Literature Survey and Military Developments in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Abstract

Goa’s military history, and to some extent its history of violence, cannot be readily linked to its present incarnation as a laid-back tourist haven. But in fact, Goa does have a rather peculiar military and developmental history that explains its present. The literature survey shows that the diverse Portuguese military and colonial history towards and after the turn of the millennium is still uneven but has become more sophisticated. This introductory chapter lays certain bases for the message of the entire book, i.e., the military history of the Portuguese in Goa was nothing like that of their larger British counterpart in India; it was a case study in weakness rather than of a hegemon. The chapter also lays out the outline of the subsequent chapters, which trace the evolution of the Portuguese colonial force in India and the conflicts it engaged in during the transition from the eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century.KeywordsMilitary historyIndiaPortugueseGoaGlobalization