PORTUGUESE INDIA
THE NORTHERN PROVINCE
(PROVINCIA DO NORTE)
BASSEIN (BAÇAIM), BOMBAY-MUMBAI
(BOMBAIM), DAMAO, CHAUL
Written by Marco Ramerini
An old map
of Baçaim.
Bassein (Baçaim) is
situated at about 70 Kilometers from Bombay, on the Arabian Sea, it lies on an island at
the mouth of a river and thank to this position, in the past, was easily defensible. The
city, which belonged to the Kingdom of Cambay, was a very important one, also before the
Portuguese conquest. The sources of wealth for Bassein (Baçaim) were: the horse trade,
the fishing, the salt, the timber, the stone quarry (basalt, granite), and the shipyards.
The city, then, was situated in the center of a wealthy agricultural district, which
yielded rice, betel, cotton, sugar-cane….etc.
In
1528, Captain Heytor de Silveira, captured and burnt the city of Bassein. After this, the
Lord of Thana submitted, voluntarily, as tributary to Portugal. In 1532, the Portuguese,
newly, attacked Bassein, and after a weak resistance, they entered the fort and destroyed
it. The towns of Thana, Bandora, Mahim and Bombaim were put under tribute. On 23 December
1534, the Sultan of Guzarat, ceded, by treaty, Bassein with its dependencies (Salcete,
Bombaim, Parel, Vadala, Siao, Vorli, Mazagao, Thana, Bandra, Mahim,
Caranja...) to Portugal .
In 1535, were built a Feitoria (Agency) and the Church
of Nossa Senhora da Vida.
In the same year, the Sultan of Guzarat, assaulted the city; for this, in 1536, a fortress
was built, around which, the Portuguese town flourished. In 1540, was founded the
"Confraria da Misericordia".
In 1547, the Franciscans, founded the Convent and the Church of Santo Antonio, in this
same year was founded the Church Matriz de S. José.
Baçaim: the ruins of the
cloister and the tower of the Franciscan's church of Santo Antonio, water-colour painted by Ram '99.
In 1548, St. Francisco
Xavier stopped in Bassein, and a portion of the Indian populations was converted to
Christianity.
In 1549, the Jesuits, built the Church of Sagrado Nome, they, later in 1561, began to
build theirs large College.
In 1556, the Portuguese occupied the mountain "Serra de Açarim" and the fort of
Açarim or Asserim, and also the fort of Manora, not far distant, was occupied.
A small fort was built at Caranja.
In Salcete (Salsette) island, were built 9 churches: Nirmal (1557), Nossa Senhora dos
Remedios (1557), Sandor (1566), Agashi (1568), Nandakal (1573), Papdy (1574), Pale (1595),
Manickpur (1606), Nossa Senhora das Merces (1606).
In 1559, Damao was occupied, and in the same year also the fort of Bulsar was put under
Portuguese control, but in 1560 this last fort was abandoned.
In 1564, was built by the Dominicans the church of Sao Gonçalo.
In the second half of 16th century was started to build the new fortress, and the whole
town was surrounded by town walls with 10 bastions.
Whether the fortress and the bastions design are imbued to the Italians Renaissance
fortifications.
In 1581, the Jesuits, built, also, the church of Nossa Senhora da Graça.
In 1596, the Augustinian, built the church of Nossa Senhora da Anunciada.
Baçaim was knew, during the Portuguese period, for the refinement and wealth of his
buildings and palaces, and for the beauty of his churches.
The Northern Province, included a territory which extended as far as 100 kilometers along
the coast, between Damao and Bombaim, and in some places extended for 30-50 kilometers
towards the interior. It was the most productive Indian area under Portuguese rule. In
defence of the Province were built several forts, the chiefs were in Damao, Damao Pequena,
Sao Gens, Danu, Serra de Asserim, Trapor, Sirgao, Mahim, Agaçaim (Ilhas das Vacas),
Manora, Baçaim, Thana (Santa Cruz, Passo Seco, Baluarte do Mar), Bombaim and Caranja.
At the end of 17th century Baçaim reached the height of the brightness.
From 1611, was established, in Baçaim, a mint or "Casa da Moeda".
In 1615, was built, in Damao Pequena (near Damao), a triangular fort, which was named fort
of Sao Jeronimo.
In 1634, Baçaim numbered a population of 400 Portuguese families, 200 Christian Indians
families and 1800 slaves. The town, in case of enemy attack, numbered about 2400 men in
his defense
The island of Bombaim
(Bombay-Mumbay) and the fortress of Caranja, from the "Livro das Plantas das
Fortalezas, Cidades e Povoaçoes do Estado da India Oriental" 1600s.
On 23 June 1661, a
Marriage treaty between England and Portugal, made over to the British the port and the
island of Bombaim (Bombay).
The Portuguese governor of Bombaim, refused to give up the island.
After a long diplomatic skirmish, Bombaim was ceded, on 18 February 1665, to the English,
but without any of its dependencies.
In 1674, Baçaim numbered 2 colleges, 4 convents e 6 churches.
In 1685, was founded by the Knights Hospitallers of St. John, the church of Nossa Senhora
da Saude.
The decline of the Portuguese power in Orient and the transfer of Bombaim (Bombay) to the
British in 1665, weakened Baçaim, the city was attacked many times by the Mahrattas.
Baçaim: church's ruins, water-colour painted by Ram '99.
Notwithstanding this, in
1719, the province of Baçaim numbered still about 60.000 inhabitants, of these 2.000 were
the Portuguese and 58.000 were the Christian Indians.
In 1720, one of the ports of Baçaim, Kalyan, was conquered by the Mahrattas, and in 1737,
they also took possession of Thana, all the forts in Salcete island and the forts of
Parsica, Trangipara, Saibana, Ilha das Vaccas, Manora, Sabajo, the hills of Santa Cruz and
Santa Maria.
The only places in the Northern Provinces, that now remained to the Portuguese were Chaul,
Caranja, Bandora, Versova, Baçaim, Mahim, Quelme, Seridao (Sirgao), Danu, Asserim,
Trapor, and Damao.
In November 1738, the Mahrattas, captured the fort of Danu, and on 20 January 1739, Mahim
capitulated, the loss of Mahim, was speedily followed by the capture of the forts of
Quelme, Seridao, Trapor, and Asserim (13 February 1739).
On 28 March 1739, also the island and the fortress of Caranja, was lost.
This was the prelude to final loss of the city, indeed, in February 1739, the Mahrattas
attacked Baçaim, and after a desperate resistance, on 16 May 1739, the last Portuguese
upholders, signed the surrender. The Portuguese, left Baçaim on 23 May 1739.
After 205 years of uninterrupted Portuguese rule, Baçaim (now under the Mahrattas), was
progressively neglected, and the neighbouring English Bombay, took his place.
During the war against the Mahrattas (1737-1740), the Portuguese lost, besides Baçaim,
eight cities, four chief ports, twenty fortress, two fortified hills, the island of
Salcete (Salsette) with the city and the fortress of Thana, the "Ilha das
Vaccas", the island of Karanjà (Juem), and 340 villages.
The losses amounted to nearly the whole of the northern provinces, only the town of Damao
was held.
Of all the
Portuguese forts still existing in India, Baçaim, is one of the most imposing.
Today Baçaim is a tangle of ruins, the city has, still well preserved, his imposing
boundary walls, with his two access doors ("Porta do Mar" and "Porta da
Terra") and his 10 bastions.
Scattered inside the walls there are the ruins of numerous town-houses and churches, among
other things: the church and the convent of the Dominicans, the Franciscan church of Santo
Antonio (with numerous Portuguese tombstones, the remains of the cloister and the ruins of
the bell-tower), the church of Nossa Senhora da Vida, the church and convents of the
Augustinian, the "Camara" palace, the Misericordia, the church Matriz of S.
José, the ruins of the Jesuits church and convent.
Well preserved are also the remains of the old citadel of Sao Sebastiao.
The Portuguese
settlements in the Northern Province.
CHAUL
The Portuguese town of
Chaul lay about 350 Kilometers N. of Goa and 60 Kilometers S. of Bombay, at the mouth of
the Kundalika river. Chaul was located on the low Northern bank, opposed to a promontory
on the South bank, which was called "Morro de Chaul.
Chaul, drawing by
Ram '99.
Chaul was, from 1521,
under the Portuguese, in the same year, they built the first fort.
In October 1531, the Portuguese, erected a massive, square stone fortress at Chaul, which
contained also a church and dwelling-houses for 120 men, the fortress was named
"Santa Maria do Castello".
Around this castle, the Portuguese town developed, but in 1558, a treaty, had precluded
the town‘s fortification.
In November 1570, Chaul was attacked by Nizam Shah, the siege lasted for mounts, the city
was reduced to great straits. But, at the end, in July 1571, the siege was raised and a
treaty was signed.
After the siege, the town was rebuilt, and a town walls with several bastions was built
around it.
In April 1592, the Moors, began a new siege of Chaul, but after an hard battle, the
Portuguese succeeded to repel the assault.
In 1594, the Portuguese, conquered the adjoining fortress of the "Morro de
Chaul".
Owing to the repeated attacks by the Moors against Chaul, in 1613, new works of defense
were carried out.
The Portuguese power declined and Chaul, slowly, lost his importance.
In March 1739, Chaul and the fortress of "Morro de Chaul" were besieged by the
Angria, but after some months, in October, the Angria, raised siege.
On 18 September 1740, the conclusion arrived, Chaul was ceded by treaty to the Mahrattas.
Of Chaul, today are
still visible: the ruins of the town-walls with his powerful ramparts, the ruins of the
church "Matriz", the church and the convent of the Augustinian, the Franciscans
church, the Misericordia, the Porta do Mar". The adjoining fortress of the Morro of
Chaul show, still today, the remains of his walls. In Korlai, a few kilometers from Chaul,
there is a community of peoples (900) that, still today, speak a Creole form of
Portuguese, they are monolingual.
