Norteiro people

Norteiro is the Portuguese language term for people belonging to former Portuguese exclave in the western littoral of South Asia, which included islands such as the islands of Bom Bahia (modern Mumbai), the Island of Salsette, Dharavi Island, New Bombay, Chaul-Revdanda, Baçaim, Daman and Diu, located across the Gulf of Cambay.

The name Norteiro means "Northerner". The term refers to the city of Baçaim, which was styled the "Court of the North" and stood second only to the city of Goa (modern Old Goa) among Portuguese possessions in South Asia.

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Culture

Except for Dio, which lies in the historical "Sorath" or Saurashtra, the remaining settlements were all within the North Konkan, and were populated predominantly by native Konkani people. These were largely converted to Christianity and the converts assimilated to Portuguese culture and created a distinct community. They spoke a creole language, a mixture of local Konkani, Portuguese, Arabic, and other languages.

While culturally assimilated, the Norteiros largely did not intermarry with the white Portuguese, but instead maintained their racial identity, mostly as a result of residual Hindu caste culture. Mestiços, or inter-racials, were therefore forced to move away. These Mestiços emigrated to other parts of the Portuguese Empire where they were able to be integrated into society.

Conquest

When the Maratha Empire invaded the Konkan, they seized most of these settlements, including the capital, Bacaim. The conquerors forced the people to adopt Marathi as their language. As a result, most of the Norteiros in the Maratha Conquests began to speak a version of Marathi which included the Konkani-Portuguese creole substrate.

When the English later took over these lands from the Portuguese (Bombay) and the Marathas, they called the Norteiros "Bombay Portuguese".

Occupation

After the involvement of England in Goan affairs as a result of the French Revolutionary Wars & the Napoleonic Wars, England occupied Goa for several years, ostensibly to protect it from a French takeover. The Goans were encouraged to migrate to Bombay and find employment. Because the influx of Goans, called "Goan Portuguese" by the English, the "Bombay Portuguese" decided to rename themselves with a name emphasizing their status as subjects of their English rulers, to distinguish them from the Goans, who were Portuguese citizens (since Pombal enfranchised Goa). These Norteiros called themselves "East Indians" in honor of the East India Company which ruled them until recently on behalf of England.

Other communities, such as that of Chaul, Damao and Dio continued to identify themselves as Norteiros.

Both, the Damanese and the Kristi communities are Norteiro creoles, derived from the native Konkani people.

Culture

Conquest

Occupation

See also