Norteiro people
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Norteiros were a historical people who lived in the former Portuguese exclaves in the western littoral of northern parts of the Konkan region, in present-day Greater Bombay Metropolitan Area and the union territory of Damaon, Diu& Silvassa.
Norteiro means "northerner" and comes from the Portuguese language and its Indo-Portuguese creoles, the term referred to people in the colonies centred around Baçaim, which was styled the "Court of the North". It stood second only to the city of Velha Goa in south Konkan, among Portuguese East Indies possessions in South Asia. Norteiro has largely fallen into disuse, the descendants identify as Luso-Indians as in the case of Damaonites and the Korlai Christians of Chaul, the others identify as Bombay East Indians, ie those who inhabit Bassein (Vasai), New Bombay& Mumbai (Bombay). The latter are still known as Nodther (male), Nodtherni (female)& Nodthera (plural) in Konkani.
Culture[]
Except for Diu, which lies in the historical "Sorath" or Saurashtra, the remaining settlements were all within the north Konkan region partitioned between the union territory of Damaon, Diu& Silvassa and Maharashtra state. They were populated predominantly by native Konkani people.
History[]
Capture of Bassein[]
During the period of Peshva Brahmin rule of the Mahratta empire, Portuguese Bombay and Bassein was invaded when the Portuguese refused to pay the chauth protection tax to stop Mahratta raids. Under the Peshva, Mahrattas seized most of the settlements, including the territorial administrative centre headquarters at Fort Bassein. Chimaji Appa, brother to the Peshva Brahmins ordered the destruction and vandalism of nearly all churches and convents, Basilica of Mount Bandra (Bombay) was the only structure spared. Mahratta varnas and jaats didn't discriminate among the two religious groups[citation needed][verification needed] and many Norteiros switched loyalties, they also switched to speaking Marathi in Konkan. When the East India Company later took over the seven islands of Bombay from the Portuguese capital at Velha Goa, Bassein (Vasai) and from the Mahrattas, they called the Norteiros "Bombay Portuguese".
British era[]
After the involvement of England in Goan affairs as a result of the French Revolutionary Wars & the Napoleonic Wars, England occupied Portuguese Goa for several years, ostensibly to protect it from a French takeover. The Goans were encouraged to migrate to Bombay and find employment. Because of the influx of Goans, called "Goan Portuguese" by the English, the "Bombay Portuguese" decided to rename themselves with a name emphasising their status as subjects of England, to distinguish them from the Goans, who were Portuguese citizens (since Pombal enfranchised Goa). These Norteiros began calling themselves "Bombay East Indians" to identify with the British East India Company which ruled them until recently on behalf of England.
Other communities, such as that of Kristi creole people of Chaul, Damaon& Dio, continued to identify Luso-Indians.
Both the Damaonites and the Kristi communities are often wrongly[citation needed] called Norteiro people, derived from the native Marathi people.[how?] However, the Diu, Damaonite and Kristi Norteiros share a single trait, as compared to the Bombay East Indians who are culturally and traditionally different from them.
See also[]
- History of Konkan
- Konkani people
- Marathi people
- List of topics on the Portuguese Empire in the East
References[]
- Ethnic groups in India
- History of Portugal
- History of Maharashtra
- History of Christianity in Asia
- History of Goa
- Colonial India