32-664: Mazagaon , also spelled Mazgaon and Mazagon (Portuguese era Mazagão), and pronounced by the Christian Bombay East Indians as 'Mazgon' or 'Maz-a-gon' and Marathi-speakers as Mazhgav. It was one of the seven islands of Bombay . It is now a part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Area . • Matharpacady Village Website Bombay East Indians The Bombay East Indians , also called East Indian Catholics or simply East Indians , are an ethno-religious Indian Christian community native to
64-762: A detached bathroom. East Indian Catholics speak the East Indian dialect of Marathi-Konkani , which they retained despite Portuguese rule. The dialect is central to the community's identity. The author of Trans Bomb Geog Soc, 1836–38, Vol I mentions the dialects spoken by the East Indians of Salsette , Mahim , Matunga & Mazgaon ; similar to the dialects spoken by the Kulbis, Kolis, Bhandaris, Palshes, Pathare Prabhus , Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathares ( Panchkalshis ), Kuparis & Vadvals ; this may have been Konkani . Some East Indian upper-class families of
96-552: A fresh disturbance took place among the Kolis. The leader of this outbreak was Ramji Naik Bhangria, who was an abler and more daring man than his predecessors, and succeeded in baffling all the efforts of the Government officers to seize him. As force seemed hopeless, the Government offered Ramji a pardon and gave him an important police post. The word Peshwa is from Persian پیشوا pēshwā , meaning "foremost, leader". The term
128-451: Is the lugra . For men, traditional wear consists of khaki shorts and a white banian . A Koli Christian bridegroom usually wears an older Portuguese admiral's uniform, which is preserved and lent out for such occasions. East Indian women wore a blouse and cotton lugra, with the back pleats tucked into the waist; women did not use the upper portion of the sari (covering the head and breast) until they were married. This mode of wearing
160-635: The Age of Discovery , Portuguese Armadas under the command of Vasco Da Gama found their way to India in 1498 via the Cape Route . In the next few years they acquired many colonial possessions in what would become the Portuguese East Indies ; their main aims were to capitalise on the spice trade and promotion of Christian missions to convert indigenous peoples , for which the Primate of
192-660: The Ancient Indian Christian community reportedly founded by Bartholomew the Apostle . They coalesced into a community under Portuguese rule known as Norteiros and later as "Portuguese Christians" or "Bombay Portuguese" in British Bombay. The Franciscans spearheaded the evangelisation of the "Province of the North" ( Província do Norte ) headquartered at Fort San Sebastian of Bassein , but
224-802: The Chhatrapati . Initially serving as the appointed prime minister in the Maratha Kingdom , the office became hereditary after the death of Shahu in 1749. During the reign of Shahu, the office of Peshwa grew in power and the Peshwas came to be the de facto rulers of the Maratha Confederacy . However following the defeat of the Marathas in 1761 , the office of the Peshwa became titular as well and from that point onwards served as
256-627: The Seven Islands of Bombay and the neighbouring Mumbai Metropolitan Area of the Konkan division , along the western coast of India . A Dominican missionary by the name Jordanus Catalani, who was either Catalan or Occitan (southern French), began evangelising the locals in Sopara , Thana & Kalyan-Dombivli towns of north Konkan in around 1323 AD. Sopara was an ancient port and an international trading center. After ushering in
288-513: The 1960s, the Archdiocese of Bombay estimated that there were 92,000 East Indians in Bombay: 76,000 in suburban Bombay and 16,000 in the city . A typical Koli house consists of a veranda ( oli ), used for repairing nets and receiving visitors; a sitting-room ( angan ), used by women for household work; a kitchen, a central apartment, a bedroom, a devotional room ( devaghar ) and
320-590: The British takeover of Surat (allegedly as part of Catherine's dowry to Charles). A weakened Portugal, no longer a part of the Crown of Spain, had to oblige. Nevertheless, parts of present-day Bombay (such as Bandra, Thane and Vasai) remained Portuguese well into the first third of the 18th century. Since the early days of the English East India Company , there were no other Indian Christians in
352-527: The East Indies was founded. Although Brahmins and other higher castes were ceremoniously converted by the Portuguese Church , and were treated with favour and distinction, most of them continued to engage in agriculture, fishing, and other rural occupations handed down by their ancestors, and received neither secular nor religious education. Among the converts were a number of descendants of
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#1732781191268384-666: The Khatri ward at Thana district used to speak Bombay Portuguese . At least 110 Portuguese lexical items are found in Maharashtra sponsored Marathi. Many of the characters in the book Bloodline Bandra by Godfrey Joseph Pereira (2014) are East Indian. The book is set in the 1950s in Pali Village . Although the East Indians have preserved their pre-Christian Marathi-Konkani culture and traditions, many Portuguese influences have been absorbed. Traditional dress for women
416-652: The Kolovery Welfare Association founded the Maharashtra Swaraj Party (MSP), to give voice to the community's concerns. The party, which represents the East Indian community, was expected to support five candidates from Mumbai's suburbs in the 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. Peshwa The Peshwa was the second highest office in the Maratha Confederacy , next in rank and prestige only to that of
448-597: The Maratha Confederacy reached its zenith, ruling major areas of India . The subsequent Peshwas brought in autonomy and as a result later on many states were controlled and administered by the Maratha chiefs such as Scindias and Gaekwads . In 1760, the peace of Peshwa government was broken by a rising of Kolis under their Naik Javji Bamble . Javji withdrew to the hills and organised a series of gang robberies, causing widespread terror and misery throughout
480-660: The North Konkan except the East Indian Catholics. Employment intended for Christians was monopolised by the East Indians. With railways and steamships came immigrants from Goa who were also called "Portuguese Christians". For Queen Victoria 's Golden Jubilee, the Christians of North Konkan changed their name from "Portuguese Christians" to "East Indians" to impress upon the British in Bombay, that they were
512-651: The ceremonial head of the Confederacy underneath the Chhatrapati. All Peshwas during the rule of Shivaji , Sambhaji and Rajaram belonged to Deshastha Brahmin community. The first Peshwa was Moropant Pingle , who was appointed as the head of the Ashta Pradhan (council of eight ministers) by Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Kingdom. The initial Peshwas were all ministers who served as
544-495: The chief executives to the king. The later Peshwas held the highest administrative office and also controlled the Maratha confederacy. Under the Chitpavan Brahmin Bhat family , the Peshwas became the de facto hereditary administrators of the Confederacy. The Peshwa's office was most powerful under Baji Rao I (r. 1720–1740). Under Peshwa administration and with the support of several key generals and diplomats,
576-447: The country. For twenty years he held out bravely, defeating and killing the generals the Peshwa's Government sent against him. At last he was so hotly pursued that, on the advice of Dhondo Gopal, the Peshwa's governor at Nasik , he surrendered all his forts to Tukoji Holkar and, through Holkar 's influence, was pardoned and placed in military and police charge of a district of sixty villages with powers of life and death outlaws. In 1798,
608-534: The earliest British subjects in India, and were entitled to certain natural rights and privileges in comparison with immigrants. The Bombay East Indian Association was founded on 26 May 1887 to advance the education, employment, rights and economic development of the East Indians. P F Gomes, who was knighted by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, was its first president and J L Britto its first secretary. D G D'Almeida donated ₹ 100,000 to establish an education fund. During
640-587: The entire state under many challenges such as the Mughal influx, the betrayal of Vatandars , and scarcity of food. With his help, Sachiv kept the Maratha State on a sound economic footing. The Maratha war of succession between Tara Bai and Shahu resulted in latter's victory and assumption of Maratha throne as Chhatrapati. In 1713, Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath (Bhat) , as Peshwa. The appointment of Balaji's son, Baji Rao I , as Peshwa in 1719 by Shahu made
672-640: The eve of the phool dongri feast in May at Holy Cross Church . The East Indians were recognised as OBC (other backward Class) status by the Government of Maharashtra on 1 March 2006 by the way of official gazette. In Sept 2014, local non-governmental organisations such as the Watchdog Foundation, Mobai Gaothan Panchayat, the Bombay East Indian Association , Vakola Advanced Locality Management, Kalina Civic Forum&
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#1732781191268704-524: The fort's officials were subordinate to the viceroy in the capital of Velha Goa . From 1534 to 1552, a priest by the name António do Porto converted over 10,000 people, built a dozen churches, convents, and a number of orphanages hospitals and seminaries. Prominent among the converts were two yogis from the Kanheri Caves who became known as Paulo Raposo and Francisco de Santa Maria. They introduced Christianity to their fellow yogis, converting many in
736-602: The position hereditary in the Bhat family. Baji Rao proved his loyalty by controlling the feudal chieftains who wanted independence from the Maratha Empire. The rebellion of General Trimbak Rao Dabhade, the senapati (commander in chief), over Chauthai (revenue collection) of Gujarat is one example of such internal Maratha feuds. The followers of Baji and Trimbak clashed at the Battle of Bilhapur on 1 April 1731, and Trimbak
768-894: The process. Another notable convert during this period was the Brahmin astrologer Parashuram Joshi, who was baptized on 8 September 1565 with the name Henrique da Cunha. Joshi's conversion was followed by that of 250 Hindus, including over 50 Brahmins. In Salsette, the priest Manuel Gomes converted over 6,000 Hindus in Bandra and was known as the Apostle of Salsette. In 1573, 1,600 people were converted. Beginning in 1548, Jesuits in Bassein (Baçaim) and Bandra converted many upper-caste Hindus; Bassein recorded 9,400 baptisms in 1588. The Jesuit superior Gonçalo Rodrigues baptised between 5,000 and 6,000 Hindus in Thane (Tana), many of whom were orphans or
800-430: The sari is known as sakacch nesane . Gol nesane , a cylindrical style, is popular with young girls and women. The film Tu Maza Jeev , in the East Indian language , was released on Maharashtra Day in 2009. East Indians organise singing competitions in their own language . The competition is primarily held in the evening of important village occasions; for example, Kurla has an annual competition on
832-499: The titular Raja of Satara , were called Swami ( Marathi for the 'real owner') by the Peshwas who reported to them, and officially they were to seek guidance from the Raja. However, the Peshwa also became a ceremonial head of state after the battle of Panipat and the death of Madhavrao . The first Peshwa to receive the status of a pantpradhan was Ramchandra Pant Amatya Bawdekar in 1689 by Rajaram. The first (Bhat) Deshmukh family Peshwa
864-618: The young children of lower-caste Hindus who were sold by their parents. In 1634, Bassein had sixty-three friars, thirty Franciscans, fifteen Jesuits, ten Dominicans, and eight Augustines. By the end of the 16th century the Catholic population of the Portuguese Province of the North was 10,000 to 15,000, centered mainly in and around Bassein. After the Province of the North came under Maratha occupation in 1739 and Catholicism
896-613: Was Balaji Vishwanath (Bhat) Deshmukh. He was succeeded as Peshwa by his son Baji Rao I , who never lost a battle. Baji Rao and his son, Balaji Baji Rao, oversaw the period of greatest Maratha expansion, brought to an end by the Marathas' defeat by an Afghan army at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761. The last Peshwa, Baji Rao II , was defeated by the British East India Company in the Battle of Khadki which
928-854: Was inherited from the political vocabulary of previous Persianate empires operating in the Deccan. As early as 1397, the Bahmani Sultanate designated its prime minister as "peshwa". In the 16th and 17th centuries, this practice was continued by the Ahmednagar Sultanate and the Bijapur Sultanate , both successor states of the Bahmani Sultanate. After the coronation of Shivaji in 1674, he appointed Moropant Trimbak Pingle as his first Peshwa. Shivaji renamed this designation as Pantpradhan in 1674 but this term
960-418: Was killed. In gratitude, Shahu gave the Peshwas and the Bhat family unchallenged control over Maratha empire. who also appointed Baji Rao's son as Peshwa in 1740, gave considerable authority to the Peshwas to command the Maratha armies, and they responded well during his reigns. At the time of his death in 1749, Shahu made the Peshwas his successors under these conditions: Shivaji's descendants, who remained as
992-517: Was less commonly used. Moropant Trimbak Pingale's son, Nilopant Moreshvar Pingale , succeeded him during Sambhaji 's rule after Moropant Pingle's death in 1683. Ramchandra Amatya recaptured many forts from the Mughals between 1690 and 1694, some in person, as well as personally conducting guerilla war techniques. When Rajaram I fled to Jinji in 1689, before leaving Maharashtra, he gave "Hukumat panha" (King Status) to Pant. Ramchandra Pant managed
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1024-750: Was under severe threat from the Brahmin Peshwas , the native East Indian clergy under the Vicar General at Kurla managed and nursed the community back to a flourishing population in British Bombay . Changes occurred under British rule. On 11 May 1661, the Marriage Treaty of Charles Stuart II of England and Catherine de Braganza , daughter of John IV of Portugal gave Bombay to the British Empire as intended, since
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