic was
agreed by the brahman!!); and on sailing from Goa to Cannanor, after
the cessation of winter (Monsoon time?); they discovered four ships
that were found to be a squadron from Portugal under the command of
Diego Mendez. Besides these, the king had sent out another seven
ships, under Sequeira, who had arrived at Cannanor.
Accordingly, having fitted out twenty-three ships at Cananor, with
1500 soldiers, he proceeded to Onor (Honnavar) to join his ally
Timoja, whom he found busy celebrating his marriage with the daughter
of a queen and invited him to land. When Albuquerque returned to the
ships a boat with thirty men was lost due to heavy storm. On leaving
Onor (Honnavar) for Goa, Timoja sent three of his ships along with
Albuquerque, and promised to join him at Goa with 6000 men.
Albuquerque anchored for the second time at the Goa shore on the 22d
of November 1510. Having made the proper arrangements for the assault,
the troops were landed at early dawn on the 25th of November, 1510 and
attacked the enemy with determination. The enemy were forced to flee
after a great number of them were killed. The enemy fled into the city
by one of the gates, closely pursued by the Portuguese.
After this decisive victory, it was found that of 9000 men who
defended the city, 6000 had perished, while the Portuguese lost fifty
men. Medeorao or Melrao, nephew to the king of Onore (Honnavar), who
commanded the three ships sent by Timoja, fought with great courage
and fidelity on this occasion; Timoja came himself to Goa with a
reinforcement of 3000 men, but too late to assist in the attack, and
was only a witness to the carnage which had taken place. The booty in
horses, artillery, arms, provisions, and ships, was immense, and
contributed materially to enable Albuquerque to accomplish the great
designs that he contemplated.
The Portuguese who were slain were all honourably interred and the
dead enemy were made food for the alligators. All the surviving Moors
were expelled from the city, island, and dependencies of Goa, and all
the farms were restored to the gentiles (Hindus), over whom Timoja was
appointed governor, and Medeorao his deputy.
To make Goa secure, Albuquerque laid the foundations of a fort, which
he named Manuel, after the reigning king of Portugal with the
following inscription,
Lapidem quem reprobaverant aedificantes.
Albuquerque assuming powers of sovereignty of his conquest for the
king of Portugal, minted money of gold, silver, and copper, calling
the first Manuels, the second Esperas, and the third half-Esperas.
Resolving to establish a permanent colony, he encouraged Portuguese to
marry the native women, giving them land, houses, and offices.
Albuquerque, with firmness in his plans succeeded in establishing Goa
as the metropolis or centre of the Portuguese power in India.
Having issued orders and regulations which were much to the
satisfaction of the inhabitants, he dispatched several messages or
embassies to the neighbouring sovereigns, the only effect of which was
to show his goodwill. (Robert Kerr in his ‘A General History and
Collection of Voyages and Travels, 6’).
Based on the above account, it appears on the first attack on 27th of
February, 1510, all residents were allowed to stay. The second attack
on 25 Nov 1510 took place because of the conspiracy hatched by the
Mulsim residents, and during the second attempt, many of them were
killed, during war. At wartime, this is inevitable.
One source mentions that: A delegation of Goans, led by Timmoja and
Sardesai Mala Pai, went to Vijayanagara seeking liberation from the
Sultanate of Bijapur, and that the Emperor of Vijayanagara sent them
to the Portuguese, and recommended to the Portuguese that they take up
the appeal of Timmoja and Mala Pai. However events turned out
differently as Albuquerque decided to have Goa as Portuguese territory
and a dejected Mala Pai fled to Malabar with his family and relatives.
E&O.E
MD.
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