Chief minister Sawant says Portuguese didn’t rule entire Goa for 450 yrs, wrong history being taught

Panaji: CM Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that a wrong version of history is being presented before the children today that the Portuguese ruled all of Goa for 450 years, when they only ruled four of the present-day 12 talukas for this long. He said teachers should help students learn the correct history of Goa and teach them the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in keeping the Portuguese from

completely converting Goa.

“We constantly keep a wrong history in front of our children that the Portuguese ruled Goa for 450 years. But this is not true. Only Salcete, Tiswadi and Bardez and Mormugao, which was then part of Salcete, were ruled for 450 years. In all the rest of the talukas like Pernem, Sattari, Bicholim, Ponda, Quepem, Canacona, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his men held influence for the first 250 years. Only during the last 90 to 100 years, the Portuguese ruled the remaining talukas,” said Sawant, who also holds the education portfolio.

He said temples were also destroyed mainly in the four talukas.

“A Portuguese governor has documented that only after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s demise did they feel their rule over Goa was secure. But later Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj also attacked Portuguese twice to free Goa. Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj’s work has also been recorded in keeping the Portuguese control under check. Because of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Goa was preserved, otherwise the whole of Goa would have been converted. I urge the teachers in Goa to bring the real history of Goa before the students,” said Sawant.

He said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had laid down the principles on which 'Swarajya' and 'Surajya' were to be established, which are relevant for governance even today. "I want to follow these principles of Swarajya and Surajya," said the CM.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the first to develop a naval power of his own, with which he made the first attack on the Portuguese. He attacked the Portuguese only for two reasons — political and religious. He did not have any interest in economic gains. All he wished for is that Gomantak should be ruled by Hindavi Swarajya, Maratha Samrajya and Shiv Shahi. He was the first to attack Bardez when the Portuguese said that locals should either convert to Christianity or leave. British documents show that due to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s attack, the Portuguese had to take back their diktat,” Sawant said.