COLLABORATORS FOR THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE "ESTADO DA INDIA": THE

ALBUQUERQUIAN POLICY OF MISCEGENATION IN GOA

Author(s): Sharon Da Cruz
Source: Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 69 (2008), pp. 321-327
Published by: Indian History Congress
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 COLLABORATORS FOR THE
CONSOLIDATION OF THE ESTADO DA
INDIA: THE ALBUQUERQUIAN POLICY
OF MISCEGENATION IN GOA
Sharon Da Cruz

A transition is a systematic but gradual process that definitely resu

in the replacement of the 'old' by at least a semblance of the new
Colonialism is one such process wherein a 'foreign' political pow
tries to assert its controlover a terra incognito (unknown land). T
Portuguese panegyrists state that Afonso de Albuquerque founded
mixed but legitimate and Christian Indo Portuguese race by fosteri
intermarriages between European men and 'selected' Indian women
But, the post-colonial theorists argue that this was impossible witho
a well-planned policy or rather a strategy that was designed t
„ consolidate the Portuguese power over the Estado da India .
In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze the policy of
miscegenation that was adopted by Afonso de Albuquerque and th
extent to which the casados (married men) and later their descenden
fulfilled the Albuquerquian design in Goa during his tenure as th
Governor General.

Afonso de Albuquerque was the son of Gonçalo de Albuerque and

Donna Leanor de Menezes. Basedon the sources that corroborate to
his expedition to India, it can be stated that Albuquerque was a 'master
mason' who laid the foundations of the Portuguese thalassocratic Empire
in the East in his capacity as the Admiral of the Portuguese navy and
later as the Governor (T.F. Earle and John Villers: 1965, 2).
Albuquerque was particularly interested in Goa as he visualized it
as "... the best place in the region from which you gain control over
the terra firma." ( Cartas : 1, 20). The Portuguese Monarch, Dom Manuel
I accepted this proposal as he had proudly assumed the title of the
Lord of Conquests, Navigation and Commerce.
In the early 16lh century, the 'few' Portuguese soldados (soldiers)
who pioneered the 'discoveries' were "scoundrels by birth" (included
the treacherous nobility, turbulent gentry, ignorant peasants, fishermen,
an urban rabble of artisans and day laborers) who were forcibly enlisted
and sent overseas (C.R. Boxer: 1965, 389). No Portuguese solteiras
(unmarried women) came to the overseas till the 2nd half of the 16th
century on account of the perilous and tiresome journey. (Antonio da

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322 ÍHC: Proceedings , 69th Session, 2008
Silva Rego and E.E. Burke: 1975, 1-83).
Hence, there were many illicit unions between the Portuguese men
and the local women and many illegitimate children were born. The
chronicles, travelogues and other correspondence refer to the periodic
complaints that the sailors gave in to pleasures with these women and
this ... diminished the quality of those who were "otherwise
indispensible at war" {Document at cao: 11-193) and "distracted the
Portuguese soldiers form their military duties". (C.R. Boxer: 1961, 86);
was a danger to the security of the State as these women could be the
allies or spies of the Adii Shah from whom the Portuguese had wrested
away the Islands of Goa (ibid); was an offense to God as "everything
looked anything but Christian". ( Documentacao : 11-196); was likely to
ruin the relations with the 'indigenous collaborators' of the Portuguese
in Goa (P.S. S. Pissurlenkar: 1933, 44).
This was a grievous problem to the Imperial Design particularly in
the face of the politico-economic, social and religious rivalry that
demanded a harmonious interdependence between the Portuguese and
the locals. Albuquerque finally concluded that the only solution to this
"casual, living in sin attitude" was to legitimize and sanctify these
illicit relations (Castanheda: 1928, III-599) with the mandate of the
King and the 'invisible' blessings of the Pope at least till the Portuguese
presence was firmly entrenched there.
Inspired by a similar system that existed in Medieval Hispania,
Albuquerque decided to legally assimilate the Indian women into the
Lussitanian society in Goa through a policy of 'colonialism in the
hammock'. (Sanjay Subramanyum: 1993, 139-141) wherein temporarily
promoted mixed marriages between the Portuguese men and the Indian
women with the long term intension of creating a permanent community
of married settlers and a Luso-Indian progeny that would further the
politico-social interests of the Portuguese sea borne Empire in the East
especially in those areas where the Portugese had fortified settlements
{Comment arios: 11-168).
The soldados were the unmarried Portuguese mercenaries who were
mere sojourners and bound by obligations to the State (Carmo Azavedo:
1987, 105). Once they were married to the mulheres da terra (local
women) and settled down in the Portuguese colonies, they were termed
as casados or the married men who were the permanent residents and
who commanded great influence and respect as privileged
'householders' or settlers in the peculiar social hierarchy that was
developing in Goa. Their descendents were called mestiços that literally
meant "mixed breeds". (Correa: 1923, 11-78).

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 Medieval India 323

The procedure that was followed

'local' women who were to be given
Portuguese gentle men who sough
to each the woman of his choice and
a pompous reception. (Barros: 11-
Miscegenation was portrayed as
the Portuguese towards the coloniz
as a conqueror sans discrimination
inter racial marriages between the local women and HIS soldiers.
(Ismael Gracias: 1916, 4). After the 1st Occupation of Goa in March-
May 1510, Albuquerque struggle* to maintain the Portuguese control
over the newly acquired regions either through military force or a
complex set of alliances but to no avail: Hence, he tried to build up a
group of loyal supporters through the policy of miscegenation. But, in
doing so he pursued a policy of Pigmentocracy or a strong and tenacious
color bar. (Pratima Kamat: 1999, 38-39).
He insisted that his soldiers should marry the widows and daughters
of the Adii Shahi officers who were massacred by the Portuguese after
the First Conquest of Goa (Angela Baretto Xavier: 2007, 269) as these
Muslim women were "fair, caste, had good looks and were clean and
casted" (Barros: 242-243) and later the Brahmin women as they were
"fair good looking" and "had a high self esteem and were reserved,
honest, modest and submissive to their husbands". ( Cartas : 1-337-338);
Commentarios , II, 50; Documentacao , 1-220). Paradoxically, he wanted
them to marry the Portuguese men who did not enjoy a high social
status in their own society whom Albuquerque himself termed as
degredados (degraded) or as "little band of invaders who did not trust
their own right arms" (Barros: VI-3).
By 1510, the Chaplain and delegate of the Vicar General, Francisco
da Rocha conducted 150 marriages and Albuquerque boasted "if the
Portuguese soldiers continued to marry and settle down at the present
rate, the King would have to drive away the natives from the Islands of
Goa and transfer all the lands, except those that belong to the native
converts to the Portuguese settlers" (Antonio Baiao: 1942, 72).
There was also an anticipation that they these 'new settlers' would
replace the "sons of the soil" ( Cartas : II, 26-29).
To encourage such legitimate relations, the casados were given a
'small dowry' of 16,000 reis , a plot, house, cattle and horses and petty
offices as a 'small dowry' that he thought "reasonable and fair" ( Cartas )
to settle down and start a new life in an altogether new place (Baiao:
11-242-243; Cunha Rivara: V, 9). The casados enjoyed a privileged

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324 I HC: Proceedings , 69th Session , 2008

position: they were relieved from compulsory military service and taxes
and were free to take up alternate avocations like tailoring, shoemaking,
baking, weaving, distilling, selling liquor, tavern men etc. (Silva Rego:
1949, 1-174-75). Albuquerque intended to elevate their social status
and life style thus making them the "real foundations of the Portuguese
colonies". (Ibid.' 184f)
On account of the incentives, there was never a dearth of Portuguese
men who were willing to marry the local women. Albuquerque reported
that he could not "put up with the spate of applications. Although these
marriages were sanctioned by the King, Dom Manuel, priority was
given to "men of a proven character and to those who rendered good
service to the Crown". ( Comentarios : III-49).
But, in some cases "unwilling, good looking and fair complexioned
Muslim women" were forcibly married to the Portuguese soldiers (W.G.
de Brich:. 11-89-90). In the beginning, the Goans were shocked when
they saw that their daughters were taken away by the Portuguese as
wives. But, they were soon contented to see that they were well settled
and treated well. The converted married women could inherit the
properties of their husbands and freely interact with and move around
in society. In a letter Albuquerque informed the King that 400 Muslim
women had contracted such marriages "for a change in social status"
(Documentacelo: -118): they were now the wives of the Portuguese
men and occupied the second rung in the social hierarchy in Goa next
tö the fidalgos (Portuguese noblemen).
Gradually, Albuquerque extended this permission and went beyond
what he was authorized to do. This evoked the hatred of the Vicar of
Goa and the other ecclesiastical authorities who were against the
marriages between the converted, local women and the Portuguese
nationals. The Dominican Vicar threatened to excommunicate those
casados who were not married by him and declared their marriages as
null and void as they were not conducted in the presence of the Vicar
General and in accordance to the rites that were prescribed by the
Church. But, Albueruque sacked him to Portugal "with his bag and
baggage". ( Documentacao : 1-145).
Some of the officers complained that only the "vicious men and
villains married their slave girls" and that the "servants and bell boys
used all their artifices to marry a rich widow or noble girl merely to
benefit from all the privileges and honors that were reserved for
marrying the native women" ( Documentacao , 1-171). The aristocratic
prejudices of th e fidalgos surfaced when they stated that "... the twig
was of a wild vine. It was not of pure breed mainly because it was of
the lowest plant in the kingdom... from which one could not expect

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 Medieval India 325

any fruit of honor ..." (Barros: 11-

derogatorily termed as his daughters
in-law. (Raymundo Antonio de Bu
But Albuquerque had his own just
frankly advised the King that it was
establish itself in India" and voiced
provide the "required nobility and
his opponents of "a very limited visi
convince the King that the proge
married the Indian women "would look after Goa as their motherland
and guard it". As such, he foresaw a time when the whole of Goa
would be populated by the Portuguese and their children. Across bred,
hybrid would be better capable for standing the tropical climate and be
"much more loyal to the King of Portugal" (Antonio da Silva Rego:
1800 "In the midst of the Indian people, they will be established on
firm ground for these Portuguese will plant trees, build stone houses
and raise sons and daughters". ( Cartas )
The casados was a new group between the reinois and the gentios.
The position of the casados was not clearly defined as it was shaded
by the character of the Portuguese who were born in Goa ( casticos ).
As such, the term casados underwent a curious semantic and its meaning
later narrowed down to the Portuguese men who had married the local
women with an intention of settling down in India.
Albuquerque was unable to spend more than a few months in the
places in which he established the Portuguese control. He died in less
than a year on 15th December 1515. At the time of Albuquerque's death,
there were 200 casados in the City of Goa {Documenta Indica , 1948-
53: XV-210). Even thereafter, the inter-marriages continued despite
the withdrawal of the 'official gift' of the dowry and other privileges.
The policy of miscegenation was officially approved and the
priviledges that were associated with it were officially confirmed by
the Carta de Doacao that was issued by the King on 15lh March 1518
(Antonio da Silva Rego: 1-174).
The casados generally earned their livelihood as Government
officials or from the entrepot trade. But, by the 17lh century, the Dutch
war and the intra regional rivalries and vicissitudes ruined their
prospectus.

However, the policy of miscegenation was a virtual failure as it

officially involved a "dw selected" women of "noble birth in the Velhas
Conquistas (Old Conquests i.e. 3 of the 1 1 tankas in Goa). Albuquerque
took pragmatic care not to alienate the Hindus as they constituted the

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326 ItìC: Proceedings , 69th Session, 2008

majority and provided the human and material resources that was
needed for the survival and sustenance of the Metropolitan Se of the
Estado da India (P. SS Pissurlencar: 1941, 4). After the death of
Albuquerque, his opponents particularly th e fidalgos flouted this long
drawn stategy. Gradually, differences and conflicts arose between the
fidalgos , cast icos , casados and mestiços Apart from the wives and
daughters of the defeated Adii Shahi soldiers, some bailadeiras (dancing
girls) and a few gentios , the other women were not associated with
this Design.
Nevertheless, these casados , their wives and children collaborated
with Albuquerque and buttressed the newly established colonial system
till the sovereignty of the Portuguese Monarchs was entrenched and
consolidated in the new acquired possessions in the shoe string Empire.

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