![Shadows of sacrifice: The martyrs of Cuncolim](http://media.assettype.com/heraldgoa%2Fimport%2Fuploads%2Fnews%2F224091_martyrs.jpeg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
The Martyrs of Cuncolim are commemorated annually in Goa, particularly in the Cuncolim village, where their sacrifice is honored and remembered as a pivotal moment in the history of Goa.
When discussing the political dimensions of the events of July 15, 1583, one needs to consider the relationship between Portuguese controlled regions of Salcéte along with regions outside the Portuguese domain, namely, those which were under the sultanate of Bijapur and the Vijayanagar empire, which had controlled the area before the Portuguese had taken it over. The circumstances through which the village of Cuncolim and the other villages involved came under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese Crown, their geographical situation and their political-administrative status are relevant while understanding this situation. Cuncolim, Velim, Veroda, Ambelim, and Assolna were five villages in the territory of Salcéte, situated between the Sal and Oudh rivers towards the southern end of the Portuguese-controlled region, and bordering the neighboring territory of Bijapur. Along with Margão and Verna, Cuncolim was one of the largest villages in Salcéte, and in that sense the head of this group of villages. During the Bijapur (and earlier Bahmani) overlordship, many landowners in Salcete grew into petty warlords who bore arms and were responsible for collecting taxes at the local level, which reinforced their statuses. In addition, the Adil Shahs of Bijapur usually recruited soldiers for the forces they had in the region from the five villages mentioned above.
Br. Aranha, wounded at the outset by a scimitar and a lance, fell a deep declivity into the thick crop of a rice field, where he lay until he was discovered. He was then carried to a Hindu idol, to which he was bidden to bow his head. Upon his refusal to do this, he was tied to a tree and was shot to death with arrows. The spot where this tree stood is marked with an octagonal monument surmounted by a cross, which was repaired by the Patriarch of Goa in 1885.