I have always felt it a pity that there should be no authentic account’ of the Inquisition in India and have given some thought to the problem of fil… - Anant Priolkar

On April 2, 1560, the viceroy D. Constantino de Braganca ordered that a large number of Brahmins, whose names were included in the rolls appended to the order should be thrown out of the island of Goa and the lands and fortresses of the Portuguese king. Only those who were natives of Salsete and Bardez were permitted to return to their villages. Others were banished under pain of their being made prisoners on the galleys without remission and losing all their property, one half to the accuser and the other to whatever purpose the viceroy may consider appropriate. They were given one month within which to dispose of their property.

In the present volume scrupulous care has been taken to eschew bias and present a dispassionate and objective account of the working of the Goa Inquisition. Inspite of this, the picture which emerges is undoubtedly grim. But this could not be helped as truth had to be told.

The records of the Inquisition should have formed the most important source of information for writing an account of its working. Unfortunately, they are not available either in Goa or in Portugal and there is reason to believe that they were destroyed.