Norteiro people
Encyclopedia
Norteiro people are people who live in the former Portuguese exclaves in the western littoral of South Asia
;
The word Norteiro, meaning "Northerner," comes from the Portuguese
. The term refers to the city of Baçaim, which was styled the "Court of the North" and stood second only to the city of Goa (modern Old Goa) among Portuguese possessions in South Asia. They are not to be confused with Korlai/Chaul Christians who share a significantly different culture/heritage as compared to the East Indians of the region focussed around Bassein & Bombay.
" or Saurashtra, the remaining settlements we're all within the North Konkan region of Maharashtra
. They we're populated predominantly by native Marathi people
.
invaded the Konkan, they seized most of these settlements, including the capital, Bacaim, however, the Marathas didn't discriminate among the two religious groups and many Norteiros switched loyalties to the Marathas. When the English later took over these lands from the Portuguese (Bombay) and the Marathas, they called the Norteiros "Bombay Portuguese".
& the Napoleonic Wars
, England occupied 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 emphasizing their status as subjects of their English rulers, to distinguish them from the Goans, who were Portuguese citizens (since Pombal enfranchised Goa). These Norteiros called themselves "East Indians" in honor of the East India Company
which ruled them until recently on behalf of England.
Other communities, such as that of Chaul, Damao and Dio, continued to identify themselves as Norteiros.
Both the Damanese and the Kristi communities are called Norteiro people by Portuguese
, derived from the native Marathi people
. However, the Diu, Damanese and Kristi Norteiros share a single trait, as compared to the East Indians who are culturally and traditionally different from them.
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
;
The word Norteiro, meaning "Northerner," comes from the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. The term refers to the city of Baçaim, which was styled the "Court of the North" and stood second only to the city of Goa (modern Old Goa) among Portuguese possessions in South Asia. They are not to be confused with Korlai/Chaul Christians who share a significantly different culture/heritage as compared to the East Indians of the region focussed around Bassein & Bombay.
Culture
Except for Diu, which lies in the historical "SorathSorath
Sorath is an India musical raga that appears in the Sikh tradition from northern India and is part of the Sikh holy scripture called Sri Guru Granth Sahib Every raga has a strict set of rules which govern the number of notes that can be used; which notes can be used; and their interplay that has...
" or Saurashtra, the remaining settlements we're all within the North Konkan region of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. They we're populated predominantly by native Marathi people
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
.
Conquest
When the Maratha EmpireMaratha Empire
The Maratha Empire or the Maratha Confederacy was an Indian imperial power that existed from 1674 to 1818. At its peak, the empire covered much of South Asia, encompassing a territory of over 2.8 million km²....
invaded the Konkan, they seized most of these settlements, including the capital, Bacaim, however, the Marathas didn't discriminate among the two religious groups and many Norteiros switched loyalties to the Marathas. When the English later took over these lands from the Portuguese (Bombay) and the Marathas, they called the Norteiros "Bombay Portuguese".
Occupation
After the involvement of England in Goan affairs as a result of the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
& the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, England occupied Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
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 emphasizing their status as subjects of their English rulers, to distinguish them from the Goans, who were Portuguese citizens (since Pombal enfranchised Goa). These Norteiros called themselves "East Indians" in honor of the East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
which ruled them until recently on behalf of England.
Other communities, such as that of Chaul, Damao and Dio, continued to identify themselves as Norteiros.
Both the Damanese and the Kristi communities are called Norteiro people by Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, derived from the native Marathi people
Marathi people
The Marathi people or Maharashtrians are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, that inhabit the Maharashtra region and state of western India. Their language Marathi is part of the southern group of Indo-Aryan languages...
. However, the Diu, Damanese and Kristi Norteiros share a single trait, as compared to the East Indians who are culturally and traditionally different from them.