 |
Goa's
history stretches back to the 3rd century BC, when it formed part of the Mauryan empire.
Later, at the beginning of the Christian era, it was ruled by the Satavahanas of Kolhapur.
Control eventually passed to the Chalukyans of Badami, who ruled from 580 to 750 AD. Goa
fell to the Muslims for the first time in 1312, but the invaders were forced out in 1370
by Harihara I of the Vijayanagar empire, whose capital was at Hampi. Over the next 100
years, Goa's harbours were important landing places for ships carrying |
|
Arabian
horses to the Vijayanagar cavalry at Hampi.
Blessed as it is with natural harbours and wide rivers, Goa was the ideal base for the
seafaring Portuguese, who arrived in 1510. They aimed to control the spice route from the
east and had a strong desire to spread Christianity. Jesuit missionaries, led by St
Francis Xavier, arrived in 1542. By the middle of the 16th century, Portuguese control had
expanded beyond Old Goa to include the provinces of Bardez and Salcete.
Goa's golden age came with the eventual ousting of the Turks, who controlled the trade
routes across the Indian Ocean, and the resultant fortunes made from the spice trade. The
colony became the viceregal seat of the Portuguese empire of the east, which included
various East African port cities, East Timor and Macau. But competition from the British,
French and Dutch in the 17th century, combined with Portugal's inability to adequately
service its far-flung empire, led to a decline. The Marathas almost vanquished the
Portuguese in the late 18th century, and there was a brief occupation by the British
during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. However, the Portuguese clung on till 1961, when
they were finally ejected by India.
|
