Kanara Catholics: Identity and History

The Kanara Catholic community has unique identifying markers by which it earns a distinct place among the Indian population. Many of these derive from its history spread over the previous five centuries. There are others that originate in much earlier times.

The 2011 census estimates the Christian population of the three coastal districts of Kanara (Uttara Kannada, Udipi, Dakshina Kannada) at 2,81,766, with the distribution between rural and urban being almost equal. However, if the numbers for the subdistrict of Mangalore are removed, this rural-urban divide becomes 70-30. This heavy concentration in the city of Mangalore caused the community to be also identified as Mangalorean. Before the Captivity, persons were identified by their place of residence and caste, and the close association with Goa, and the Firangi (Portuguese). It took close to a century after the Captivity for a certain level of wealth and education to seep into the community, and the search for a distinguishing collective identity. With its urban educated elite centred in Mangalore dominating the writing of its history, the name Mangalorean gradually came into use. Mangalorean, however, does not encompass the true cultural wealth of the community spread across entire Kanara. A more appropriate term is Kanara Christians. It provides a geographical identity to the roots of a community that is now spread all over the globe.

Our identity defines us, and our community history forms a critical component of that identity. Identity is a complex, multi-dimensional, and fluid concept, deeply ingrained in human social behaviour. Answering the question, “Who am I?” is an important part of becoming a unique individual in a complex social structure. Our membership in social groups helps give meaning to our lives, and can become valuable support systems. Identity is who we are. To know who we are, we must know who we were. This is what makes awareness of our history so important.

In this series, an attempt will be made to present evidence-based history of some of the salient characteristics of the Kanara Catholic community: its largely Goan origin, the Konkani mother tongue, agricultural bias of original migrants, conversion to Catholicism, migration, genetic isolation, caste composition, syncretism while outwardly conforming to the Inquisition’s strictures, the 15-year Captivity, post-Captivity response to loss of property (education, industry, other professions), global diaspora.

Briefly, Kanara Christians descend from Goan Christians who migrated to Kanara. Conversion to Catholicism formed an integral part of Portugal’s attempt at state formation in the three provinces of Tiswadi, Salcete, and Bardes. It had a great impact on the cultural identity of converts. In Goa, one was that the control of the ganvkaria, the association that owned and administered village agricultural lands, passed on the Christians due to favourable laws. Ironically, when many decades of war with Maratha powers followed, the ganvkars suffered the most economically, the main reasons for migrations to Kanara. The periods of these migrations coincide with increased martial activity by Maratha powers, and not, as often believed, the Inquisition’s activity in Goa. In Kanara, these migrants, while retaining the Goan identity, religion and agricultural skills, learned Kannada and Tulu, and conformed to the local situation in different ways. The Captivity resulted in the loss of over half its population, and most its landed property.

In Kanara, Goan immigrants lived in largely socially isolated communities. Consequently, one major effect of the migrations, compounded by the Captivity, was the genetic bottleneck that ensued from smaller isolated breeding populations. Endogamy, already high due to caste considerations, increased. Another was the community slipped into poverty. From being predominantly land owners and cultivators, many went into service, and took to education in a big way when it was brought to Mangalore by Christian institutions. Education opened the doors to government service and other professions. They moved into industry when the Basel Mission introduced tile manufacture, weaving, and printing to Mangalore. They were recruited as writers by British coffee planters beyond the ghats. These, in addition to being community level identity-formation developments, were also wealth generating. As wealth percolated into the community, a distinct Mangalorean identity took shape. It expressed itself in different ways, one of which was architecture. Mangalorean Catholic homes evolved a distinctive style which encompassed elements from their pre-Christian past, local styles, and British colonial styles.

The Kanara Catholic community has shown remarkable survival adaptability to a series of major cultural and physical traumas in the last few centuries. Despite these, or perhaps because of them, the community has a unique place among global communities. This series of articles will attempt to highlight some of them.