|
Communidade de Saligao-V We studied that in 1500, Goa was unequivocally settled as part of the Adil Shah kingdom. Administration was left to the village ganvkars, and ancient chiefs of `mahals’ like ‘sardessai’ and ‘dessai’ were confirmed in their offices. The European invasion began in 1510 and it was from Adil Shah that the Portuguese, under Afonso Albuquerque, conquered Tiswadi, the island of Goa. Timaji, the governor of Honavar and a Vijaynagar admiral has established good relations with the first viceroy, Francisco de Almeida, who had no territorial ambitions for the Portuguese. ‘If Timaji attacked ships it was on orders from his king of Vijayanagar, whose ports of Bhatkal and Honavar were loosing trade to Adil Shah’s Goa, the favoured port. Ships that disobeyed Timaji’s instructions to berth at these ports were plundered. When Afonso de Albuquerque, who had territorial ambitions, appeared on the scene, Timaji was able to assure him a victory against Adil Shah. Ambitious and knowledgable, he succeeded in his plans, but his hopes of becoming governor of Goa were thwarted by Albuquerque who had other plans. He was made ‘ aquazil mor’, chief tanadar, given the power of justice over Hindus and Muslims in the territory and other benefits, all of which he lost and regained in part depending on his relations with Albuquerque, whose gradual distrust of the man deepened. The ganvkars must have felt threatened soon after Albuquerque’s conquest of Goa Even before the process of conversion was under way, land became an issue with Portuguese settlers wishing to own forest lands and palm groves. A royal proclamation stating that all lands should be distributed to the settlers since they now belonged to the king was strongly resented. Protests by ganvkars led to a rescinding of the proclamation. The ganvkar’s membership of the communidade was inalienable and exclusive, and could only be transferred to male heirs. No ruler before the Portuguese had tinkered with the communidades. Muslim rulers and the other kings who had ruled over Goa had conferred fiefdoms to loyalist who collected taxes, attended to defence and other matters, but these measures did not impinge on the working life of an ancient agrarian society, as long as the taxes were paid. The duty of tax collection from individuals was taken care of by the ganvkars: each village paid a fixed amount, as land tax through the communidade directly to the ruler. The ganvkars were allowed to continue sharing the residue of the profits as before after all dues were discharged.(5)….. to be continued. Compiled by Fr. Nascimento Mascarenhas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(5). COUTO, Maria Aurora, op. cit., pp.86 &163 |
