The Portuguese Inquisition in Goa: Faith, Fear, and Power

In this episode of The History of Portugal, Lucas and Luna dive into the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa — a shadowy institution that for over two centuries policed belief, punished dissent, and reshaped the social fabric of Portugal's Asian empire. Starting with the arrival of the first inquisitors in 1560 under the reign of King Sebastião, we explore how the Inquisition targeted not only New Christians (converted Jews) but also native converts suspected of crypto-Hinduism or crypto-Islam, and even European Catholics deemed too 'Lutheran' in their thinking. We discuss the auto-da-fé ceremonies held in the Sé Cathedral, the role of the Holy Office in suppressing Konkani language and local customs, and the controversial figure of Inquisitor-General Aleixo de Meneses. We also touch on the Inquisition's decline under the Marquis of Pombal in the 1770s and its final abolition in 1812. Along the way, we confront the human cost: the trials, the torture, the confiscations, and the burning of heretics at the Rossio square. This is a story of how fear and orthodoxy shaped daily life in Portuguese India, and how the echoes of that fear can still be felt today. #GoaInquisition #PortugueseIndia #EstadoDaIndia #Inquisition #Sebastião #AleixoDeMeneses #AutoDaFé #CryptoHinduism #NewChristians #Konkani #MarquisOfPombal #SéCathedral #Rossio #16thCentury #17thCentury #18thCentury #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo