Goa, despite its miniscule size, presents a larger than life face to the world. People from all over the world clamour to come down here – Goa the only State, where the number of visitors is twice its population. Considering that Goa is just another stretch of the Konkan Coast, between Malwan and Karwar, what is it that makes Goa so different, so desirable?
For an answer, one has to go back five centuries to the year 1510, as to how Afonso de Albuquerque came to conquer Goa. Delio de Mendonca writes: “The assault of Goa was not part of the Portuguese plans of conquest. Afonso de Albuquerque had no royal instructions to conquer it just as he had an explicit programme or orders to conquer Malacca, Hormuz and Eden. The Hindu chiefs of Goa had written to Timoja or Timaya an exiled Hindu from Goa and then the Admiral of the Honavar fleet about how they were being exploited by the Muslim subjects of the Adil Shah and pledged support to Timoja in the event of him agreeing to help them to change this situation. Timoja informed by the oppressed Goan Hindus of the favourable conditions to oust the Muslims from the City of Goa, persuaded Albuquerque and his captains to conquer it. The Hindus of Goa together with Timoja’s party helped Albuquerque to conquer it.”
And this singular event, followed by centuries of interaction with the Portuguese is what, has made Goa so attractive.
The Portuguese, when they set sail for the East were not aware, of the existence of faiths other than Islam. Muslims were their historic enemies, having conquered and occupied Portugal for centuries. Their interest was to outflank the Muslims, to gain supremacy over the seas. Thus an alliance with the Hindus, who lived in fear of the Muslims, was a natural choice.
And who was Timoja? History records his name as Timaya Nayak. There are various accounts about him. He claimed to have been born in Goa, but escaped to Honavar after the conquest of Goa by Adil Shah. He has been variously referred to as an admiral, as a privateer, as a brigand, as a protector. The fact remains he was powerful and influential, whom everybody courted.
Records indicate that Timoja expected Albuquerque would deliver the city, to him. But it was not to be. Instead he was appointed as Aguazil, (an administrator and representative of the local people) and was put in command of the native troops, who had joined the victorious Portuguese forces. But, he was soon divested of his powers, because of protests from other Hindus and his failure to follow orders. Timoja resumed his previous activities, but was captured after a raid and was taken to the Vijayanagar capital where he died, of opium poisoning. Fearing for their lives, his family fled to Goa.
What is the fate of the descendants of Timoja? There are no documented records. Nevertheless a strong oral tradition persists that the family settled at the northern extremity of my village, Calata. It is not known whether the family was originally from Calata but has lived here ever since, owning large tracts of land and enjoying the status of gauncars (original settlers). After embracing the Catholic faith, the family took the surname Jeremiah.
Some five or six generations ago, as there was no male heir to the family, a daughter of the house had a matri-local marriage (ghor zanvoim) with a groom, bearing the surname Menezes from Batim/Goa Velha, Ilhas. Thus the family surname became Jeremiah e Menezes. The last but one, of this branch, Napoleao married Bernadette Gracias and the couple had two sons and four daughters. The elder Gabrielinho married Clelia Rodrigues. But the couple had no surviving issues. The younger Rev. Remegio Antonio Timoja de Jeremiah Menezes was a priest. I understand that Timoja has been part of the family name, for generations. The house itself is known locally as “Oja Ghor.” The term “Oja” being the last syllable of Timoja.
One of the four daughters, Vitoria was married to Robinson Coelho (with links to the Pandavas?) from Aquem. She died at childbirth and the surviving child was named after her deceased mother. The younger Vitoria, married Joaozinho Caldeira and the couple have two daughters and three sons. The elder son also named Napoleao died, tragically after a fall, from a building, under construction. The other Alexandre lives in the UK and the youngest William presently occupies the ancestral house, with the spacious front and backyards, hosting open air events under the name “Napolean’s Landmark”.
Interestingly, Priyanka the elder daughter of Napoleao, now a budding lawyer based in London is scheduled this Christmas season, to marry Sha Ahmin a member the community to fight whom Timoja had enticed Albuquerque to Goa. And it is an irony that if Timoja were not to induce Albuquerque to conquer Goa, Priyanka would not be eligible to obtain Portuguese passport, travel to UK and meet her fiancée! The wheel, has taken half a millennium to turn full circle!
The credit for laying the foundations, to make Goa what it is, certainly goes to Timoja. Do you not agree that Timoja deserves a memorial at the Assembly Secretariat? Or may be elsewhere?
(Radharao F Gracias is a senior Trial Court Advocate, a former Independent MLA and a political activist)
