Navigating Portuguese India
BY ANDRÉ J.J. BAPTISTA (PHD)
ANCIENT INDIAN HISTORY, CULTURE AND ARCHAEOLOGY
THE TALK LOCATED THE HISTORY OF THE BASSEIN FORT, JUST NORTH OF MUMBAI, INTO THE LARGER NARRATIVE OF PORTUGUESE CONQUEST, RULE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WEST COAST OF INDIA, PARTICULARLY THE NORTH KONKAN.
André began with a political history of Bassein or Vasai from Bahadur Shah – Sultan of Gujarat to the successive Portuguese Governors of India, particularly stressing the role played by Nuna da Cunha, the founder of Bassein Fort as we came to know it. The talk outlined the strategic position of Bassein to the Portuguese naval interests, providing context as to why imperial powers vied for control of this region on the west coast.
Through images and visuals such as old maps, prints and recent photographs, the plan and the architectural history of the fort was highlighted to understand the gradual evolution and expansion of the fort. The talk highlighted the key features of defence architecture, the details of the materials and stone used in construction, and the state of its preservation in the 21st century. A history of the main churches within the fort walls and their architectural details also brought forth the history of the various orders – the Franciscans, the Jesuits, the Dominicans and the Augustinians in India.
Thus, the talk combined the motivations of the Portuguese rule in India – Crown, Cross and Commerce – using Bassein as a case study. The cultural impact of the Portuguese rule was briefly discussed as the background to the present East Indian community in Bombay. The talk was concluded with a narration of the 18th century battle that was fought between the Maratha and the Portuguese armies, a shift of the Portuguese focus from Bassein to Goa and the eventual control exercised in this region by the British.
The writer is Assistant Editor, Man and Environment, Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies (ISPQS), Pune, INDIA
& Visiting Consultant & Lecturer (Archaeology), Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Inst. of Architecture and Env. Studies, Mumbai, MH, India
