Moira, Goa - Mass Haul of Moidekars By The Goa Inquisition (1664)

Mass Haul of Moidekars By The Goa Inquisition (1664)

See also Goa Inquisition

Reporting another of his findings in the National Archives of Portugal (Torre do Tombo), Teotonio R. de Souza tells about a mass-haul of Moidekars, both ganvkars (from all vangodd) and some non-ganvkars, men and women, by the Holy Office of the Inquisition during its auto-da-fé in the Cathedral See on 7 December 1664. While some were pulled-up for the first time, there were others taken in for 14th relapse! However, most (almost all) men were accused of light faults associated with practices of Hinduism: António Pinto (1st time), João Correia and Jorge de Souza (2nd time), Diogo Lobo (3rd time), João Fernandes and his brother Tomé (dhobi)(4th time) Miguel de Siqueira and Antonio Mendes (5th time), Diogo da Cunha and Andre de Sá (6th time), António da Gama, João Correia, Francisco Borges, Manuel de Nazareth (7th time), Ventura Mendes, Diogo de Siqueira, João de Sá (8th time), Estevão da Cunha, Pedro de Nazareth, Diogo Mendes, João Lobo babuji,Lourenço de Souza, Baltazar da Cunha, Vicente Ribeiro, Diogo Correia, Simão Coelho (shudra)(12th time), Filipe Nazareth, Lourenço d'Azavedo, Tomé Fernandes (dhobi), Gonçalo Vellozo, Franciso da Cruz, João Nazareth, ganvkar of Moirá but resident in Santa Ines (13th time), Francisco da Cunha, married to Ursula Gomes (14th time and condemned to 4 years of labour in the gunpowder factory). There were women too, from Moirá or married in Moirá. Most of them got harsher treatment of 5–7 years of hard labour in the gunpowder manufactory: Maria Loba, Andreia de Souza and Catarina de Sá (1st time), Phelipa Pereira (from Aldoná, resident in Moirá), Felipa Cotta (also from Aldoná, resident in Moirá), Maria de Souza (widow of Andre de Souza), Ines Fernandes (regateira, shudra)(2nd time), Francisca Barboza (from the mainland, resident in Moirá)(3rd time), 15 other women from Moirá (4th time), Maria Rodrigues (regateira, shudra) married to Bartolomeu Rodrigues, condemned after death! Having consulted the files relating to autos-da-fé celebrated in Goa during the following years till the end of the 17th century and till mid 18th century, Teotonio R. de Souza has not found any more Moidekars being troubled by the Inquisition! One can easily understand that during the first 50 years after conversion it must have been very hard to lose the old habits and beliefs. But Moidekars proved to be good learners to adapt to new demands or at least to escape the watchful eyes!