History of Goa

If there is one thing that makes Goa different from other parts of India than it is its East-West symbiosis giving it a special historical and social niche. The history of Goa tells a sweet and sour story of colonial heritage, oppressive rulers, a glorious culture, and uneventful immediate past.

As a land with the identity of its own, Goa was brought into focus when it was liberated of Portugal from its oppressive rule of around 450 hundred years in 1961. Goa was captured and annexed to the Portuguese in 1510 following the urges of trade and demand of spices and also cottons and indigo. But, Goa has a history that starts much before Portugal even thought of Goa being where it is.

Goa - The Early History
Goa was coveted and ruled by a great number of Indian kingdoms and dynasties from the 4th century onwards. The first kingdom to rule Goa and Konkan were Bhojas, who were the feudatories of Ashoka in 4th and 5th centuries AD. The city of Chandrapur (present Chandor) was founded by Prince Chandraditya, son of Chalukya King Pulakesin from 566 to 597 A.D. after this, Goa was ruled consecutively by Silahara Dynasty, Kadamba Danasty, and finally Hoysalas from 1022 to 1342 A.D.

From the 14th century onwards, Goa became a great trading center on the west coast, especially in the vast trade of horses imported from the Middle East. This was the time for bigger empires to move in and Vijayanagar Empire conquered it in 1344. But there empire was not going to last too long and in 1347, Bahmani Sultans defeated Vijayanagara forces in 1347 and controlled Goa.
Afterwards, it was a time of great prosperity and peace for Gpa, especially during the rules of Yusuf Adil Shah and Ismail Adil Shah. They created beautiful houses, fortified Goa, and encouraged local craftsmen. Their liberal and progressive rule was not going to last too long and situation changed in 1510 A.D.

Goa Under the Portuguese :
Goa for all purposes was not on the Portuguese Radar even after a long time of their presence in India. When the Portuguese nobleman Alfonso de Albuquerque and his cousin Francisco de Albuquerque were sent with a powerful fleet in 1503 on the orders of King Dom Manuel I, the purpose was to defend the cargoes of spices, mostly pepper, against Arab Muslim raiders. The center of spice trade was Calicut at that time and Portuguese had built forts in Cochin and Cannanore.

It was in 1506-08 that an opportunistic pirate, Timoja, persuaded Albuquerque to attack Goa and acquire a better land base. This made Goa, Portugal's first real territorial acquisition in Asia. After a brief period of recapturing by the Muslims, Goa Albuquerque finally captured Goa in 1510.

The inquisition of Goa in 1540 reversed the previous liberal policy of Albuquerque and imposed strict censorship of literature and new laws to forbade non-Christians from professions. Forced conversions took place continuously, censorship was established on literature, the temples were destroyed, and non-Christian priests, holy men, and teachers were evicted. This led to continuous fleeing of Hindus from Goa to other parts of India.

It is not that the relationship with Portugal brought only destruction for the Goans. Portuguese also built great churches like the church of St. Cajetan and Bom Jesus basilica in Old Goa, which is a pilgrimage site for the Christians from around the world. But it is also true that pre-1961, Goa was a highly impoverished region very backward and primitive. It is after the liberation that Goa of today has emerged and it has surprised even the locals many of whom had left their homeland before its liberation. Portugal and India are today friends and Goa continues to be a fascinating blend of Latin and Oriental.

Goa is India's smallest state , it is located on the west coast of india in the region known as Konkan . Goa was ruled by the Portuguese for 450 years till it was liberated from the portuguese to form a part of india on 19th december 1961. Goa has a long history of rulers dating back to the 3 rd century bc when it was the part of the mauryan empire .goa has been ruled by numerous rulers Silharas,Kadamdas,Chaukyans , kings of Deccan,kings of Vijaynagar,Adilshah of Bijapur and last but not least the Portuguese who were the most sucessful of them all .

The Portuguese came in 1498 ans were the the first Europeans to set foot in India , they soon established a trading colony for the sole purpose of dealing with spices and cotton and later ended up ruling the state when the portuguese admiral alfonso de albuquere defeated the ruling Bijapur kings on the behalf of a local sovereign. Goa encompasses an area of 3702 square kilometers.it is bounded by the state of Maharastra on the north and Karnatakaon the east and the south .The Arabian sea makes up the states west coast .

Goa has a coast line of 101 kms which comprises of beautiful beaches .Its main rivets are the Mandovi ,the Zuari ,the Terekhol,Chapora and the Betul.The Mandovi and Zuari are the life lines of the state .Goa has one of the best natural habours in South Asia known as Mormugao.Goa being in the tropical zone has a warm and humid climate .Goa consists of 3 seasons namely the summer, rainy or the wet season and the cool season .temperatures can reach a max of 35 degrees in summer and 18 degrees in the cool season , the rainy or wet season last between june and september.

Goa is one of indias richest state with a GDP per capita of one and a half times that of the country .Tourism is Goa's primary industry followed by the fishing industry and the mining industry.Rice is the main agricultural crop followed by cashew and coconut .Panjim is Goa's administarative capital and the hub of the business industry , Panjim lies on the left side of the river Mandovi over looking Goa's legislative capital Porvorim .Konkani is Goa's primary spoken language ,English and Marathi is the language used for official literacy or educational purposes.Hindi , India's national language is also spoken as a second or third language.