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COLONIAL COUSINS: GOA'S FORGOTTEN COUNTERPART FROM THE 'NORTH' By Frederick Noronha fred at bytesforall.org For many of our generation, Bassein surely would be a remote place, hardly heard of in today's Goa. Bassein is barely 50 kilometres north of Bombay. But what's its relevance in history? How does it's history link up with that of Goa? Are these two just random regions along the west coast of India? Or did their historic relevance have something to do with their importance in Europe-Asian relations in the early days of the inter-continental encounter? Once Portuguese power grew in the North Konkan, Bassein became known as the chief city of the 'north' (a Corte do Norte). In the latter half of the sixteenth century, Bassein's jurisdiction extended over the entire coast from "Damaun" to Caranja. Someone called it a "land brimful of history". Damaun itself, at one point of colonial history, had four districts under it -- Sanjan, Dahanu, Tarapur and Mahim. Bassein had seven -- Asheri, Manor, Thana, Salcete, Bombay, Belapur and Caranja. These districts comprised of two thousand villages with luxurious gardens yielding much produce. A new coffee-table, light-reading book titled 'Bassein: The Portuguese Interlude' (2004, Mumbai) authored by historian Dr Teresa Albuquerque <teresalb at vsnl.com> throws up a lot of light on this seemingly-remote (and, from Goa's perspectively, largely forgotten) region. Albuquerque explains the importance in her preface: "When Bombay was still an insignificant fishing village, Bassein was the proud capital of the Portuguese province of the North, a focal point of commerce along the international trade route." Bassein and its surroundings played a major role in global history. This North Konkan region -- with ports like Kalyan, Thana, Chaul and Sopara -- had trade links with ancient Egypt, Phoenicia and Babylon. Solomon's legendary Ophir, mentioned in the Bible, is probably Sopara, today a disused port on the outskirts of modern Bassein. Paulo Varela Gomes, many in Goa would remember him as the suave and articulate Delegate in India of Fundacao Oriente, also adds to the background in his foreward, which incidentally was written in 1998. This gives a hint that the book, like many related to Goa and Indo-Portuguese history, took quite some time to get published. Comments Varela Gomes: "This book is the first on Bassein (Bacaim) which is really worth calling a monograph. Scholars and enlightened tourists have been writing about the city for over a century. But there was no comprehensive history of the old city." Bassein had a history of maritime trade and agricultural production. It also became a great entrepot, a ship-building centre, and more. Bassein is known for its excellent black basalt rock, as fine and hard as granite, and of ancient volcanic origin. The Portuguese had targeted Diu; but took Bassein on the way in 1534 from Bahadur Shah. (Diu was then the prime emporium of trade in India, Persia and Arabia.) Centuries later, they bartered it away to the Marathas, to save their hold on Goa. Arabs and Persian traders and refugees established settlements along the Thana coast, around 640 AD, centuries before what Albuquerque terms the Brahmin influx. Bassein's is not just a story of one small pocket of land. Nor is it just a story of early European colonialism (and Portuguese colonialism) in India. Dr Albuquerque has been in this field for long enough to realise the need to situate this story of a small place into the wider context of global history. We get hints of how western coastal India was a happy hunting ground for early European colonial powers. Portugal was the first of the European power to make its presence felt along the Indian coast. Its intentions were less to set up factories and conquer land, and more to dominate the crucial sea-lanes that then controlled global trade. But, there were other dramatis personnae too. Portugal was itself "subjugated" by Spain from 1581 to 1640. Brazil played a role indirectly; its opening up meant lesser Portuguese emphasis on the western Indian coast. The Dutch had their own goals; they conquered the Portuguese strong-holds of Malacca and Ceylon, and laid a prolonged seize of Goa. Then, in 1609, the English arrived. In 1579, an English Jesuit priest believed to be the "first Englishman in India", Thomas Stevens, had written to his father who was a merchant in London and had pointed to the distinct possibility for "Indian trade with England", as Dr Albuquerque describes it. In 1623, the Dutch and the English jointly blockaded Goa. Bombay (recently renamed to Mumbai) was handed over by the Portuguese to the English as part of a dowry. But few realise the drama and reluctance with which it was handed over, as Dr Albuquerque narrates in this book. Intrigue involving the British and the Marathas, and counter-pressures by the Portuguese to control Bassein, tell a good story of colonial history in these parts of the globe. Some facts that Dr Albuquerque throws up, which would perhaps be new or interesting, or both, to the general and non-specialist reader. It's amazing to learn of the intrigue of the past: * In 1738, when the Portuguese were trying to get back Bassein from the Marathas, the English secretly sent ammunition and three of their own gunners to help the Marathas. * The Marathas allied with other rivals of the Portuguese close to Goa, and were on the brink of capturing their border outpost, the prestigious and wealthy fortress of Rachol. To save Rachol, and hence Goa, the Portuguese pledged Bassein to the Marathas. * For their turn, the Portuguese "quite often aided and abetted enemies of the British". In 1690, they supported the Englishman Keigwin in his revolt, and in 1691, the Siddi of Janjira. * In 1720, the British Governor suspected Portuguese priests and ordered all of them to quit Bombay in at short notice. When they tried to retaliate, much of their property was confiscated. By 1621, Bassein's Christian population had shot up to 25,000, with an additional 30,000 on Salcete island. Dr Albuquerque gives credit to the "secular priests from Goa" for the Catholic faith in these areas surviving. She writes: "With little or no aid, and quite often grave personal risks, they ministered to the flock for long decades after the Portuguese missionaries had left." Incidentally, Gonsalo Garcia is India's first Christian saint. Born in Bassein, the son of a Portuguese soldier and his Indian spouse, he studied under the Jesuits and accompanied them as a cathecist to Japan. He was however repeatedly denied entry into the Jesuits order for "not being a full-blooded European". He was killed in Nagasaki, Japan in February 1597 and made saint in 1862. Some 4000 slaves captured at Bassein by Diogo de Sylveira, in one of his forays, are believed to have been employed in building the monumental churches and convents of Goa. Initially, the Portuguese retained the prevailing system of land administration, following the "Muslim" rulers, and leasing portions of land on rent based on yield. But within half-a-century, they wanted to reward those who participated in their conquest of Diu, and distributed them fiefs of entire villages in Bassein and its environs. To Portuguese economists, this system of granting aforomentos, or land-holdings on a nominal quit-rent of 4 to 10% of the regular rent, seemed an ideal way to encourage settlers to consolidate the 'new conquests'. There are other interesting aspects to this now-forgotten story. Over time, Bassein became a "wealthy international sea-port with a splendid city within the walls of its mighty fortress". But it had rivals around it -- the Siddis of Janjira, the Angres of Colaba, and the English. Albuquerque's book also touches on the remains of the shrines of Bassein, and focuses on prominent (Portuguese) families of the area. She quotes the prominent historian of Portuguese colonialism CR Boxer saying, "Slavery indeed was one of the main pillars of the Lusitanian empire. The sugar plantations of Brazil, the household labour of the Portuguese settlers in three continents, and even to some extent the defence of their settlements, depended mainly on the strong right arm of their slaves". But the decline set in; after all history is a story of the rise and decline of nations (and regions), isn't it? Portugal lost its hold over the European monopoly of trade. The British acquired Bombay island in 1661. Bombay harbour outgrew Bassein by 1720. And the 1737 expansion of Bombay's dock yards decimated Bassein shipping. This books last chapter deals with today's Bassein. it's a place which has long provided "most of the aspirants to the priest-hood in the Archdiocese of Bombay". Wood carving traditions haven't faded completely. Today, the place has publications like 'Suvarta' and colleges like the St Gonsalo Garcia College. But urban sprawl is clearly reaching Bassein. Massive building projects have brought over-crowding to parts of the district. "Quaint old houses" have been demolished, and the green belt has been massacred. Concludes the writer: "Although subtle, the Portuguese presence in Bassein for well night two hundred years still lingers to this day." Is the emphasis here on the word 'subtle'? Much of it seems to have just not faded, but also got forgotten Earlier, Dr Albuquerque has written on history-related themes related to Bombay (Santa Cruz, 1981, Urbs Prima in Indis, 1985, To Love Is To Serve-Catholics of Bombay, 1986), the Goan diaspora (Goans of Kenya, 1999) and Goa itself. In the latter category she has focussed on villages (Anjuna, 1988 and Santa Cruz or Calapor, 1989), biographies (A Life Well Spent, Biography of Pascoal de Mello MBE, 1996 and Dr Manuel Francisco de Albuquerque, A Biography, under publication), Christian history (Goa The Rachol Legacy, 1997, and Under the Archangel's Wings-St Michael's Church Anjuna 2004). Sister to a big name in print, ex-editor the late Frank Moraes, and aunt to the late poet Dom Moraes, Dr Albuquerque's knowledge of Indo-Portuguese history is not in doubt. One regret is that she takes the traditional perspective of narrating history as a series of wars, aggressions and regimes of various rulers. Lacking is a sufficiently detailed account of economic factors caused these events, and what the long-term fallouts of these events were on the simple people of the area who otherwise are almost invisible. What's worse is this title takes the perspective of dividing history into 'them' and 'us'. Take language such as: "In a lightening flash, the Khalifs of Baghdad swooped on the outlying desert tract of Sind; and only the timely combination of Hindu princes of neighbouring Gujerat managed to keep this menace at bay." Obviously, a lot of subjective colouring of history. Should we still be looking at the past in terms of Hindu and Muslim periods? Were these divisions so water-tight, as latter-day interpretations would like to make them seem? More than one reference to the Portuguese gives the impression that the writer has a sneaking admiration of their exploits. When the Marathas capture Bassein, the reader can't be blamed for feeling almost sorry for the Portuguese! Is this just inadvertent, or the result of depending too much on a historiography that has been dominated for far too long by Portuguese writers and perspectives? Photography for this book is, at best, functional and basic. Dr Albuquerque tries to situate Bassein in a wider context. Sometimes she succeeds. At other times, not. For example, the book lacks a single map which shows Bassein's location in South Asia, leading the non-specialist reader to guess where exactly it's located. An interesting book nonetheless, even if somewhat stteply priced; it's price is not mentioned, but understood to be $40, and targeted largely at the overseas reader. ENDS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOANET-READER WELCOMES contributions from its readers, by way of essays, reviews, features and think-pieces. We share quality Goa-related writing among the 7000-strong readership of the Goanet/Goanet-news network of mailing lists. If you appreciated the thoughts expressed above, please send in your feedback to the writer. Our writers write -- or share what they have written -- pro bono, and deserve hearing back from those who appreciate their work. 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