Old Goa developed as one of the major port cities of the Indian Ocean during the sixteenth century, as the Portuguese attempted to control maritime trade routes by occupying the region’s major coastal settlements and blockading others. The city became both a trade emporium and a religious center for the Portuguese State of India (Estado da Índia), an “informal” empire that stretched from Eastern Africa to the Pacific Ocean rim. In this presentation, I will describe Old Goa’s urban development during the Early Modern period, focusing on slavery, caste and religion as essential aspects in shaping the city. Addressing issues such as urban layout, segregation, sacral landscapes and dwellings, I will highlight how the most vulnerable and disenfranchised population groups fared in Old Goa’s multilayered society.
Sidh Losa Mendiratta holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Coimbra (2012, summa cum laude) and is an integrated researcher in the Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra. Since 2012, he holds the chair of History of Portuguese Architecture, in the Department of Architecture of Lusófona University of Porto. Specializing in cultural heritage of Portuguese influence in South Asia, he has conducted twenty-seven georeferenced topographic surveys of archaeological sites in India, in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India.
Zoom-Link:
https://uni-bonn.zoom.us/j/64640118212?pwd=UXRPQWI5QzMzV2JDRnQ3Q2xrVDBuQT09
Meeting-ID: 646 4011 8212
Kenncode: 781004