DOCSLIB.ORG

Between the Inquisition and the King: the Favorites and the Secretaries of State (1580-1736)*

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Between the Inquisition and the King: the Favorites and the Secretaries of State (1580-1736)* Between the Inquisition and the king: the favorites and the secretaries of State (1580-1736)* Ana Isabel López-Salazar1 To Rafael Valladares, who knows so much about favorites Abstract The integration of Portugal in the Hispanic Monarchy caused a problem in the communication between the Portuguese Inquisition and the Crown, at the time located in Madrid. To prevent the constant intervention of the Council of Portugal and the viceroys in the matters of the Holy Office, the Inquisition tried to establish several ways to communicate directly with the king. The most original was the integration of the favorites and the secretaries of State in the inquisitorial institution. After the Restoration, the secretaries of State conserved the position of secretaries of the Holy Office until 1736, demonstrating the efficiency of certain institutional innovations of the Philippine period. Keywords Portugal, Hispanic Monarchy, Inquisition, Favorite, Secretary of State Resumo A agregação de Portugal à Monarquia Hispânica gerou um problema na comunicação entre a Inquisição portuguesa e a Coroa, na altura sediada em Madrid. Para evitar a constante intervenção do Conselho de Portugal e dos vice-reis nas questões do Santo Ofício, a Inquisição tentou estabelecer vias de comunicação direta com o monarca. A mais original foi a integração dos validos e dos secretários de Estado na própria instituição inquisitorial. Após a Restauração, os secretários de Estado continuaram a desempenhar o cargo de secretários do Santo Ofício até 1736, o que demonstra a eficácia de algumas inovações institucionais da época filipina. Palavras-chave Portugal, Monarquia Hispânica, Inquisição, Valido, Secretário de Estado * Abbreviations: AJCJ (Armário Jesuítico e Cartório dos Jesuítas); ANTT (Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo, Lisbon), AGS (Archivo General de Simancas), AHN (Archivo Histórico Nacional, Madrid), BA (Biblioteca da Ajuda, Lisbon), BNP (Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal), BPE (Biblioteca Pública de Évora), CG (Conselho Geral), E (Estado), FG (Fundo Geral), IL (Inquisição de Lisboa); SP (Secretarías Provinciales), TSO (Tribunal do Santo Ofício). This work was developed within the scope of the following research projects: EurocoreCODE/001/2009, HAR2012-37583, PTDC/HIS-HIS/118227/2010 and UID/HIS/00057/2013. I would like to thank Bernardo García García and Rafael Valladares for all the assistance the provided. 1 Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain and CIDEHUS-University of Évora, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected] López-Salazar Between the Inquisition and the king 1. Introduction The physical separation between the king and the kingdom was one of the most visible aspects of Portugal’s integration into the Hispanic Monarchy. In fact, as Fernando Bouza pointed out several years ago, Habsburg Portugal was built on the basis of the king’s absence (Bouza 1994: 81). This circumstance had direct consequences in the communication established between the different Portuguese councils, tribunals and corporations and the sovereign.2 To compensate for his absence, two new institutions were created: the viceroyalty (or, in its absence, the council of governors) and the Council of Portugal in Madrid. After the return of Filipe II to Madrid, in 1583, all the kingdom’s affairs were to be managed and solved through these two channels. One of the institutions that found it most difficult to adjust to this system of political communication with the Crown was the Inquisition. This happened for several reasons. Its mixed nature as an apostolic tribunal that was simultaneously dependent on the Crown placed it in an ambiguous position within the Monarchy’s institutional system. Furthermore, the fact that it was impossible to communicate directly with the king was an entirely new issue for the Portuguese Holy Office that, for obvious reasons, had never been raised before. We need only remind ourselves that the General Inquisitor Dom Henrique, who had ruled the Holy Office for forty years (between 1539 and 1578), had also been the kingdom’s regent (1562-1568) and king (1578-1580). It is reasonable to believe that, in his time, the need to create institutional channels of communication between the inquisitorial power and the royal power was never raised because they were both concentrated in one single individual – who held the position of regent or king – or because there might have been informal channels of communication between the General Inquisitor and his nephew, King Sebastião. As the General Inquisitor Dom Francisco de Castro wrote many years later: before this Crown was united to that of Castile, the general inquisitors reported their matters directly to the kings, who answered them immediately without the need for a written consulta.3 2 According to António Manuel Hespanha, the Iberian Union was characterized by the implementation of new ways to institutionalize the political communication between the Crown and its peripheral institutions, as well as by the creation of a new balance between a government led by Councils and a government led by special committees (juntas) and officials, such as secretaries of State and favorites (Hespanha 1989). 3 ANTT, TSO, CG, liv. 353, fol. 3v. e-JPH, Vol. 13, number 1, June 2015 2 López-Salazar Between the Inquisition and the king Before moving forward, it is important to specify the matters and issues that the general inquisitors were duty bound to report to the kings. As stated by the General Council itself in the late sixteenth century, there were two main matters that the Inquisition had to discuss with the Crown. One was the government of the Holy Office, and the other was the request for favors for the tribunal’s ministers.4 To these I would add at least three other matters. First of all, I should like to recall the problem of the New Christians, i.e. the criticism that they leveled against the tribunal’s procedure and the petitions that they filed in Madrid, asking the Crown to grant them various favors. Undoubtedly, this was the issue that eventually gave rise to most of the problems and correspondence between the Inquisition and the monarchy. Secondly, the Crown was required to intervene whenever there were conflicts between the Holy Office and other institutions. Finally, the Inquisition was also required to discuss all matters relating to the properties confiscated from individuals who were found guilty of displaying heresy towards the monarchy. However, I have deliberately decided to set aside all matters relating to the confiscations, because this subject – not being associated with faith or with the way in which the tribunal was governed – raises specific issues.5 After 1583, when Filipe II returned to Madrid, and especially after 1593, when Cardinal Albert did the same, the Inquisition had to learn how to interact with the governors and viceroys, as well as with the Council of Portugal. During the Iberian Union, in most cases, the resolution of matters relating to the Inquisition passed through the normal channels – the viceroy and the Council. However, it is also true that the Holy Office sought alternative ways to break the double wall represented by the viceroys and the Council of Portugal. The aspiration to finding a way to communicate directly with the king, without resorting to any sort of intermediaries, emerged in the early seventeenth century. In order to achieve this, the Holy Office resorted to various expedients, such as placing an agent at the Court and sending inquisitors and deputies to Valladolid and Madrid (Bethencourt 1997: 163). But, undoubtedly, the most original method was the official integration of favorites – Lerma and Olivares – and Secretaries of State – Matos and Soares 4 ANTT, TSO, CG, liv. 129, fol. 221r-222v. 5 As a tribunal, the juízo do fisco, responsible for the confiscation of properties that belonged to people condemned for heresy, was independent from the Holy Office, despite its being, to some extent, subordinated to the general inquisitor. By law, the confiscated properties belonged to the Crown and, although they were managed by the general inquisitor, the king could decide what to do with this money. Furthermore, the monarch was the one who had to appoint the judges and prosecutors of the juízo do fisco, although the general inquisitor was the one who chose and suggested the names of these individuals to the king. Finally, the contadores examined the accounts of the treasurers of the juízo do fisco, which were reviewed at the Casa dos Contos, and the king ordered this tribunal to be inspected by judges who did not belong to the Holy Office. e-JPH, Vol. 13, number 1, June 2015 3 López-Salazar Between the Inquisition and the king – into the circuit of communication between the Holy Office and the Crown. The fact that the Inquisition decided to integrate the favorite into the tribunal leads us to question and reassess the idea – widely disseminated by historiography – that the Holy Office had an open conflict with Lerma and Olivares during the reigns of Filipe III and Filipe IV. In other words, it is true that, first Lerma, and later Olivares, tried to control the Inquisition and supported some of the claims of the New Christians. However, their relationship with the Portuguese Holy Office cannot be seen only, and in a Manichaean way, as conflictive. The Inquisition also knew how to take advantage of the new circumstances created by the emergence of favoritism, as proven by the official integration of Lerma and Olivares into its own institutional structure. As we shall see in the following pages, the efficiency of this expedient was actually limited and did not prevent the governors, the viceroys and the Council of Portugal from intervening in the affairs of the Holy Office and mediating the communication between the Inquisition and the Crown. However, despite its failure, this resource shows the ability of the Portuguese tribunal to adjust itself to a new era.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Silk and Spice Routes Series
    The European Trade Empires chapter six The European Trade Empires The en Door The Portuguese found their new route to the East at an opportune moment. At the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, whilst many different nations were actively trading along the Spice Routes, Y A view of the Watch Tower there was no major naval power to in the Forbidden City. Beijing, built by the Ming rulers of block their way. The door for China. The bronze statue of Portuguese expansion was wide open. a dragon (right) is one of The Egyptians under the Mameluke several inside the City. empire were more concerned with defending their territories from the expansion of the Ottoman Turks; while the Turks, having won Egypt in 1517, were looking to advance into eastern Europe. In Iran, the Safavid Dynasty (1500-1629) was reviving that country's fortunes but it was essentially a land- based power, as were the kingdoms and sultanates of India. Had the Portuguese arrived some seventy years earlier, the situation would have been very different, for then China was expanding its naval power. In 1368, the Yuan Dynasty had been toppled by the native Ming who were to control China for nearly three hundred years. The Ming Dynasty reached its peak during the reign of the third Ming emperor, Yung Lo (1403-24), who planned a huge programme of trade and exploration abroad. 27,000 men and a fleet of 317 ships were placed under the command of the admiral Zheng He (Cheng ho). Between 1405 and 1433 Zheng He made seven great voyages.
    [Show full text]
  • Prince Henry and India
    Doubling the World Enough for us that the hidden half of the globe is brought to light, and the Portuguese daily go farther and farther beyond the equator. Thus shores unknown will soon become accessible; for one in emulation of another sets forth in labors and mighty perils. —PETER MARTYR (1493) The 1400s in a Nutshell: Discovering the Unknown In the West: § Ptolemy (geography) is revived § The Portuguese begin the first state sponsored continuous exploration § Spain Responds (via efforts of Christopher Columbus) § A new continent is discovered In the Middle East: • The Arabs stagnate; maintain their roles as middle men traders In the East: • The Chinese explore one-third of the planet; then stop cold THE blocking of the land paths proved a godsend. Driven by new incentives to go to sea, Europeans would discover waterways to everywhere. From the whole period of the Great Interruption, the fourth until the fourteenth century, no mariner's charts survive. In that age of widespread illiteracy, sailors passed on their traditional knowledge by word of mouth. From about 1300, however, we do find Mediterranean sea charts (portolanos), offering useful details for the next generation of mariners. To reach Asia by water from the Mediterranean countries meant leaving the closed for the open sea. Mediterranean voyages were mostly coastwise sailing, which meant relying on personal experience of those particular places—local winds and currents, familiar landmarks, well-known offshore islands and the distinctive silhouette of a neighboring mountain. When Portuguese sailors advanced southward down the coast of Africa, they left behind all familiar landmarks.
    [Show full text]
  • O Conselho De Estado No Portugal Restaurado – Teorização, Orgânica E Exercício Do Poder Político Na Corte Brigantina (1640-1706)
    UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE LETRAS DEPARTAMENTO DE HISTÓRIA O CONSELHO DE ESTADO NO PORTUGAL RESTAURADO – TEORIZAÇÃO, ORGÂNICA E EXERCÍCIO DO PODER POLÍTICO NA CORTE BRIGANTINA (1640-1706) Maria Luísa Marques da Gama Mestrado em História Moderna 2011 O Conselho de Estado no Portugal Restaurado – Teorização, Orgânica e Exercício do Poder Político na Corte Brigantina (1640-1706) UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE LETRAS DEPARTAMENTO DE HISTÓRIA O CONSELHO DE ESTADO NO PORTUGAL RESTAURADO – TEORIZAÇÃO, ORGÂNICA E EXERCÍCIO DO PODER POLÍTICO NA CORTE BRIGANTINA (1640-1706) Maria Luísa Marques da Gama Dissertação para a Obtenção do Grau de Mestre em História Moderna, orientada pela Prof. Doutora Maria Paula Marçal Lourenço Mestrado em História Moderna 2011 2 O Conselho de Estado no Portugal Restaurado – Teorização, Orgânica e Exercício do Poder Político na Corte Brigantina (1640-1706) A meus Pais e Avós Ao Rui 3 O Conselho de Estado no Portugal Restaurado – Teorização, Orgânica e Exercício do Poder Político na Corte Brigantina (1640-1706) Oh, quanto deve o Rei que bem governa De olhar que os conselheiros ou privados De Consciência e de virtude interna E de sincero amor sejam dotados! Porque, como este posto na superna Cadeira, pode mal dos apartados Negócios ter notícia mais inteira Do que lhe der a língua Conselheira Luís de Camões, Os Lusíadas, VIII, 54 4 O Conselho de Estado no Portugal Restaurado – Teorização, Orgânica e Exercício do Poder Político na Corte Brigantina (1640-1706) Índice Resumo .........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Response of Elite European Merchant Companies to European Expansion Into Asia and the Americas, C.1492-C.1530
    The Response of Elite European Merchant Companies to European Expansion into Asia and the Americas, c.1492-c.1530 Eleanor Marie Russell Pembroke College November 2019 This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Declaration This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my thesis has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee. 2 Abstract The Response of Elite European Merchant Companies to European Expansion into Asia and the Americas, c.1492-c.1530 Eleanor Marie Russell This thesis analyses the multi-national European merchant-banking companies who dominated European commerce at the beginning of European engagement with the Americas and with Asia via the Cape Route, focusing upon how they responded to these changes. In the first decades of the sixteenth century, it was these companies, mostly from southern Germany and the Italian city-states, who dominated the European trade in Asian and American goods, whose capital funded Spanish and Portuguese royal policies overseas, and whose agents played crucial roles in establishing the Spanish and Portuguese empires and colonial trade.
    [Show full text]
  • A Construçao Do Conhecimento
    MAPAS E ICONOGRAFIA DOS SÉCS. XVI E XVII 1369 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] Apêndices A armada de António de Abreu reconhece as ilhas de Amboino e Banda, 1511 Francisco Serrão reconhece Ternate (Molucas do Norte), 1511 Primeiras missões portuguesas ao Sião e a Pegu, 1. Cronologias 1511-1512 Jorge Álvares atinge o estuário do “rio das Pérolas” a bordo de um junco chinês, Junho I. Cronologia essencial da corrida de 1513 dos europeus para o Extremo Vasco Núñez de Balboa chega ao Oceano Oriente, 1474-1641 Pacífico, Setembro de 1513 As acções associadas de modo directo à Os portugueses reconhecem as costas do China a sombreado. Guangdong, 1514 Afonso de Albuquerque impõe a soberania Paolo Toscanelli propõe a Portugal plano para portuguesa em Ormuz e domina o Golfo atingir o Japão e a China pelo Ocidente, 1574 Pérsico, 1515 Diogo Cão navega para além do cabo de Santa Os portugueses começam a frequentar Solor e Maria (13º 23’ lat. S) e crê encontrar-se às Timor, 1515 portas do Índico, 1482-1484 Missão de Fernão Peres de Andrade a Pêro da Covilhã parte para a Índia via Cantão, levando a embaixada de Tomé Pires Alexandria para saber das rotas e locais de à China, 1517 comércio do Índico, 1487 Fracasso da embaixada de Tomé Pires; os Bartolomeu Dias dobra o cabo da Boa portugueses são proibidos de frequentar os Esperança, 1488 portos chineses; estabelecimento do comércio Cristóvão Colombo atinge as Antilhas e crê luso ilícito no Fujian e Zhejiang, 1521 encontrar-se nos confins
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Fall of Portugal's Maritime
    BYU Studies Quarterly Volume 57 Issue 2 Article 7 2018 The Rise and Fall of Portugal's Maritime Empire, a Cautionary Tale?: Forgotten Pioneers of the Age of Expansion, Discoverers of Two-Thirds of the World for Europe, Ambassadors of the West, Interpreters of the East, Who for a Century and a Half Governed the Lands and controlled the Riches Flowing into Europe from Africa, Persia, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Oceania, and Half of South America, Then Lost Much of Their Empire to Britain, France, and Holland; with Some Comments about Columbus and the Spread of Christianity Frederick G. Williams Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq Part of the Mormon Studies Commons, and the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Williams, Frederick G. (2018) "The Rise and Fall of Portugal's Maritime Empire, a Cautionary Tale?: Forgotten Pioneers of the Age of Expansion, Discoverers of Two-Thirds of the World for Europe, Ambassadors of the West, Interpreters of the East, Who for a Century and a Half Governed the Lands and controlled the Riches Flowing into Europe from Africa, Persia, Arabia, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Oceania, and Half of South America, Then Lost Much of Their Empire to Britain, France, and Holland; with Some Comments about Columbus and the Spread of Christianity," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 57 : Iss. 2 , Article 7. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol57/iss2/7 This Essay is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in BYU Studies Quarterly by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sofala Coast (Mozambique) in the 16Th Century: Between the African Trade Routes and Indian Ocean Trade
    Fluid Networks and Hegemonic Powers in the Western Indian Ocean © 2017 Centro de Estudos Internacionais do Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL) The Sofala Coast (Mozambique) in the 16th Century: between the African trade routes and Indian Ocean trade Ana Cristina Roque Centre of History, Faculty of Leters of the University of Lisbon Portugal 20 The Sofala Coast (Mozambique) in the 16th Century: between the African trade routes and Indian Ocean trade This article addresses the local and regional impact of the setlement of the Portuguese in Sofala, Mozambique, in the 16th century. Using the documental archive sources on the Sofala coast we highlight the specifcity of the interaction between the Portuguese and the local communities, the importance of the “non-ofcial” strategies used by the Portuguese in order to be accepted by the local chieftaincies, the impact of their integration into the local and regional networks and how their atitude formed new geographies of power in the area, while exposing political, economic, social, cultural and religious dichotomies. Focusing our atention on these aspects we make new contributions to the analysis of the Sofala region in the 16th century for a beter understanding of its role in the African and Indian Ocean trading networks in the Portuguese empire, mostly based in informal economic and political control and thus prety close to the concept of "shadow empire". keywords: Portuguese Expansion, “Shadow empire”, Intercontinental trading networks, Sofala, Mozambique, Indian Ocean E-Book’IS • Fluid Networks and Hegemonic Powers in the Western Indian Ocean • 2017 Ana Cristina Roque 21 When arriving in the Indian Ocean in the early 16th century, the Portuguese were confronted with an important intercontinental trade network dominated by Muslim merchants.
    [Show full text]
  • The African Adoption of the Portuguese Crusade During the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
    The Historical Journal (2021), 1–20 doi:10.1017/S0018246X21000510 ARTICLE The African Adoption of the Portuguese Crusade during the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries Adam Simmons Department of History, Languages, and Global Cultures, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK Email: [email protected] Abstract The Portuguese engagement with the continent of Africa following the conquest of Ceuta in 1415 was framed, among numerous conditions, as a crusade (Portuguese: cruzada). However, crusading influences on Portuguese expansion are often sidelined in favour of economic motives. Unlike North and north-east Africa’s connected histories with the Crusades (1095–1291) and the continual role of crusading in the following centuries, the fifteenth century offered a new arena. Kongo’s adoption of Christianity in the late fifteenth century was the first time that an African power can be viewed as engaging in crusading ideology as a Latin Christian power. Significantly, Kongo was converted by Portuguese missionaries who were undertaking their own crusade. Yet, the crusading influence on Kongo’s early development of its Christianity has hitherto been overlooked in Africanist scholarship. Similarly, the situation in Kongo remains a lacuna in Crusades scholarship too. This article calls for a closer discussion between the histories of Africa and the Crusades through the case of Kongo and comparative African examples, such as Benin and Ndongo, to highlight the need to better connect these histories. The Portuguese engagement with the continent
    [Show full text]
  • Portuguese Empire During the Period 1415-1663 and Its Relations with China and Japan – a Case of Early Globalization
    JIEB-6-2018 Portuguese empire during the period 1415-1663 and its relations with China and Japan – a case of early globalization Pavel Stoynov Sofia University, Bulgaria Abstract. The Portuguese Colonial Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history. It existed for almost six centuries, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415, to the handover of Portuguese Macau to China in 1999. It is the first global empire, with bases in North and South America, Africa, and various regions of Asia and Oceania(Abernethy, 2000). The article considers the contacts between Portugal, China and Japan during the first imperial period of Portuguese Empire (1415-1663). Keywords: Portuguese Colonial Empire, China, Japan Introduction The Portuguese Colonial Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lived empires in world history. It existed for almost six centuries, from the capture of Ceuta in 1415, to the handover of Portuguese Macau to China in 1999. It is the first global empire, with bases in North and South America, Africa, and various regions of Asia and Oceania(Abernethy, 2000). After consecutive expeditions to south along coasts of Africa, in 1488 Bartolomeu Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and in 1498 Vasco da Gama reached India. Over the following decades, Portuguese sailors continued to explore the coasts and islands of East Asia, establishing forts and factories as they went. By 1571 a string of naval outposts connected Lisbon to Nagasaki along the coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India and South Asia. This commercial network and the colonial trade had a substantial positive impact on Portuguese economic growth (1500–1800), when it accounted for about a fifth of Portugal's per-capita income (Wikipedia, 2018).
    [Show full text]
  • St. Bonaventure University Winter 2016 – Volume 1, No. 2
    St. Bonaventure University Winter 2016 – Volume 1, No. 2 jms cover Spring FINAL CAIS.indd 3 1/22/2016 11:52:15 AM St. Bonaventure University Spring 2016 – Volume 1, No. 2 I am happy to present to you the second issue of (12/18/15) and the Buffalo News (12/26/15). It can be Nūr. As mentioned in the previous issue, within a few viewed at: decades India’s Muslim population will be the largest in the world, exceeding that of Indonesia. Since the www.buffalonews.com/opinion/another-voice/ Islamic history and heritage of South Asia are still another-voice-blaming-islam-for-terrorism- unknown to many, this issue is devoted to these topics. perpetuates-prejudice20151226- The article (“From Morocco to the Mughal Court”), the exhibit review (“The Fabric of India”), and the review Even in this political climate, there seems to be no of Roger Crowley’s book Conquerors all demonstrate end to genuine interest in and appreciation of Islamic how Islamic South Asia and “the West” have been art and culture. In November and December, I had the intertwined since the 15th century. opportunity to see two opulent and informative art Since the first issue of Nūr was published in exhibits: The Fabric of India at the Victoria and Albert September 2015, CAIS has been involved in a number of Museum in London (reviewed in this issue), and Pearls endeavors, programs and activities. In late September, on a String: Artists, Patrons and Poets at the Great I began a “blog on timely issues” concerning Islam Islamic Courts at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore which is now available on the CAIS website.
    [Show full text]
  • Knight of the Renaissance: D
    THE NEW CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF INDIA The Portuguese in India Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008 THE NEW CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF INDIA General editor GORDON JOHNSON Director, Centre of South Asian Studies, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Selwyn College Associate editors C. A. BAYLY Smuts Reader in Commonwealth Studies, University of Cambridge, and Fellow of St Catharine's College and JOHN F. RICHARDS Professor of History, Duke University Although the original Cambridge History of India, published between 1922 and 1937, did much to formulate a chronology for Indian history and de- scribe the administrative structures of government in India, it has inevitably been overtaken by the mass of new research published over the last fifty years. Designed to take full account of recent scholarship and changing concep- tions of South Asia's historical development, The New Cambridge History of India will be published as a series of short, self-contained volumes, each dealing with a separate theme and written by a single person. Within an overall four-part structure, thirty complementary volumes in uniform format will be published during the next five years. As before, each will conclude with a substantial bibliographical essay designed to lead non-specialists further into the literature. The four parts planned are as follows: I The Mughals and their Contemporaries. II Indian States and the Transition to Colonialism. Ill The Indian Empire and the Beginnings of Modern Society. IV The Evolution of Contemporary South Asia. A list of individual titles in preparation will be found at the end of the volume. Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008 Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008 Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008 THE NEW CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF INDIA I • 1 The Portuguese in India M.
    [Show full text]
  • Remembering the Khoikhoi Victory Over Dom Francisco Almeida at the Cape in 1510
    Postcolonial Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 107Á130, 2009 Remembering the Khoikhoi victory over Dom Francisco Almeida at the Cape in 1510 DAVID JOHNSON In a speech delivered to the South African National Assembly to mark the retirement of Nelson Mandela on 26 March 1999, South African President Thabo Mbeki referred to the victory of the Khoikhoi over the Portuguese Viceroy Dom Francisco Almeida and his forces in Table Bay on 1 March 1510: We are blessed because you [Mandela] have walked along the road of our heroes and heroines. For centuries our own African sky has been dark with suffering and foreboding. But because we have never surrendered, for centuries the menace in our African sky has been brightened by the light of our stars. In the darkness of our night, the victory of the Khoikhoi in 1510 here in Table Bay, when they defeated and killed the belligerent Portuguese admiral and aristocrat, Dom Francisco de Almeida, the first Portuguese viceroy in India, has lit our skies for ever.1 Mbeki’s tribute to this Khoikhoi victory is unusual, as Almeida’s defeat at the Cape has been remembered only sporadically in the last 500 years. I examine three moments when it was remembered*by Portuguese writers in the sixteenth century, by British writers in the period 1770Á1830, and by Southern African writers in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Literary treatments of the early Portuguese explorers rounding the Cape have largely ignored Almeida’s defeat, and have instead repeated versions of the mythic tale of Adamastor, the exiled Titan confined to Table Mountain in eternal punishment by Zeus for threatening to rape the white nymph Thetis.
    [Show full text]