RELIGIOUS POLICY OF PORTUGUESE: UPSC Daily Important Topic | 6 November 2021

RELIGIOUS POLICY OF PORTUGUESE

• Portuguese brought with them the zeal to promote christianity and the wish to persecute all Muslims.
• Intolerent towards the Muslims, the portuguese were initially quite tolerent towards the Hindus. However, over time, after the introduction of the Inquisition in Goa, there was a change and Hindus were also persecuted.
• But, in spite of this intolerent behaviour, the Jesuits made a good impression at the Court of Akbar, mainly due to the Mughal emperor’s interest in questions of theology.
• In September 1579, Akbar forwarded a letter to the authorities at Goa requesting them to send two leasrned prists. The church authorities in Goa eagerly accepting the invitation, seeing in it a change to convert the emperor to christianity, and with him his court and the people.
• Jesuit fathers, Rodolfo Aquaviva and Antonio Monserrate reached Fatehpur Sikri in 1580. They went back in 1583.