It all began on July 11, 1583 at the Verna Church under the leadership of Fr Rudolfo Aquviva, a learned and pious 35-year-old Jesuit who had just returned from Akbar’s Court in Agra after a three year stay in June 1583. On July 14, Aquaviva went to Orlim with a specialist in the construction of churches brother Francis Aranha. Accompanying them were Francisco Rodrigues, a treasurer and his clerk Joao de Silva, Paulo da Costa, the procurator of new converts and three Goans, Affonso da Costa, Francisco Rodrigues and Domingos Aguiar. Other priests were Affonso Pacheco, Rector of Rachol Seminary, António Francisco and Pedro Berno, Vicar of the Orlim and Colva Church respectively. There were many new Christians from Orlim. Of those massacred on July 15, 1583 five were Jesuits. On July 17, their bodies were recovered by the Portuguese and buried in Rachol and later in the Cathedral at Old Goa. They were declared as martyrs in 1741 and beatified in Rome in 1893.
The Gaonkars paid a heavy price, for this massacre as the Portuguese burnt houses, razed temples and killed people. The government decided to end this by getting rid of the local leaders. They persuaded the Adil Shahi envoy to invite the local leaders for peace talks as the Gaonkars did not trust the Portuguese. As the clan leaders were assured of a safe passage, they obliged and exactly sixteen unarmed Chieftains entered the Fortress of Assolna. As soon as they entered, fifteen Chieftains were killed and as oral history tells us one, Kalgo Naik, managed to jump into the river Sal and escape to Karwar. The date of this event however has not been recorded.
The fifteen chieftains who are respected and venerated by the people of Cuncolim are Jivlo Naik, Moluco Naik, Aga Naik alias Wagh, Santu Chantim, Ramgaro alias Rama, Khampru Naik, Shabu Naik, Topi Naik, Jhang Naik, Polputto Naik, Bozro Naik, Shanta Sheth, Vithoba Naik, Yesu Naik and Guno Naik. The fortress was later destroyed and a Church dedicated to Our Lady of Martyrs was built.
July 15, 2022 has been declared as the first National War Memorial day for the State of Goa. For the people of Cuncolim, this was the fulfilment of their long standing aspiration and demand to commemorate the event of 1583, fought by their valiant ancestors for Swadharma (freedom of religion) and Swaraj (political freedom). We all celebrate the causes that we believe in. What is this belief is how history gets interpreted. For the Catholic Church, the missionary priests who came from far away Europe leaving behind their families and friends in the prime of their youth had an inherent cause of missionary zeal. For the people of Cuncolim, the killing of their Chieftains was an act of unpardonable treachery.
History and political interpretation depends on which side of the political spectrum we belong. Historical figures and events are many a times used as heroes to represent a particular political formation.
Sixteenth century was a period of war and conquests. Conquerors were celebrated and the defeated were captured as prisoners of war .Today in India, we celebrate the people and their role to govern themselves. Unfortunately our own representatives use history for narrow electoral gains. The declaration of Emergency (under a constitutional provision) and the destruction of the Babri Masjid (built by the Mughal Emperor Babur more than 400 years ago, disputed and then proved in court as birthplace of Lord Ram) are both black days in the history of our nation, contrived by our very own and destruction of our built in heritage! These are unfortunate events in history that can be justified or opposed depending on which side of the fence one is and that is the burden of history which permits selective political interpretation of past events.
Historiography is the study of the writing of history and written histories. Impartiality is the corner stone in the writing of a critical historical narration. Undue adulation, designed to serve a political agenda converts history into hagiography! This revolt was a subject of discussion much earlier in the 1930’s when the Goan intellectual Luis de Menezes Bragança had penned an article on, ‘Who are the real martyrs of Cuncolim? He concluded that the tribal Chiefs were the real martyrs, as they died in defence of their faith. Menezes Bragança’s 86th death anniversary went unnoticed on 10th July.
To fight an imperialist power, backed by its army by the people of a small village has always made the adjoining villages of Assolna and Velim proud. Being a daughter of these villages, I have grown up with stories about how the martial spirit of the Ksyatriyas, defended their homeland. My father, late Adv Louis Mendes had written an article in the Goan Tribune in 1958, “The Punjab of Goa” (Assolna, Velim, Cuncolim, Veroda and Ambelim). Uncle Dr Euclito de Souza, husband of gynecologist Dr Blanche Mendes also wrote in 1961, “Confiscation of Cuncolim: A historical survey”, an article on the usurpation of land after the revolt.
Cuncolim was a prosperous village in terms of agriculture, commerce, industry with its foundries, carpentry, pottery works, a popular market place with regular temple fairs and on a trade route between the ghats and the coast.
Dr Teotonio de Souza had suggested that the local elite controlled the temple economy as well as the bazaar. Historian Ermelinda dos Stuarts Gomes, in her book Sumário da História Geral da Índia – Portugueses na Índia (1926) writes that “army of Goa at that time was predominantly recruited from the villages of AVC and Canacona.” Cuncolim is also referred to as the ‘land of freedom fighters’.
The Portuguese policy of conquest and evangelization was resisted by the people of AVC. The Portuguese raised the taxes, mandating an amount twice the amount that was earlier paid to the Sultan of Bijapur. The AVC gãocars refused to pay taxes for a period of eight years (1575-1583).The tax collector Estevão Rodrigues, in Assolna was killed. A courier from Cochin carrying letters to the Viceroy was beaten and the letters taken away from him. The Viceroy ordered his forces to attack the villages of Assolna and Cuncolim. Frs António Francis, and Pedro Berni, who had accompanied these troops were later killed. Therefore, it was the people of AVC who led ‘a people’s war of independence’ or a struggle of non-cooperation with the Portuguese.
Today it is evident that this marshal spirit still binds the people and is perceived as a nationalist spirit of the people of AVC. November 27, 1999 this spirit came to the fore when the Chieftain’s Memorial was erected. This revolt can no doubt be viewed as a microcosmic representation of assertion by the people of Goa.
It is also the day that 5 priests, one Portuguese and lay people were killed. For historiography, both events are inalienable facts of history. It is the burden of history that requires the support of both these events on the strong shoulders of both the Hindus and Catholics of Cuncolim who have always believed, “Ami dogui, ek motketle”, a filial bond strengthened as victims of a shared colonial history.
(Dr Sushila Sawant Mendes is Professor & Author in History & Goa Govt. Best College Teacher Awardee)