Freedom Struggle

After an initial period of indifference, the Portuguese unleashed a reign of terror among the local Hindu population of Goa. This severe religious intolerance and persecution meant destruction of temples and forced conversions to Christianity. Even the native converts were, except for a brief period, treated as inferior citizens. The public anger soon turned into a series of revolts.

In 1550, the brave people of Assolna, Velim, Cuncolim, Ambelim and Veroda launched an attack on the colonialists but they failed in their attempt. Their properties were confiscated. Their leaders were arrested and executed.

The Pinto Revolt (1787)

White missionaries from Portugal viz. the Dominicans, Franciscans and Jesuits were dominating the churches and Government services towards the end of the 18th century. The local Christians were simply ignored for any prestigious, responsible positions. This infuriated the indigenous priests.

Two local priests, Caetano Francisco Couto of Panaji and Jose Antonio Gonsalves of Divar went to Portugal to plead their cases for Bishopship, but failed to persuade the King. To overthrow the white supremacy and racial discrimination, they teamed up with another respected Goan priest, Jose Custodio de Faria (popularly known as Abbe Faria).

Abbe Faria was aware of the French revolution and its possible repercussions throughout Europe. At the House of one Father Pinto in 1787, they chalked out a plan to launch a rebellion against the Portuguese with the help of local sympathisers within the army and the clergyhood.

But the Portuguese government got an inkling of it in advance. The Pinto revolt as it came to be known aftre the place of its planning failed. A large number of arrests were made and criminal proceedings launched. Finally, 47 persons were prosecuted as plotters out of whom 17 were priests and 7 army officers.

In 1835, a Goan, Bernardo Peres da Silva, was appointed Prefect by the King of Portugal. The European elements did not like the appointment and he was compelled to relinquish his post. He took refuge in India but did not get disheartened. He organised an expedition assisted by British authorities who even provided him naval and military personnel. The expedition also ended in failure.

The Rane Revolts

The Ranes, believed to be a Kshatriya (warrior) clan of Rajputana, migrated to Satari region of Gomantaka and settled there under the leadership of one Satroji Rane. The Portuguese occupied the Satari Mahal stretched between the Bhonsle state of Sawantwadi and the Portuguese territory of Goa.

The Ranes rebelled against the Portuguese to regain their lost territories and freedom. From 1740 to 1822, they attacked the Portuguese over a dozen times and inflicted heavy losses – both monetary and territorial – on the latter.

Dipaji Rane, a noble leader popular with the locals, led a successful mass rebellion. He carried on the fight against the Portuguese forces for three and half long years; eventually the Portuguese government were compelled to make peace with the rebels.

He captured the strategically important fort of Nanus on the bank of the Madei river and made it his base for military operations. He drove out the Portuguese from the Satari Mahal. It encouraged the Dessais, Gaonkars and other local chieftains and landlords to join Dipaji.

The combined army liberated Quepem, Canacona, Hemad Barshe and Bhatagram. Dipaji became a legendary hero in Satari. In 1855, the Portuguese entered into a peace treaty with him. They agreed to extend protection to village institutions, abandon repressive religious measures and grant amnesty to all rebels. Dipaji Rane was awarded a sword of honour and the honorary title of Captain.

In 1871, the Portuguese suppressed an uprising at Sanquelim by killing two of its leaders, Kushtoba and Shamba Desai.

The Portuguese resumed their old game of repression soon enough. They introduced the monopoly system of land cultivation that hampered the interests of actual cultivators and benefited the middlemen or contractors. This resulted in widespread dissent among the cultivators of Goa. They also forced Goan soldiers to go to Africa against their custom of crossing the seas.

Dada Rane led the next uprising against the Portuguese with the disgruntled soldiers and suffering tillers in 1895.

The last revolt of the Ranes took place in 1912. This time there were two distinct groups, one led by Morya Sawant from the northern side and the other by Jil Sawant from the southern area. They were joined by one Christian, Custodio, popularly known as Quistulo, who was a toddy-tapper, by profession.

In order to put down the revolt of these two groups, the Portuguese government was compelled to order a contingent of Negro troops from Mozambique. Even they could not succeed in suppressing the revolt.

However the Portuguese ultimately succeeded in liquidating the organisers. Quistulo was shot dead at Assonora in the house of his mistress. She was bribed by the Portuguese for this purpose. Morya Sawant was beheaded whilst asleep; and Jil Sawant was trapped and caught, imprisoned and finally deported to the island of Principe, Portuguese West Africa, where he died in exile.