The state, village communities and the Brahmanas in Goa (1000-1600 ce)

Abstract

The village communities of Goa, like their counterparts in Karnataka, performed an important function. They provided the spiritual and material bases for the process of state formation. The kings selected the Brahmanas as the spiritual and secular beneficiaries and gave land grants to them. On the one hand, they went a long a way in legitimising the position of the king and creating a material basis essential for state formation, a continuous process that involved not only political but also socio-economic processes. Land grants to the Brahmanas ensured social stability and order as the Brahmanas could provide the spiritual strength to the king and encourage the Sudra peasants to respect the state orders. On the other hand, they ensured agricultural production and maintenance of the irrigational projects. Interestingly, the Portuguese continued the policy of the Hindu kings by establishing a close relationship with the Brahmanas, at least in the initial years of their rule. This article shows the spiritual and material bases of the village communities of Goa. It contends that along with the process of state formation in Goa, there was an increase in the number of village communities.