The Dynasties of the Kanarese Districts of the Bombay Presidency from the Earliest Historical Times to the Musalman Conquest c7.s8.67

c7.s8.67

Now as to the work of converting the natives, DeCoutto at the end of the sixteenth century speaks of this whole coast “as a great fishing ground for the Fathers of the company,” and estimates their converts at 60,000.⁵ As to the extent to which this was assisted by the State it must be noticed that its action was very different under different Viceroys, some of the greatest of whom expressly tolerated and protected the religions of the natives.⁶ Thus Albuquerque endeavoured to conciliate the goodwill of the natives, and to live in friendship with all the Indian princes, most of whom were better pleased to have the Portuguese as governed by him for neighbours than the Moors. So also Nuno da Cunha prohibited the priests from persecuting the Hindus for not being Catholics, and he administered justice to all persons, whether Portuguese Hindus or Moors. But others (and the policy of these eventually prevailed) went as far as they possibly could in destroying the temples of the heathen and even slaughtering the worshippers.. In 1546 the King wrote to the Viceroy John de Castro,⁷ complaining that idols were worshipped, not only in other places subject to Portugal but even in Goa itself. He therefore commanded that search should be made and all idols broken to pieces. Any one who should venture to make them was to be severely punished, as well as all who should publicly or privately celebrate any games of a heathen sort, or should help or conceal Bráhmans, “ those pestilent enemies of the Christian name.” And since it was intolerable that images of Christ or his saints should be made by heathen hands, any person making or selling such was to be fined and to receive two hundred lashes. The Musalmán mosques in the Portuguese territories were to pay tribute to the Church to the amount of Rs. 3000 a year. Converts were to have various privileges, and to be exempt from forced labour on board ship, to which other Indians were liable. His biographer is careful to state that John de Castro did not carry out these orders, not from any want of zeal in the service of God, but because the continual wars in which he was engaged prevented him,¹ but those who prefer it may be allowed to suppose that this great Viceroy thought with Albuquerque and Nuno da Cunha rather than with the clerical party and his royal master. Four or five years later the King communicated to the Pope his intention of founding many colleges for the Society of Jesus, so that the East might be filled with apostolical labourers : and in the meantime ordered all the seminaries established in the Indies for the education of youth to be made over to the society, and all the charges of the missioners in all their voyages to be defrayed by the Viceroy and the captains of the fortresses.² And in 1555 the then Viceroy, who was near enough to see that his orders were obeyed, prohibited private as well as public temples throughout the territories of Bassein, and also feasts, ceremonies, preaching by Bráhmans, ablutions, and burnings. Houses were to be searched for idols, and if any were found or forbidden practices discovered, the offender was to be sent to the galleys, and all his property forfeited, half to the informer and half to the church. In 1581 new converts were encouraged by a proclamation excusing them from payment of tithes and first-fruits for fifteen years, and at the same time the issue of licenses for the performance of heathen rites and festivals, by which it may be assumed the previous orders had been evaded, was prohibited throughout the Portuguese dominions.