«Jews, Christians and Hindus were burnt at stake in Goa in India».

In 1542 A.D there were 200.000 people living in Old Goa. The Inquisition started in 1560 A.D. It lasted for 252 years. The rubble of the destroyed city can still be found under the three cover.
The tiny state of India was the centre of the most cruel inquisition on planet Earth. This is the words of the historian and author Gunnar W. Knutsen. He recently translated an eyewitness account from 1687».
Gunnar W. Knutsen took his master on the Spanish Inquisition, and is today employed as an Historian at The University of Oslo. He was written several books and articles on the different tribunals of the Inquisition. In the Norwegian version of the «The Inquisition of Goa» Knutsen also explains from his own conclusions, made by the research and studies of the tribunal in Goa.
«The Spanish Inquisition did create fear in Europe. But few, if none, are aware of the fact that the most grotesque religious tyranny took place in Asia. For 252 year, the Portuguese enclave of Goa was ruled by a tribunal, which by the present age was look up on as a state of terror».
India was fare away from Europe, and the Portuguese authorities and the Roman Catholic Church had freer hands than on their home turfs. The Religious tyranny lasted for almost 252 years. The archive files of the religious tribunal has disappeared, and no-one knows for sure the number of people executed.
«But we know from other sources, that there were more than 16.000 trials in Old Goa. Even without access to the missing achieves, we can acknowledge that al least 500 people lost their lives», Mr. Knutsen explains.
«The Tribunal in Goa got the authority to arrest and transport to Goa people from all the Portuguese colonies on the East Coast of Africa, West cost of India, Sri Lanka, The spice Island of Indonesia and Portuguese China. The Portuguese Inquisition was in fact a global system of justice with authority over all sea vessels under control of the King of Portugal, wherever on the planet they were located» says Knutsen.
The skull of Francis Xavier, who wrote to the King of Portugal and proposed a tribunal of the Inquisition to be set up in Goa.
It was the fight against «Maranos», or crypto-Jews who was the official ideology behind the tribunal of the Inquisition in Goa.
The crypto-Jews was the name of Jews who officially has converted to Catholicism, but still celebrated Jewish traditions and the Sabbath in secret.
When the Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 and Portugal in 1948, many of them chose to flee to the newly discovered colonies.
In the year 1557, the Jesuit Goncalo Da Silva from the Indian city of Cochin wrote, that Judaism was a «perversisismo», the secret enemy which needed to be defeated with an Inquisitional tribunal in Goa. But also the Pre-Portuguese St. Thomas Christians and the Hindus of Goa was persecuted and killed by the tribunal.
Source: The Norwegian Christian daily newspaper «Dagen».
My comment:
The Goans have never been told the full truth about the crime against humanity that took place inside their state during the Portuguese rule. The man they adore, venerate or worship as a saint, is basically the man that brought in the terror. Thats tragic.
Will the Roman Catholics in Goa ever be told the truth, so they can get a chance to repent?



I am Goan and feel privileged to be born and brought up right in the borough that was occupied by the Jewish people. I found out that the name of this borough was “Beit Thana” meaning “Administrative Center” but after the Portuguese invasion it was changed to “Britona” – why they came up with a British-like name I haven’t a clue. However,it is very heart-rending to learn of the history of Goa particularly how much the Jewish people have had to suffer and being hunted from country to country. But they are blessed and they are strong and they have multiplied throughout the world this shows us how the hand of God is protecting them, and that they can NEVER be made extinct.
It is also tragic that the inhabitants of their host-states also had to go through senseless torture and mass killings – I quote Francois-Marie Arouet better known as Voltaire … “Goa is sadly famous for its inquisition, which is contrary to humanity as much as to commerce. The Portuguese monks deluded us into believing that the Indian populace was worshiping The Devil, while it is they who served him.”… How true!!
To: The Norwegian Christian daily newspaper «Dagen»
Thank You – You are so right about this Francis Xavier (minus the title). You are also right about hundreds perhaps thousands of Goans (including my own household) until this day “do not have a clue about what happened to their ancestors” and who in all possibility could be a part of the lost tribes of Israel. I am trying to find people with Jewish roots in Goa to introduce them to their soon coming YAHSHUA MESSIAH.
If you have any info on Jews in Goa please pass it on to me. Appreciate it.
Blessings in Yahshua Messiah’s Holy name
Shepherd4Yeshua
Dear Bethany.
Shalom, and welcome to this site.
Please check your email.
My grandfather was in Britona and he did not look like an Indian, and my mum name was Raquel and his name was Joaquim de Souza, could his ancestors been victimized during the inquisition in Portugal in 1497 ? I was told that he spoke Ladino. Please help me with an answer if possible !
Shalom
Dear Thomas,
~~~~ First of all your name and your comment came to me as a big surprise this morning and with the mention of your mother’s name, yes, the dots connected very well. I am positive that I know who you are and I remember your family very well even though some decades have gone by … we are from the same village not very far from each other. However, I don’t live there anymore and I know that neither do you and your family.
~~~~ About the inquisition, you bet they, the Portuguese mass-murdered our ancestors and others including the Hindus, Muslims, even Arab Traders, and other Merchants, and converted us to Catholicism. Not only that, they destroyed all records of the victims. They caused hell in Goa such a thing has never ever happened in the whole of India until this day. Could it be that your family and mine and hundreds of other Goans are the lost people of Israel? But the good God of Israel always preserves his remnant and in these present days He is gathering them all to meet with His soon returning Son, Savior YESHUA(Jesus) of the children of Jacob and many others who honor and love Him.
~~~~ Looking back into history, I feel so glad that Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru drove the Portuguese out of Goa with force. My father hated them and even though he was catholic, he loved Israel and often read the Bible(copy of 1611 KJV) which later he gave to me. He is the first one to tell me that the ‘people of Israel’ are the “people of God”. He was the first one to tell me that a man is born who will be the antichrist. We know that Catholics hate the Jews, so why would he tell me these things?? .. Strange indeed!! Being catholic and a teenager at that time, it was hard for me to understand these things but now I understand very well as I recall my father’s words that I believe God was using him to sow the good seed of the TORAH into my heart. For years now I gave up on Catholicism, I follow the TORAH with all my heart, I love YAHWEH (G-d) of Israel and His beloved Son YESHUA(Jesus) who has become my “first love” before everything. I strongly believe that my ancestors were never Catholic (but converted to the evil religion) and that they were not Indians but a Set-Apart People who belong to the Set-Apart G-d of Israel. Holy be His name
~~~~ I have been doing a lot of research since the past 12 years on my roots and I found a lot of information. The Israelites who fled to Goa & Kerala(*) are those that fled from the Spain and Portugal Inquisition but were then hunted down by the devil himself and murdered by the hands of the Portuguese. During this time many of the Israelites fled to Bombay(now called Mumbai) who call themselves the “B’nei Israel” meaning “Children of Israel”. BTW you did mention that you grandfather did not look Indian – so strange, because neither does my mother and her family – they look more Spanish like the Sephardic Jews.
~~~~ [[(*)KERALA KILLINGS: In 1662 the Portuguese killed many of the COCHIN Jews on account of the sympathy with the Dutch which they had shown when the Dutch ineffectually attacked the city. The following year Cochin was taken by the Dutch, and the Jews received religious liberty.]]
GOA INQUISITION: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_Inquisition
I have tons of info but it is difficult to write it all down here. If YAHWEH wills it, I know you and I will connect, then perhaps I can share more with you. Meantime may YESHUA(Jesus) enlighten you with more Knowledge and Understanding in this matter. BE ALWAYS BLESSED.
Hi.
First of all let me thank you for reply ! I have done lots of reading on our jewish history and the un told history of the inquisition in Goa,
Now regarding catholicism, I gave it up almost four decades ago and to be honest I have a KIPA as the call it in France. I would like have some more contacts with you if possible, Shalom.
P.S. SOMETHING VERY STRANGE MY MUM TOLD ME THAT I WAS BORN ON A SATURDAY AND THAT IT WAS A HOLLY DAY !
YES IT WAS SHABATH.
Shalom Tomas,
~~~~ I honestly don’t know what to say I’m so stunned for it has been immense joy for me to know and connect with someone from my own hometown in this manner after decades. Someone who has been doing the same as I have – looking for our true roots.
~~~~ I will first thank YAHWEH for this connection and then I thank Ivar for his blog and this article. Ivar, may you be richly blessed for your boldness in bringing out the truth due to which I was able to make this connection. As per my very first comment, it has taken 2 years to do so, I pray that many Goans will read this blog and see the Light of YAHWEH as Tomas and me have seen it.
~~~~ BTW Tomas, I’m not in India anymore. I have so much to say but will save it till we can connect and YAHWEH willing, we will, I know that. Meantime keep in touch on this blog.
Shalom to you my brother in Yeshua’s Holy Name.
Hi.
Thanks again for your reply ! Take your time and when you ready, do please let me know. Shalom.
Shalom, it’s gonna be soon I know. Be Blessed.
Shalom !
I am not a crypto any more !
L’shana habaah b’yerushalayim.
Shalom Tomas,
Do you have a Skype account. If not open one and add me in. This way we can connect. Skype username: soldeir4yeshua.
Hi Tomas,
Just so you don’t get confused my user names got switched from one email to another but I’m one and the same person. You will also find me on Skype under this name Bethany.
Shalom
Shalom Thomas,
Here is a Jew who had fled the Spanish Inquisition and the the great work in did in Goa. http://www.answers.com/topic/garcia-de-orta
I learned that many Jews who had fled to Mexico from the Goa Inquisition, were later hunted down and murdered there. Yet many gentiles deny the Inquisitions, the Holocaust that the Jews and other people have suffered. It is so sad.
I hoped to hear about Agnela but will wait till YAHWEH connects us.
Meantime Shabbat Shalom, I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.
Be blessed.
so intresting to know that about the jews in goa after ppassing sharao this small chapel was strange to me with a dome i now understand this must be a sinagog for the jews my intrest after knowing the LORD ,
this is some thing strange my intrest as a goan knowing the lord now
shalom
tony
Shalom tony,
It’s good to know that one more Goan (you) has come on this site and who has given himself to the Lord and Savior Yeshua(Jesus). I will make a trip to Chorao the next time I visit Goa just to see this chapel that you mentioned as I’m still doing a lot of research. Thanks for the info.
I pray that God will enlighten more Goans about the Portuguese Invasion and their atrocities on the Goan people. I pray that more Goans will leave the evil religion of Catholicism and embrace the True God of the Torah/Bible and worship Him only for there is not much time left if we look at what is happening in the world and in the heavens today. The time is really very short for the coming of the Yeshua(jesus) the Messiah.
Shalom, Be Blessed.