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60-714: In 1521, the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein sent missionaries to Madras (now Chennai) in search of the tomb of Thomas the Apostle , who by local tradition had come to South Asia to preach the Gospel and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. The site they found was neglected and the Portuguese decided to rebuild the shrine over the tomb. With the support and authority of King John III of Portugal they started building

120-406: A rib vault ceiling made of teak wood , with marble and granite used in other parts of the construction. It was built with 16 windows and 34 stained glass panels, with a main stained glass over the altar representing Thomas the Apostle touching the wound of Christ. The statue in the main altar represents "Thomas the Apostle as priest and Jesus Christ as king". In addition, there are 14 Stations of

180-539: A large body of native non-Portuguese inhabitants for the Portuguese crown to rule. To better achieve this, Albuquerque resorted to medieval Iberian procedures: people of different religious communities were allowed to live by their laws under representatives of their respective communities. Exception was made to the practice of sati , which was abolished. Certain taxes due to the Adil Shah of Bijapur were also abolished. Native women were legally allowed property rights for

240-516: A new trading post at Kollam . The sixth Portuguese expedition to India was commanded by Lopo Soares de Albergaria , who bombarded Calicut, relieved Duarte Pacheco Pereira and the Portuguese garrison at Cochin defending the territory from a large attack by the Zamorin at the Battle of Cochin , sacked Cranganore , struck an allegiance with the king of Tanur which removed him from the suzerainty of

300-759: A result, at the outbreak of hostilities, Axis ships sought refuge in Goa rather than be sunk or captured by the British Royal Navy. Three German merchant ships, the Ehrenfels , the Drachenfels and the Braunfels , as well as an Italian ship, took refuge in the port of Mormugao . The Ehrenfels began transmitting Allied ship movements to the U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean, an action that

360-497: A trade treaty and trading post at Cananore , and clashed with a fleet belonging to the Zamorin at the Battle of Calicut of 1503 . He returned to Portugal in September 1503. The expedition of 1503 was the first time Afonso de Albuquerque sailed to India, as its commander. Its activities were limited to erecting a fort on the territory of the allied kingdom of Cochin, signing a peace with Zamorin that would prove brief, and opening

420-648: Is believed by worshippers to have been washed ashore and erected by Thomas the Apostle . These worshippers believe the presence of the pole saved the church from the 2004 tsunami . Relics claimed to be held at the church include: Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein The State of India (Portuguese: Estado da Índia [ɨʃˈtaðu ðɐ ˈĩdiɐ] ), also known as the Portuguese State of India (Portuguese: Estado Português da Índia , EPI ) or Portuguese India (Portuguese: Índia Portuguesa ),

480-545: The satyagrahis ( peaceful protesters ) against Portuguese rule, outside Goa were violently suppressed through brute force. Many internal revolts were quelled and leaders extrajudicially murdered or jailed. As a result, India broke off diplomatic relations with Portugal, closed its consulate-general in Panjim and demanded that Portugal must close its delegation in New Delhi . India also imposed an economic embargo against

540-580: The Canara , Cambay and Konkan regions along the west coast of India . At the time of the dissolution of the British Raj in 1947, Portuguese India comprised three administrative divisions , sometimes referred to collectively as Goa : Goa which included Anjediva and Damaon , which included the exclaves of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Dio districts . The Salazar regime of Portugal lost de facto control of Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1954. Finally,

600-725: The Dutch East India Company invasion, the Dutch also buried their dead there. The pirates of Tangasseri inhabited the cemetery before Europeans arrived. Remnants of this cemetery still exist today, very close to Tangasseri Lighthouse and St Thomas Fort , which are listed among the protected monuments in the Archaeological Survey of India . Most of the Northern Province, composed of Taana , Bassein (Vasai) and Chaul near British Bombay

660-734: The English Crown in 1661, as part of the dowry of Catherine Braganza to Charles II of England , who in turn leased the area to the English East India Company . In 1683, the Marathas attempted a siege against Portuguese settlements in the Konkan region, but with no success. Kollam ( Quilon ) was a prominent seaport and became a Portuguese settlement in 1519. They built a cemetery at Tangasseri in Quilon city. After

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720-576: The Indian peninsula , the most important of which were the eastern metropole of Goa and the largest province in Bombay-Bassein. Órfãs do Rei (literally "Orphans of the King") were orphaned Portuguese girls patronised by the King, and sent to overseas colonies to form marital alliances with either Portuguese settlers or natives of high status. In 1520, the Portuguese extended their dominion over

780-688: The Indian subcontinent , such as Portuguese Ceylon and Portuguese Chittagong . The Ottoman Empire carried out the Siege of Diu in 1538, with a strong fleet under the command of the Ottoman governor of Egypt Sulaiman Pasha for four months, with the aid of a large army provided by the Sultan of Guzerat; however they were ultimately forced to retreat with considerable losses. The successful defence of Dio by captain António da Silveira against overwhelming odds

840-715: The Malabar region , after the Kingdom of Cochin negotiated to become a protectorate of Portugal in 1505. With the Portuguese conquest of Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate in 1510, Goa became the major anchorage for the Armadas arriving in India. The capital of the viceroyalty was transferred from Cochin to Goa in 1530. From 1535, Mumbai (Bombay) was a harbour of Portuguese India, known as Bom Bahia , until it

900-569: The Marquis of Wellesley to send troops. Goa was briefly a British Protectorate from 1799 to 1813. The Portuguese governor Francisco António da Veiga Cabral managed to retain control of civil institutions by formally appointing the British officer in charge of the occupation, Sir William Clarke, as commander of Portuguese troops in Goa under his authority. In 1843, the capital was moved to Panjim ( Nova Goa or New Goa), when it officially became

960-456: The Phoebe , and sailed around India to Goa, where they sank the Ehrenfels . The British then sent an unencrypted radio message announcing it was going to seize the territory. This bluff made the other Axis crews scuttle their ships fearing they could be seized by British forces. The raid was described in the book Boarding Party by James Leasor . Due to the potential political ramifications of

1020-503: The second time with 15 ships and 800 men, arriving at Calicut on 30 October 1502. Gama this time made a call to expel all Muslims from Calicut which was turned down. The ruler showed willingness to sign a treaty, but Gama bombarded the city and captured several rice vessels after he was informed that the Zamorin was messaging neighbouring rulers to join him in resisting the Portuguese at the same time. While in India, Gama also attacked Onor, reduced Baticala to tributary status, established

1080-568: The secular education of the native elites was opened; and the Goan Inquisition was abolished. Under the influence of Pombal, King José declared that native Christians were equal in standing with Europeans, while the Viceroy Count of Ega declared religious freedom and prohibited racial slander. For these reasons, "Pombal and his collaborators remain, to this day, much respected figures in Goa" In 1783, following an attack on

1140-455: The Cross attached at the side wall of the cathedral. The church has two spires . The primary spire, at the left side of the church's entrance, is 45 metres (147 ft) tall. It can be seen from a distance and serves as a bell tower. The second spire rises from the center of the church to indicate the position of the believed tomb of Thomas. A 200-year-old British pipe organ is installed in

1200-473: The Northern Province of Portuguese India. It extended almost 100 km (62 mi) along the west coast from Daman to Chaul and in some places30–50 km (19–31 mi) inland. The territory ( province ) of Portuguese Bombay had its city centre in and around the Bassein Fort ; subject to the viceroy in the capital ( metropole ) of Velha Goa in south Konkan country, along with other colonies in

1260-582: The Portuguese could field perhaps 2,000 to 3,000 European and mestiço troops supported by a similar amount of local auxiliaries, while the larger Indian states could field tens of thousands each. Portuguese superiority in military technology (especially in ships and artillery), training (especially in the skill of their gunners), and tactics, combined with the disunity of the Indian states opposing them, allowed them to keep their position and consistently win their wars. The seven islands of Bombay were presented to

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1320-504: The Portuguese fortress of Diu was sieged a second time by a Gujarati army led by the lord of Surat Khoja Zufar . In 1556, the printing press in Goa was the first installed in India at Saint Paul's College, Goa . Through publications made on the press, he opened a window on the knowledge and customs of Europe. The Jesuits brought this European-style, metal movable type technology to Macao in China in 1588 and to Japan in 1590. By

1380-652: The Portuguese ship Santana, the Marathas handed over control of the territories of Dadrá and Nagar Áveli. The Portuguese then purchased Dadrá in 1785. By 1818, the Portuguese were the undisputed rulers of Nagar Áveli after the dissolution of the Maratha Confederacy . The Conspiracy of the Pintos , also known as the Pinto Revolt, was a rebellion against Portuguese rule in Goa in 1787. The leaders of

1440-461: The Zamorin, and finally captured a large Egyptian trade fleet at the Battle of Pandarane . On 25 March 1505, Francisco de Almeida was appointed Viceroy of India , on the condition that he would set up four forts on the southwestern Indian coast: Anjediva , Cannanore , Cochin and Quilon . Francisco de Almeida left Portugal with a fleet of 22 vessels with 1,500 men. On 13 September, Francisco de Almeida reached Anjadip Island, where he started

1500-422: The Zamorin, but the Portuguese were unable to pay the prescribed customs duties and price of his goods in gold. Later Calicut officials temporarily detained Gama's Portuguese agents as security for payment. This annoyed Gama, who carried off a few natives and sixteen fishermen with him by force. Nevertheless, Gama's expedition was successful beyond all reasonable expectations, bringing in cargo worth sixty times

1560-591: The administrative seat of the Estado , replacing the city of Velha Goa (Old Goa), although the viceroys had taken residence there already since 1 December 1759. In 1844, the Portuguese governor of India stopped administering the territories of Macão, Solór, and Timór. Only then was the territory of the State of India confined to the Indian subcontinent itself. Portugal was neutral during the Second World War. As

1620-470: The church's gallery, reached by stairs at the entrance. An adoration chapel adjoining the main church provides for silent moments before the Blessed Sacrament . This chapel can be approached from the left wing of the church apart from an exclusive entrance from the outside. A gold-painted wooden statue of Mother Mary was brought from Lisbon to Santhome Church in 1523. It is installed at

1680-670: The church, which was consecrated in 1523. Portuguese Padroado priests resumed the daily celebration of liturgy ( Holy Mass ) at the site. In 1545, Francis Xavier visited the shrine and lived for about one year in the presbytery of the Santhome Church before he left for his mission in Ilha Formosa ( Taiwan ). When he lived in the church, he regularly prayed in front of a statue of the Virgin Mother Mary and celebrated Holy Mass; he also prayed regularly at

1740-546: The city was set on fire. Zamorin's forces rallied, killing Coutinho and wounding Albuquerque. Albuquerque withdrew with his forces, and after Zamorin was assassinated in 1513, he entered into agreement with his successor to protect Portuguese interests in Malabar, and a fort was built on Calicut. In 1510, Afonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate sultan with the aid of the Hindu privateer Timoja , leading to

1800-470: The coast of Calicut, the Portuguese invited native fishermen on board and bought some Indian items. One Portuguese accompanied the fishermen to the port and met with a Tunisian Muslim. On the advice of this man, Gama sent a couple of his men to Ponnani to meet with the ruler of Calicut, the Zamorin . Over the objections of Arab merchants, Gama managed to secure a letter of concession for trading rights from

1860-402: The coastal waters southwards to Colombo , in what is now Sri Lanka . In Cannanore, a new ruler, hostile to the Portuguese and friendly with the Zamorin, attacked the Portuguese garrison, leading to the Siege of Cannanore . In 1507 Almeida's mission was strengthened by the arrival of Tristão da Cunha 's squadron. Afonso de Albuquerque's squadron had split from that of Cunha off East Africa and

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1920-484: The construction of Fort Anjediva . On 23 October, with the permission of the friendly ruler of Kōlattir, he started building Fort St Angelo of Cannanore , leaving Lourenço de Brito in charge with 150 men and two ships. On 31 October 1505, Francisco de Almeida reached Cochin with only 8 vessels left. There, he learned that the Portuguese traders at Quilon had been killed. He decided to send his son Lourenço de Almeida with 6 ships, who destroyed 27 Calicut vessels in

1980-415: The cost of the expedition. Pedro Álvares Cabral sailed to India, marking the arrival of Europeans to Brazil on the way, to trade for black pepper and other spices, negotiating and establishing a factory at Kozhikode , where he arrived on 13 September 1500. Matters worsened when the Portuguese factory at Kozhikode was ambushed by the locals, resulting in the deaths of more than fifty Portuguese. Cabral

2040-588: The dignity and rank of a minor basilica in 1956. Pope John Paul II is the only pope to have visited the church, in 1986. The church was declared a National Shrine in 2004 by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India , and became known as the National Shrine of Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica. Santhome Church exhibits the Gothic revival architecture style of the late 19th century. It has

2100-558: The establishment of a permanent settlement in the city of Velha Goa (Old Goa in English). Goa (island) bore the seat of the viceroy , who governed all the possessions in Asia. Albuquerque added to the State of India the cities of Malacca in 1511 and Ormus in 1515. He encouraged the settlement of his soldiers and their marriage to native women. In the mid-16th century, there were about 2000 casados ("married men") in Goa. Goa included

2160-758: The expense of the Dessais of Kudal , the Sondas, and the Bhonslas / Mahrattas of Silvassa , which became known as the Novas Conquistas . By order of the Marquis de Pombal , the Jesuits were expelled from Portugal's territories in 1759. They were replaced by the Oratorians , a native Goan Catholic religious order founded by Christian Brahmin and Christian Cxatria converts; a college dedicated to

2220-572: The fact that Britain had violated Portuguese neutrality, the raid remained secret until the book was published in 1978. In 1980 the story was made into the film, The Sea Wolves , starring Gregory Peck , David Niven and Roger Moore . On 24 July 1954 an organisation called " The United Front of Goans " took control of the enclave of Dadra . Nagar Haveli was seized by Azad Gomantak Dal on 2 August 1954. The International Court of Justice at The Hague delivered an impasse verdict, regarding access to Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Portugal. From 1954,

2280-780: The first structures at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount, Bandra , the Our Lady of Velankanni shrine and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Miracles , which are among the important Christian pilgrimage sites of South Asia. Several colonies were also acquired from the Sultan of Guzerat in the north Konkan region : Daman was sacked in 1531 and ceded in 1539; Salsette , the seven islands of Bombay , Chaul and Bassein (Vasai) in 1534; and Diu , in 1535. These would jointly come to be known as

2340-580: The first time. At Goa, Albuquerque instituted an orphan's fund and opened a hospital, the Hospital Real de Goa , modelled after the grand Hospital Real de Todos os Santos in Lisbon. Also at Goa were built smaller hospitals run by the city's charity, the Misericórdia , dedicated to serving the poor and the natives. Albuquerque's policies proved immensely popular amongst his soldiers as well as

2400-597: The fleet discovered the islands of Ascension and Saint Helena in the South Atlantic, and despite it having been planned as a purely commercial expedition, the fleet clashed with vessels of the Zamorin of Calicut off the Malabar Coast at the First Battle of Cannanore , the first significant naval battle of Portuguese India. The fleet may also have called at Ceylon. Vasco da Gama sailed to India for

2460-506: The harbour of Quilon. Almeida took up residence in Cochin and strengthened Fort Manuel . The Zamorin prepared a fleet of 200 ships to oppose the Portuguese, but in March 1506, Lourenço de Almeida (son of Francisco) was victorious in a sea battle at the entrance to the harbour, in the Battle of Cannanore (1506) , an important setback for the fleet of the Zamorin. Lourenço de Almeida explored

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2520-455: The left side of the church altar and is referred to as Our Lady of Mylapore or, locally, Mylai Matha. The feast of Mylai Matha is celebrated in December . Worshippers show devotion to Mylai Matha on the second Saturday of the month, with special prayers, procession, rosary and benediction in the evening. The tradition is held to have begun with Francis Xavier . A wooden pole at the church

2580-607: The local population, especially his characteristically strict observance of justice. When Albuquerque died in sight of Goa in 1515, even the Hindu natives of Goa mourned his passing alongside the Portuguese. His tomb at the Nossa Senhora da Serra hermitage was converted to a shrine by the local Hindus, who would leave flowers there in his dedication and direct prayers to him, seeking aid in matters of justice, until his remains were returned to Portugal in 1566. The Portuguese had also shipped Órfãs do Rei to their colonies in

2640-553: The plot were three prominent priests from the village of Candolim in the concelho of Bardez . They belonged to the noble Roman Catholic Brahmin Pinto clan, hence the name of the rebellion. This was the first anti-colonial revolt in India and one of the first by Catholic subjects in all European colonies. Military intelligence about France's plan to occupy Goa caused the British Governor-general at Calcutta,

2700-736: The rest of the overseas territory was lost in December 1961 with the Indian Annexation of Goa under PM Nehru . Portugal only recognised Indian control after the Carnation Revolution and the fall of the Estado Novo regime in a treaty signed on 31 December 1974. The first Portuguese encounter with the subcontinent was on 20 May 1498, when Vasco da Gama reached Calicut on the Malabar Coast . Anchored off

2760-555: The return voyage on 16 January 1501 and arrived in Portugal with only 4 of the 13 ships on 23 June 1501. In 1502, the Portuguese built a trading post in Pulicat because its location at the mouth of a lagoon made it a great natural harbor. The third Portuguese expedition to reach India sailed under the command of João da Nova and was composed of four ships, tasked mainly with acquiring spices and returning to Europe. While en route,

2820-496: The start of the 17th century, the population of Goa and the surrounding areas was about 250,000. Holding this strategic land against repeated attacks by the Indian states required constant infusions of men and material. Portugal's important victories, such as the battle of Cochin in 1504, the defence of Diu in 1509 , the conquest of Goa in 1510, the defences of Diu in 1538 and 1546, and the defence of Goa in 1571 were accomplished with limited manpower . In their largest deployments,

2880-442: The time the native laws of Goa were still not written, instead being handled by councils of elders or religious judges and passed down orally. There were Portuguese settlements in and around the Coromandel region . The Luz Church in the Mylapore neighbourhood of Madras (Chennai) was the first church that the Portuguese built in the area in 1516; the São Tomé or San Thome shrine was rebuilt by them in 1522. They also built

2940-417: The tomb. The church was made a cathedral in 1606 by Pope Paul V with the creation of the Diocese of Saint Thomas of Mylapore . The church was rebuilt in 1896 by the British in the style of Gothic Revival architecture . The place where Thomas is believed to be buried is marked by the second small tower in the centre of the cathedral. Pope Pius XII honoured this cathedral church, elevating it to

3000-449: The town of Rachol , when Krishnadevaraya captured the Rachol Fort and delivered it to the Portuguese, in exchange for a mutual defence pact against the Deccan Sultanates . In 1526, John III of Portugal granted the city of Goa and its town hall the same legal status as Lisbon , in a foral in which the general laws and privileges of the city, its town hall, and the local Hindu community were detailed – especially important since at

3060-419: The viceroy at Goa only controlled limited portions of the Portuguese settlements in the east ; some settlements remained informal private affairs, without a captain or câmara (municipal council). By the end of the 18th century, most of these unofficial colonies were abandoned by Portugal, due to heavy competition from European and Indian rivals. In later years, Portugal's authority was confined to holdings in

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3120-411: Was a battle of annihilation , is one of the most celebrated exploits in Portuguese history, and frequently compared to the Great Siege of Malta . On the occasion, the Portuguese captured the Tiro de Diu , a massive Guzerati bombard. According to Portuguese records, there was a cholera epidemic in 1543, "It is said that deaths from the disposal of the disease were so numerous that the disposal of bodies

3180-450: Was a state of the Portuguese Empire founded six years after the discovery of the sea route to the Indian subcontinent by Vasco da Gama , a subject of the Kingdom of Portugal . The capital of Portuguese India served as the governing centre of a string of military forts and maritime ports scattered along the coasts of the Indian Ocean . The first viceroy Francisco de Almeida established his base of operations at Fort Manuel in

3240-422: Was a formidable task" On 16 May 1546, the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier requested the institution of the Goa Inquisition for the " Old Christians " and " New Christians " in a letter to John III of Portugal . Non-Christians were officially oppressed, even before the Inquisition was set up. Francis Xavier was instrumental in a mass conversion of 30,000 Paravar fishermen at Cape Comorin . In this year,

3300-404: Was decisively defeated at the Battle of Diu in 1509. In 1509, Afonso de Albuquerque was appointed the second governor of Portuguese possessions in the East. After acquiring their first protectorate in Portuguese Cochin , a new fleet under Marshal Fernão Coutinho arrived with specific instructions to destroy the power of Zamorin of Calicut . Zamorin's palace was captured and destroyed, and

3360-436: Was extremely damaging to Allied shipping. The British Royal Navy was unable to take any official action against these ships because of Goa's stated neutrality. Instead the Indian mission of Special Operations Executive backed a covert raid using members from the Calcutta Light Horse , a part-time unit made up of civilians who were not eligible for normal war service. The Light Horse embarked on an ancient Calcutta riverboat,

3420-516: Was handed over, through the dowry of Catherine de Braganza to Charles II of England in 1661. The expression "State of India" began regularly appearing in documents in the mid-16th century. Until the 18th century, the viceroy in Goa had authority over all Portuguese possessions in and around the Indian Ocean, from Southern Africa to Southeast Asia . In 1752, Mozambique got its own separate government; from 1844 on, Portuguese Goa stopped administering Macao , Solor and Timor . Despite this,

3480-421: Was independently conquering territories in the Persian Gulf to the west. In March 1508, a Portuguese squadron under the command of Lourenço de Almeida was attacked by a combined Mameluk Egyptian and Gujarat Sultanate fleet at Chaul and Dabul respectively, led by admirals Mirocem and Meliqueaz in the Battle of Chaul . Lourenço de Almeida died after a fierce fight in this battle. Mamluk-Indian resistance

3540-444: Was lost following another Mahratta Invasion of Bassein in 1739. Goa, Daman and Diu as well as Anjediva , were retained because a fleet of Portuguese Armadas arrived from Lisbon , bearing a newly appointed viceroy. In 1752, Mozambique was detached from the State of India and henceforth ruled by its own governor. In the aftermath of the battles and the losses, the Portuguese expanded the territory of Goa between 1763 and 1788, at

3600-441: Was outraged by the attack on the factory and seized ten Arab merchant ships anchored in the harbor, killing about six hundred of their crew, confiscating their cargo and promptly burning the ships. Cabral also ordered his ships to bombard Calicut for an entire day in retaliation for the violation of the agreement. Additionally, Cabral succeeded in making advantageous treaties with local rulers in Cochin and Cannanore . Cabral started

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