The Forgotten Holocaust: Hindu Genocide During the Goa Inquisition

When one thinks of Goa today, the images that come to mind are often its pristine beaches, colonial architecture, and a vibrant tourist culture. But hidden beneath this surface lies a dark, brutal chapter of Indian history—a chapter soaked in blood and horror—the Goa Inquisition. What unfolded in this small coastal region between 1560 and 1812 was nothing short of a religious genocide, systematically executed under the command of the Portuguese Catholic Church. While the Inquisition in Europe is widely acknowledged for its cruelty, its Goan counterpart remains shrouded in silence, despite being considered the most violent Inquisition ever executed by the Portuguese. Thousands of Hindus were subjected to unspeakable torture, humiliation, dispossession, and death—all in the name of converting them to Christianity.

Arrival of Francis Xavier: Seeds of Intolerance

The turning point in Goa’s history came in 1541 when Francis Xavier, a Spanish missionary and co-founder of the Jesuit Order, arrived under orders from Ignatius Loyola and King João III of Portugal. While he is today revered by many, his own writings expose a disturbing level of contempt for India’s native population. In 1545, Francis Xavier famously described Hindus as “an unholy race” and “liars and cheats to the very backbone.” He was repulsed by the dark complexion of Indian deities and people, remarking, “they believe that their gods are black…so rubbed over with oil as to smell detestably.” These racially charged observations weren’t just casual remarks—they were followed by a decisive recommendation to the Vatican: to install the Inquisition in Goa.

1560: The Beginning of Terror

In 1560, the Portuguese authorities converted the Viceroy’s palace into the dreaded Palácio do Inquisição—a fortress of terror containing over 200 cells, torture chambers, secret halls, and chambers for doctrinal correction. The Holy Office wielded authority greater than that of the Viceroy himself. On April 2, 1560, Viceroy Dom Constantine de Bragança ordered the expulsion of all Brahmins from Portuguese-controlled territories. This was followed by a series of escalating orders and decrees designed to uproot Hindu culture and religion:

- 1575: Governor Antonio Morez Barreto mandated the confiscation of properties of Hindus seen as a threat to Christianity.

- 1585: The Third Provincial Council requested the King of Portugal to expel Brahmins, physicians, and other “infidels.”

- 1620: A Portuguese decree prohibited Hindus from performing marriage ceremonies.

- 1625: Hindus were banned from seeking employment under Portuguese rule.

The Brutality of the Inquisition: First-Hand Accounts

What set the Goa Inquisition apart was its systemic barbarity. Eye-witnesses and historians alike describe it as a tribunal that surpassed even European Inquisitions in cruelty.

João Felix Pereira, in his Historia de Portugal, states, “Thousands of victims died at the stake in flames.” 

Alexandre Herculano, a 19th-century historian, recounts the grotesque torture of women, even pregnant ones, noting that “there were days when seven or eight were subjected to torture after dinner, as a form of post-prandial entertainment.” Inquisitors discussed the beauty of their victims while they writhed in pain—a chilling mix of sadism and religious fanaticism.

Magalhães and Lousada, Portuguese judges of the time, lamented how even tolerant Indians were “astounded to see the God of Christianism more cruel than that of Mohammed.”

The Torture Chambers: A Glimpse into Hell

French Roman Catholic doctor Charles Dellon, who was himself imprisoned during the Inquisition, provides a “mild” account that is horrifying nonetheless. He described the fetid cells, reeking of human waste, where prisoners were held in darkness, denied human dignity even in death.

There were three primary tortures:

1. The Rope/Pulley Torture – Victims' arms were tied behind their backs and hoisted by a pulley, then dropped repeatedly until their joints dislocated.

2. Water Torture – The accused was forced to drink water continuously while straddling an iron bar that broke their vertebrae, inducing asphyxia and vomiting.

3. Fire Torture – Victims were suspended above flames, their feet smeared with combustible materials, and burned slowly until they confessed.

If they died during torture, their bones were still burnt in the public Auto da Fé—ritualistic executions designed to “purify” the condemned through fire.

Auto da Fé: The Theatre of Death

The Auto da Fé was a gruesome public spectacle—equal parts trial, sermon, and execution. The condemned were paraded through the streets of Goa alongside godfathers (church-appointed escorts), jeered at by the crowd, and finally led to the Church of St. Francis. There, under black cloth-covered altars and silver candleholders, proceedings were read aloud. Even the dead weren’t spared—effigies of those who had died in jail were tried in absentia, and their remains burnt. A chilling plea was made by the Inquisition to the secular authorities: to execute the convicts “without the shedding of blood”—which meant only one thing: death by fire. Historian Alfredo De Mello, in Memoirs of Goa, records that on just one day—April 1st, 1650—four people were burnt alive. On December 14, 1653, another 18 met the same fate. From 1666 to 1679, eight Autos da Fé were conducted, sentencing 1208 people. In one horrifying incident in 1736, an entire Hindu family in Salcete was burned alive, their home razed, and salt sowed into their land to prevent regrowth—an act of genocide that echoes the worst excesses of history.

A Religious Cleansing Forgotten

What unfolded in Goa was not merely religious conversion—it was a planned, systematic eradication of Hindu culture, belief systems, and social structures. Brahmins and physicians were targeted first—not only for their religious identity but for their influence over local society. Employment, marriage, land ownership—every aspect of Hindu life was dismantled to create a vacuum for conversion. The Inquisition’s violent legacy spanned 252 years—ending officially only in 1812, long after it had ceased in Europe. And yet, modern discourse rarely acknowledges this religious holocaust. Despite growing global recognition of other historical atrocities, the Goa Inquisition remains absent from mainstream Indian consciousness and school curriculums. Statues still stand in honor of figures like Francis Xavier, even though their own writings betray deeply rooted hatred and racial superiority.

Why We Must Remember

History, if not remembered, is doomed to repeat itself. The silence around the Goa Inquisition is not just an oversight—it is a disservice to the thousands who suffered, and to the truth itself. The cries from the dungeons of the Palace of Inquisition, the stench of charred flesh from the Auto da Fé, and the shattered families of Salcete deserve acknowledgment—not erasure. This is not a tale of Christians versus Hindus. This is a story of institutional religious extremism, of how power, when allied with religious dogma, becomes a weapon of unimaginable cruelty. And it is also a cautionary tale for modern times—about what happens when dissent is silenced, culture is criminalized, and faith is turned into a tool for domination.

Closing Thoughts

In the words of Alexandre Herculano: “The Inquisition is a tribunal of fire, thrown on the surface of the globe for the scourge of humanity. It will eternally cover with shame its authors.” Let us ensure that the victims of the Goa Inquisition are not forgotten. Their story, painful as it is, must be told—not just as a footnote in history, but as a solemn reminder of the consequences of fanaticism.