History of Trade an Commerce in Goa 1878-1961
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HISTORY OF TRADE AN COMMERCE IN GOA 1878-1961 Thesis submitted to the GOA UNIVERSITY for the award of degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HISTORY by MURELLE MARIA LEONILDES DA COSTA 1/4-4741:41, RESEARCH FELLOW ,,,'-\*tsk'N: Department of History, \ Goa University. ot51-. -7q1 - I COS H6 nder the Guidance of - DR. N. SHYAM GHAT Reader & Head Department of History, Goa University, Tcloigoc P!cteou, Goa - 403 206. 26"D comber 2002 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this Ph.D. Thesis entitled "History of Trade and Commerce in Goa: 1878-1961", submitted to Goa University forms an independent work carried out by me in the Department of History, Goa University under the supervision of Dr. N. Shyam Bhat, Reader and Head, Department of History, Goa University, and this thesis has not previously formed the basis for award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or other similar titles. to ‘4K / k Place: Taleigao Plateau, Goa\s\ A Date: 16-12 - 20 0 2- --lkftligile Maria leonildes da Costa) Research Fellow 21-‘t).\otil Countersigned by: 90-9- rx.de Ns' v?.i (Dr. N. yam Bhat) Research Guide Reader & Head, Department of History, Goa University, Goa 403 206. CERTIFICATE I certify that this Thesis entitled "History of Trade and Commerce in Goa : 1878-1961'1 submitted by Murelle Maria Zeonildes Da Costa for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History, Goa University, is a record of research work done by her during the period from 1997 to 2002 when she worked under my guidance. The Thesis has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma, associateship or fellowship to Murelle Maria Leonildes Oa Costa. I affirm that this Thesis submitted by Murelle Maria Zeonildes Da Costa represents the dent research work carried out by her under my Supervisi tai r i / 0 s \ - , \- Place :Taleigao Plateau, Goa. Date : (Dr. N. Shyam Bhat) Research Guide Reader and Head Department of History Goa University, Goa 403 206. iii ACKNOWLEbGEMENT I wish to express my sincere and deepest gratitude to my guide, Dr. N. Shyam Bhat, Reader and Head, Department of HiStary, Goa University, Goa for his Valuable guidance, encouragement and immense support throughout the course of this research which enabled me to finalise this Ph.D. Thesis. I am grateful to the authorities of Fundagao Oriente, Lisbon, and their delegation in Goa for awarding me a Fellowship which enabled me to visit Portugal from September 1899 to January 2000 to collect original and secondary source materials from the Archives and Libraries in Portugal. I thank Profa . Benedita Araujd, Facuidade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, for her valuable guidance and help during my stay in Portugal. I thank Professor K. M. Mathew, former Head of the Department of History and other Faculty MeMbers of the Department of History, Goa University for their help. The authorities of Goa University had granted Research Fellowship to me and it enabled me to pursue this research work. I am indebted to them for this fellowship. I thank the authorities of the Archives and Libraries from which I had collected sources for writing this Thesis. I thank the Director and staff of the Directorate of Archives and Archaeology, Government of Goa; the Curator and staff, Central Library, Goa; the Director and staff; Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Goa; the Librarian and staff of Goa University Library; the Director and staff of Maharashtra State Archives, Mumbai; Director and staff of Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, Mumbai;. the authorities of the Asiatic Society, Mumbai; Jawaharlal Nehru Library, University of Mumbai; the authorities of Torre do iv Tombo, Lisbon; Biblioteca Nacional, LisbOa; Ministerio do Negocios dos Estrangeiros, Lisbon, Arquivo Historico Ultramarino, Lisbon, Palacio da Ajuda, Lisbon and Boletim da Sociedade de Geographia de Lisboa. I thank Mrs. Maria Fernanda Rodrigues for her valuable help in translating and understanding some of the Portuguese documents. I thank Mr. Agapito and Mrs. Judith Fernandes for their affection and support during my stay in Portugal. I am grateful to my parents, grandparents, brother, sister, brother-in-law and other friends and relatives who have always supported me in pursuing my studies. NO, bate : 2 6 - 12.- 2 001 MURELLE MARIA LEONILDES DA COSTA LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AHU = Arquivo Historic° Ultramarino BET = Board of External Trade BNU = Banco Nacional Ultramarino GIP.R6f = Great Indian Peninsula Railway HAG = Historical Archives of Goa MA = Maharashtra Archives MNE = Ministerio dos Negocios do Estrangeiros RBI = Reserve Bank of India SMR = Southern Mahratta Railway WIPGR = West of India Portuguese Guaranteed Railway LIST OF MAPS 1. GOA: Minerals. 2. GOA: Ports and Inland Waterways. 3. Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway System. vi GLOSSARY Alfandegas - Customs Alvara - Royal Imperial decree Associacdo Commercial Da India Portuguese - Goa Chamber of Commerce Barios E Vela - Sailing boats Banco Nacional Ultramarino - National Overseas Bank Bidis Or Vidis - Local Cigarettes rolled in banana or other leaves Ca/oes - Gallons Can fee - Rice Broth Chamars - Cobblers Con-espondencia Para 0 Reino - Correspondence with Home Government in Portugal Escudos - Six Escudos made a Rupee Estado - State of India Estrangeiros - Neighbouring or foreign kingdoms Espirito De Provo - Proof of spirit Feitoria De Surrate - Factory of Surat firman Royal decree granted by Mughal Emperor Khandi Measure equivalent to 20 maunds 480 lbs. wt. Moncoes Do Reino Monsoon Correspondence Mo/am - Mats of palm leaves Mochua - It was a small oarship used on the Indian Coast and equipped with one quadrangular sail. vii Mao - A measure in use in Goa, lit "a hand". Mound - 1 maund is equivalent to 28 pounds. Navios De Grande &toxic. - Big steamers Pangayas - Country sailing crafts. Potamorin Light ship of 5 to 12 tons used in India for coastal navigation. It was equipped with 2 masts. In Goa, the patamarins were also used to carry people from one side of the river to another. Regimento E Instruccaes Standing instructions. Reis - The lowest denomination of currency in Goa. Sal Leve - Light salt. Telhas Vas - Small tiles. Temperos Do Card - Various spices. Xerahns - Common silver currency of Portuguese India equivalent to 300 reis. viii CONTENTS Title Page No. DECLARATION ii CERTIFICATE iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv-v LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND LIST OF MAPS vi GLOSSARY vii-viii CONTENTS ix CHAPTER I : INTRODUCTION 1-9 CHAPTER II : HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 10-21 CHAPTER III--: THE ANGLO-PORTUGUESE TREATY 22-55 CHAPTER IV : EXTERNAL TRADE AND COMMODITY 56-141 COMPOSITION CHAPTER V TRENDS IN TRADE AND INTERNAL 142-188 TRADE CHAPTER VI TRADE IN ORES AND BIG 189-218 INDUSTRIALISTS CHAPTER VII MORMUGAO PORT AND RAILWAY LINE 219-242 CHAPTER VIII :IMPACT OF ECONOMIC BLOCKADE AND 243-262 WORLD -EVENTS ON -GOA'S-TRADE CHAPTER IX : CONCLUSION 263-276 MAPS FROM I TO III 277-279 APPENDICES FROM I TO VI 280-302 BIBLIOGRAPHY 303-309 ix CHAPTER - I INTRODUCTION The present thesis is a comprehensive and analytical study on the History of Trade and Commerce in Goa from 1878 to 1961 in historical perspective. Portuguese Goa was known for its brisk trade and commerce during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Goa's trade and commerce began to decline during the eighteenth century and this feature continued until 1961. Nevertheless there existed considerable trade and commerce during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The decline was more noticeable in the second half of the nineteenth century and early half of the twentieth century. However, it is obvious that the Portuguese did carry out their trading and commercial activities until 1961, the year of Goa's liberation. Though the Official trade or State-Trade was minimal, the private trade was quite visible. The year 1878 saw the signing of the famous Anglo-Portuguese treaty which formed a landmark in the history of Portuguese trade and commerce in Goa. As a result of this Treaty, economically Portuguese Goa depended on the British and because of the former's subordinate position, Portuguese economic interests suffered further. There was already contraction of trade since the 1850's and it was further accentuated by the provisions of the Treaty of 1878 and their implications. Thus the present thesis 2 concentrates on the period of contraction and decline in trade and commerce in Portuguese Goa. A SURVEY OF HISTORIOGRAPHY A study of the history of trade and commerce in Goa from 1878 to 1961 is a desideratum. Our objective is to investigate into and critically analyse the multifarious aspects of trade and commerce in Goa during the period under study. Most of the historians who researched on the economic history of Goa concentrated on the heydays of the Portuguese presence in the region. There are quite a number of important publications related to the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The works of scholars such as A.R.Disney', M. N. Pearson 2, K. S. Mathew3, Teotonio R. de Souza4, Sanjay Subrahmanyam5, Afzal Ahmed6 and others mostly relate to these centuries. They have written less on the last centuries of Portuguese presence in Goa. The Gazetteer of the Union Territory : Goa, Daman and Diu, Part I, Goa edited by V. T. Gune7 provides some information related to late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One significant work which deals with the trading and commercial details of late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is Celsa Pinto's 8 Trade and Finance in Portuguese India : A study of the Portuguese Country Trade 1770- 1840 and provides very useful insights for a study on trade and commerce. The Portuguese in India by F. C. Danvers9 gives information upto the end of the nineteenth century. Goa through the Ages, Vol. I. An Economic History edited by Teotonio R.