Why Portuguese came to India?

Why Portuguese had come to India? 

After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453, the land route to India was permanently closed. And the Europeans were, so to say, forced to discover the sea route to India. To their good luck, they did find one! An adventurous explorer Vasco da Gama landed in Calicut on 20th May 1498. With this discovery of the sea route to India, a new and glorious chapter of the history of Christianity was opened and the expansion of the Catholic Church in the East began. It marked the introduction of new factors in the field of evangelization in the whole area; they include both new efforts of missionary activity in India, the Moluccas, China and Japan, and the encounter of the western Christianity under the protection and jurisdiction of Padroado, with the ancient Christianity introduced by the St. Thomas Christians in Kerala. In both cases, bright and dark periods accompany the history of Christianity in the following centuries.

The purpose of the Portuguese in coming to India was primarily commercial, of course; they were not directly concerned with conquest; they settled in coastal areas as it was necessary to establish strategic colonies to serve them as trading bases. Goa, with its ideal central position on the west coast was accidentally conquered at the invitation of two Hindus whose intention was to do away with the Muslims from the city of Goa, on the banks of the Mandovi. Goa became the centre of their administration after 1510, while of the series of trading stations they occupied along the coastline, Cochin was the most important. While the merchants were chiefly, if not solely, concerned with commerce, the kings of Portugal were interested in the spread of Christianity as well. So, the merchant fleets brought with them priests who were partly destined to serve the Portuguese as Chaplains, and partly for real mission work. For them too, Goa was the headquarters and it became a diocese in 1534 for the whole Est from Cape of Good Hope to China. In the first years, most of the Chaplains and missionaries were Franciscans. The Jesuits, led by St. Francis Xavier (1542), were later on to be followed by Dominicans (1548), Augustinians (1572), Carmelites (1614) and the Theatines (1640).

Golden Verse

Izaias 37:10

‘He-zekiak, Judachea razak, oxem sangat: Jerusalem kednanch Assiriechea razachea chopkeant poddchem na, oxi bhas Devan dilea mhonn somzun, Tacher patieun tum fosvom naka.

Hem aikona fuddem, Hezekiann Razan aplim vostram pinzlim, ani sakafottean ang pangrun to Sor-vesporachea Mondirant gelo.

2

Tannem Eliakim’ rajnivasachea karbhariak, Shebna sochivak ani iadnikam modlea odik zannteank sakafottean ang pangrun Amozachea puta Izaias provadia-xim dhaddle.

3

Tãnnim taka mhollem: ‘Oxem Hezekia sangta: Aicho dis koxttam-dukhincho, khasticho, noxttacho. Bhurgim zolma ieuncho vêll pavta, punn tankam zolma haddunk avoiank bolluch na.

4

Jea jivea Devachi ninda korunk senapotik tachea dhonian, Assiriechea razan, pattoilo, to Sorvespor tuzo Dev tachim utram aikum, ani Sorvespor tuzo Dev Apnnem aikol’lea utrank khast lavum! Ozun asa tea urlolea zomea khatir prarthon kôr. ’

5

Hezekia Razache sevok Izaiasa-xim pavle tedna,

6

tannem tankam mhollem: ‘Tumchea dhoniak oxem sangat: Sor-vespor oxem mhonntta: Tunvem aikol’-lea utram pasot vô Assiriechea razachea chakramnim Mhojê add ucharlolê nindê pasot bhieum naka.

7

Tachê bhitôr Hanv svas ghaltolom ani oso tachea kanar êk khobor poddona fuddem, to aplea khaxa desant portotolo, ani tea desant Hanv taka torvarin moro-so kortolom. ’

8

Senapoti portolo, ani Libnacher Assiriecho raza akromonn kortalo thoim to taka mellunk gelo, karonn raza Lakish sôddun gelo mhonn senapotik gomlem.

9

Kiteak mhollear Ethiopiecho raza Tirakas apnnacher zhuz korunk bhair sorla mhonn taka khobor pavloli. Sennakeriban aniêk pavtt Hezekia-xim sondexkar dhaddle oxem sangun:

10

‘He-zekiak, Judachea razak, oxem sangat: Jerusalem kednanch Assiriechea razachea chopkeant poddchem na, oxi bhas Devan dilea mhonn somzun, Tacher patieun tum fosvom naka.

11

Assiriechea razamnim sogllea hera desank kitem kelam, koxê bhaxen tãnnim tanchem nisontton korun sôddlem, tem tôr tum aikun zannoi. Ani atam tum sutt’toloi kitem?

12

Gozan, Haran, Rezef ani Tel Basarant asle te Eden’kar, hea desanchi mhojea purvozamnim desvatt keli: tôr tea desanchea devamnim tankam soddoile hôi?

13

Khoim asa atam Hamatacho raza? ani Arpadacho raza? ani Sefarvaim’, Hena, Ivvas hea xaranche raza khoim asat?

14

Sondexkaranchea hatantli chitt Hezekian gheun vachli; magir to Sorv-esporachea Mondirant gelo ani ti Sorvespora mukhar ugddun dovorli.

15

Uprant Hezekian hê bhaxen Sor-vesporak prarthon kelem:

16

‘Sorvsok-tivont Sorvespora, Kerubincher bos-lolea Israelachea Deva, sonvsarantleam sorv rajeancho Tum ekloch Dev, Tun-vem sôrg ani sonvsar rochleai.

17

Aik, Sorvespora, kan diun aik; Tuje dolle ugôdd, Sorvespora, ani polle! Sennake-ribachim utram aik: Jivea Devachi ninda korunk tannem mon’xank pattoileat.

18

Assiriechea razamnim sogllim raxttram nattak kelim, tanche dês bhosmun sôdd-le, hem khorem, Sorvespora.

19

Tãnnim tanchea devank ujeant uddoile, karonn te dèv nhoi asle, punn mon’xanchea hatanchim kamam lankddache ani fatranche ani dekhunuch tãnnim tancho bhosm kelo.

20

Punn atam, Sorvespora amchea Deva, tachea chop-keantlim amkam nivar, ani Tum, Sor-vespora, ekloch Dev mhonn sonvsa-rantlea sorv rajeank kollon ieum-di.’

21

Tedna Izaiasan, Amozachea putan, Hezekiak oso nirôp dhaddlo: ‘Sorves-por, Israelacho Dev, oxem sangta: Assiriechea raza Sennakeriba vixim tunvem Mhaka prarthon keleim, taka oso zobab ditam.

22

Tachê vixim ho asa Sorvesporacho nirnnoi: Sion Xar tuji beporva korta, tujeô kenddnniô korta; Jerusalem Xar tujeô moskoriô korun tokli haloita!

23

Konnacheô mhonn tunvem kenddnniô keleôi? Konnachi keleai ninda? Konna virudh tuzo tallo ubarloi ani tuje gorvixtt dolle unch kaddlei? Israel Povitr mhonn vondita Tachê add mhonn zanno za!

24

Tujea chakranchê tonddim tunvem Dhoniachi ninda keleai! Tunvem oxem chintlãi: Mhojê hixôb-naslole roth gheun hanvem unch dongor choddun kaddle, Lebanonachea unchlea matheancher porian hanv choddun pavlom. Tache bollixtt devdar ani tache gorvixtt suru-rukh hanvem kapun uddoile. Tachê odik pois aslolê tenkxer pavlom, tachea matlolea ranant riglom.

25

Mhojeach hatamnim khonnun porkim udkam hanv pielom; Mhojea pãiam tolla Ejiptantleô soglleô nodi hanvem sukoileô.

26

Kedna aikunk naim tunvem? Hem Hanvem magam toiar kelam, purvilea disam thaun Hanvem tem ievjilam: tem Hanv atam ghoddun haddtam. Kottam-kil’le môddun ghalun tanchi dhul’l ani mati korunk tuka nemun dovorla;

27

heach pasot osokt hatancho tea nograncho lôk thorthorlo ani gondhollak sampoddlo, xetantlea kordda vori osokt zalo, mollantlea rompiam vori nirbolli, udentechea varean lasun gel’lea pattsa voilea tonna sarko.

28

Tujem utthop-bosop, tujem vochop-ievop, ani koso tum Mhaka zolltai, Hanv tôr zannom.

29

Tuzo krôdh Mhojer pettla ani tuji urmottai Mhaka aikunk aili, dekhun tujea nakam-puddantlean gori tôptolom ani tujea onttank muskem ghaltolom; ani oso jea rostean tum ailai, teach rostean Hanv tuka portun vocho-so kortolom!

30

Ani hachi tuka hi khunna: Onvdunchea vorsa zomnintle apxinch upzol’le konne tumi khatoleat, fuddlea vorsa poddit zomnint kirlotolem tem; punn tisrea vorsa tumich vomptoleat ani lunvnni kortoleat, dakam-molle laitoleat ani tanchim follam khatoleat.

31

Judachea Ghoranneantlo vanchtolo tea Urlolea Zomeak sokoilean pallam futt’tolim ani voilean follam zatolim;

32

karonn Jerusaleant-sun bhair sortolo êk Urlolo Zomo, ani vanchun urtolim tim Sion Dongra thaun bhair sortolim. Sorvsoktivont Sorvespor, Aplea zolltea mogan, hem sogott sadhun haddtolo. ’

33

‘Assiriechea raza vixim Sorvespor oxem sangta: To hea xarant bhitôr sorchoch na, tacher êk punn bann sôddcho na, dhal ubarun fuddem sorcho na, tachê add matieche band ubarcho na.

34

Jea rostean to aila, teach rostean to porot vetolo; hea xarant to bhitôr sorcho na: uloita to Sorvespor!

35

Mhojêch khatir ani Mhojea sevoka Davida khatir Hanv hem xar rakhtolom ani nivartolom.’

36

Têch rati Sorvesporacho dut bhair sorlo ani tombumnim ravlolê Assiriechê foujentlea êk lakh poncheaixim hozar (1,85,000) soinikank tannem marun uddoile. Bhov sokallim, utthchea vellar, polleunk gelear tanchim sogllim moddinch!

37

Sennakerib aplo pennem sôddun gelo; to aplea desant portolo ani Nine-vehnt ravlo.

38

Êk dis, aplea deva Nisro-kachea mondirant to puza kortalo tedna, Adramelek ani Sharezer tachea putamnim taka torvarin marlo; magir te Araratachea desant pollun gele. Tachê pattlean tacho put Esarhadon xinvasonar boslo.