“History, history! We fools, what do we know or care.”
William Carlos Williams
The Inland Forts of Goa
In my last few posts, I have covered a lot of Goan heritage but only one fort, the Nanuz fort. Goa’s history wouldn’t be complete without talking about the Portuguese acquisition of its territories. A Hindu kingdom until the mid 14th century, it exchanged hands between the Bahmani Sultans and the Vijayanagara empire for about a hundred years. The Portuguese domination that began in 1502 AD ended with British rule in India.
Most of the popular forts in Goa lie on its coast, the Portuguese hand in their construction. The inland though has some forts like the Nanuz fort that were the constructs of their original inhabitants, the Maratha Bhonsles of Maharashtra. To protect their territory from the Marathas, the Portuguese also built some inland fortifications. Let’s have a peek at Alorna, Corjuem and St. Estevam – the three inland forts of Goa.
Alorna Fort
If Nanuz fort guarded the Eastern borders, the North-East belonged to Alorna or Halarn, its original name. The Sawantwadi Bhonsles controlled it until the Marquis de Castello Novo captured it in 1746 AD. Standing beside the Chapora river in Mapusa, the current structure is a rebuild and called Santa Cruz de Alorna.
The facade is dominated by a solid wall with two watchtowers on each side. A small cross faces the fort, that has two cannons placed at its entrance (see Featured Image above). Above the entrance, a hiding place provides for extra defence. Up a slope, we can see the vast expanse of the fort that has one building in the centre. The rest of the fort is in ruins. Nonetheless, it is picturesque with paddy fields and a small village surrounding it.
St. Estevam’s Fort
Along the Mandovi river in Tiswadi, the island of St. Estevam houses the riverside fort of the same name. Juvem, another name for the island, is made of three islets connected with a canal. A rough ride up a hillock reaches the Fort of St. Francis Xavier or St. Estevam.
Restored by INTACH, the fort was constructed in 1668 AD. A singular building within and square bastions bear Portuguese influences. Apart from the military purpose, the fort acted as a check post for traders in the surrounding valley. The Jesuit imprint on Juvem comes through the chapel of Cristo Rei (Christ the King) that is on the hillock next to the fort.
Corjuem Fort
Our third inland fort of Goa is at Corjuem (pronounced Khorjuve), an island in Bardez surrounded by the Mapusa river. Built in 1705 AD, the laterite fortifications hold nothing but two watchtowers and a tiny chapel of Mae de Deus (Mother of God) within. Locals talk of another chapel of St. Anthony having been there earlier. The fort stood as a defence against the Maratha attacks and served as a school for military recruits.
Whether built by the Portuguese or the Marathas, the inland forts of Goa give a glimpse of its military history and the colonisation that swept this region.
