Portuguese India
Portuguese State of India Estado da Índia | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1510–1961 | |||||||||
Portuguese India evolution Portuguese India evolution | |||||||||
Status | Portuguese colony | ||||||||
Capital | Nova Goa (Cochin to 1530) | ||||||||
Common languages | Portuguese | ||||||||
Head of state | |||||||||
• King 1511-21 | Manuel I of Portugal | ||||||||
• President 1958-61 | Américo Tomás | ||||||||
Viceroy | |||||||||
• 1505-09 (first) | Francisco de Almeida | ||||||||
• 1827-35 (last) | Manuel de Portugal e Castro | ||||||||
Governor-general | |||||||||
• 1509-15 (first) | Afonso de Albuquerque | ||||||||
• 1958-62 (last) | Manuel António Vassalo e Silva | ||||||||
Historical era | Imperialism | ||||||||
• Fall of Sultanate of Bijapur | 15 August 1510 | ||||||||
• Fall of Portuguese India | 14 January 1961 | ||||||||
Currency | Indian rúpia (INPR) Indian escudo (INPES) | ||||||||
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Portuguese India (Portuguese: Índia Portuguesa or Estado da Índia) was the aggregate of Portugal's colonial holdings in India. At the time of British India's independence in 1947, Portuguese India included a number of enclaves on India's western coast, including Goa proper, as well as the coastal enclaves of Daman (Port: Damão) and Diu, and the enclaves of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which lie inland from Daman. The territories of Portuguese India were sometimes referred to collectively as Goa.
After India's independence
After India's independence from the British in 1947, Portugal refused to accede to India's request to relinquish control of its Indian possessions. The decision given by the International Court of Justice at The Hague, regarding access to Dadra and Nagar Haveli, after it was invaded by Indian citizens, was an impasse[1].
From 1954, peaceful Satyagrahis attempts from outside Goa at forcing the Portuguese to leave Goa were brutally suppressed.[2] Many revolts were quelled by the use of force and leaders eliminated or jailed. As a result, India closed its consulate (which had operated in Panjim since 1947) and imposed an economic embargo against the territories of Portuguese Goa. The Indian Government adopted a "wait and watch" attitude from 1955 to 1961 with numerous representations to the Portuguese Salazar regime and attempts to highlight the issue before the international community.[3] Eventually, in December 1961, India militarily invaded Goa, Daman and Diu, where they were faced with insufficient Portuguese resistance.[4][5] Portuguese armed forces had been instructed to either defeat the invaders or die, and though a cease-fire was decreed, an official truce was never signed. [6] Only meager resistance was offered due to the Portuguese army's poor firepower and size (only 3,300 men), against a fully-armed Indian force of over 30,000 with full Air and Naval support.[7] [8]. The territories were annexed to India on 19 December 1961.
The Salazar regime in Portugal refused to recognize Indian sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu, which continued to be represented in Portugal's National Assembly until 1974. Following the Carnation Revolution that year, the new government in Lisbon restored diplomatic relations with India, and recognized Indian sovereignty over Goa, Daman and Diu. However, due to the military takeover, and since the wishes of the people of Portuguese India were never taken into consideration (as required by UN Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960 on "the right to self-determination" [9] -- see also UN Resolutions 1541 and 1542 [10]), the people continue to have the right to Portuguese citizenship. However, since 2006, this has been restricted to those born during Portuguese rule. The UN resolutions were never applied to Goa - a result of the Soviet Union vetoing efforts by the United States in this regard.
References
- ^ International Court of Justice Case Summaries, Case Concerning Right of Passage Over Indian Territory (Merits), Judgment of 12 April 1960
- ^ Rear Admiral Satyindra Singh AVSM (Ret.), Blueprint to Bluewater, The Indian Navy, 1951-65
- ^ Lambert Mascarenhas, "Goa's Freedom Movement," excerpted from Henry Scholberg, Archana Ashok Kakodkar and Carmo Azevedo, Bibliography of Goa and the Portuguese in India New Delhi, Promilla (1982)
- ^ Government Polytechnic of Goa, "Liberation of Goa"
- ^ ' "The Liberation of Goa: 1961" Bharat Rakshak, a Consortium of Indian Military Websites,'
- ^ Fernando Zamith, "Invasão de Goa foi 'ilegal, ilegítima e contra os direitos humanos'", Diario de Noticias
- ^ Jagan Pillarisetti, "The Liberation of Goa: 1961" Bharat Rakshak, a Consortium of Indian Military Websites
- ^ Liberation of Goa, Maps of India
- ^ United Nations, General Assembly Resolution 1514 (XV) of 1960 (Declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples)
- ^ United Nations, General Assembly, Resolutions 1541 (XV) and 1542 (XV)
See also
External links
- The GoaMog Information Resource Portal
- Goacom
- Summary of the judgment of the International Court of Justice in the Right of Passage over Indian Territory (Portugal vs. India) case
- Dutch Portuguese Colonial HistoryDutch Portuguese Colonial History: history of the Portuguese and the Dutch in Ceylon, India, Malacca, Bengal, Formosa, Africa, Brazil. Language Heritage, lists of remains, maps.