ChristineBabbidg at 16:12, 4 April 2026

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{{short description|Governor of Portuguese India from 1835 to 1835}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Bernardo Peres da Silva
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|image = Bernardo Peres da Silva in 1835.jpg
|alt =
|caption = Official portrait, 1835
|order =
|office = [[List of governors of Portuguese India|Governor of Portuguese India]]
|term_start = 14 January 1835
|term_end = 1 February 1835
|monarch = [[Maria II of Portugal]]
|predecessor = [[Manuel Francisco Zacarias de Portugal e Castro]]
|successor = Manuel Francisco Zacarias de Portugal e Castro
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1775|10|15|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Neura, Goa]], [[Portuguese India]]
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1844|11|18|1775|10|15|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Lisbon]], [[Kingdom of Portugal]]
|resting_place = [[Cemitério dos Prazeres]]
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'''Bernardo Peres da Silva''' (15 October 1775 – 18 November 1844), also known by the initialism '''BPS''',<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Recounting the legacy of Dr Bernardo Peres Da Silva (BPS) |url=https://www.gomantaktimes.com/news/goa/recounting-the-legacy-of-dr-bernardo-peres-da-silva-bps |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=Goa Travel News on Gomantak Times |language=en}}</ref> was a Portuguese politician and former medical practitioner who served as a [[governor of Portuguese India]] from January to February 1835. He was the first and only native [[Goan]] to be appointed to this post<ref name="supergoa"/><ref name="history_and_events"/> during the 451 years of Portuguese colonial and provincial governance.<ref name="diu">{{cite web|url=http://mod.nic.in/samachar/mar6/html/army.htm|title=Know Your India: DIU Island|accessdate=2009-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804101630/http://mod.nic.in/samachar/mar6/html/army.htm|archive-date=4 August 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was also one of the first elected representatives in the [[Portuguese Parliament]] from its overseas Indian colonies.<ref name="supergoa">{{cite web|url=http://www.supergoa.com/pt/read/news_cronica.asp?c_news=214|title=Bernardo Peres da Silva (1775–1844)|last=Monteiro|first=Francisco|publisher=supergoa.com|language=Portuguese|accessdate=2009-06-08|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20100601031627/http%3A//www.supergoa.com/pt/read/news_cronica.asp?c_news%3D214|archive-date=1 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Early life==
Bernardo Peres da Silva was born in [[Neura, Goa|Neura]] Island in [[Goa]] to José Tomás de Vila Nova Peres and Mariana Veloso and was orphaned at a very young age. His uncle, Caetano Peres, was a Catholic Christian priest at [[Rachol Seminary]], and took him under his care. He completed secondary education at Rachol. He graduated from Escola Médico-Cirúrgica de Goa (School of Medical Surgery of Goa),<ref name="supergoa"/><ref name="Goan_profiles">{{cite book|last=Vaz|first=J. Clement|title=Profiles of eminent Goans, past and present|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|year=1997|isbn=978-81-7022-619-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC}}</ref> which was attached to the Royal Hospital at Panelim.<ref name="GaP">{{cite book|last=Borges|first=Charles J.|author2=Oscar Guilherme Pereira|author3=Hannes Stubbe|title=Goa and Portugal}}</ref> Bernardo Peres da Silva was a [[Christian]].<ref name="CrosbieHampton2017">{{cite book |last1=Crosbie |first1=Barry |last2=Hampton |first2=Mark |title=The cultural construction of the British world |date=1 March 2017 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=978-1-78499-691-8 |page=45 |language=en}}</ref>

==Medical practitioner==
After completing his education at the medical school, Peres was appointed as substitute professor in the medical school, having passed a competitive exam.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> When his teacher fell ill, Peres took up the job of teaching.<ref name="HaH">{{cite book|last=da Silva Gracias|first=Fatima|title=Health and hygiene and colonial Goa, 1510-196}}</ref>

During his term at the hospital, Peres opposed moves by the Viceroy, the Count of Rio Pardo, to streamline treatment available to patients. This made him popular with the people,<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> but not with the viceroy. In 1820 he was dismissed from the Royal Hospital.<ref name="HaH"/>

==Political career==

===The first insurrection===
In 1821, [[Portugal]] issued a royal decree accepting constitutionalism. [[Rogério de Faria]], a Goan businessman in [[Bombay]] and a friend or relative of Peres,<ref name="Maria_Couto">{{cite web|url=https://goabooks2.blogspot.com/2005/12/book-review-maria-aurora-coutos-goa.html|title=BOOK REVIEW: Maria Aurora Couto's Goa: A Daughter's Story |last=Couto|first=Maria Aurora|author2=Teotonio R de Souza|date=23 December 2005|accessdate=2009-06-13}}</ref>), sent a copy to Peres.<ref name="Goa_to_me"/> The events in Portugal inspired the Goans to seek greater political liberty. The Portuguese Viceroy of Goa, the Count of Rio Pardo, did not hold elections immediately, preferring, instead to wait for instructions from the Government Council in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. Peres led a popular insurrection in Goa that overthrew and imprisoned the Viceroy. Peres was offered a position in the provisional government but he refused.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/><ref name="goa_opium"/>

===First term as representative===
The Goans now had an opportunity to vote representatives to the Portuguese Parliament. Portuguese officials supported [[mestico|mestiço]] candidates, but the Goans voted for their own.<ref name="goa_opium">{{cite web|url=http://recil.grupolusofona.pt/bitstream/10437/506/1/reflected+in+water.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927015730/http://recil.grupolusofona.pt/bitstream/10437/506/1/reflected+in+water.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 September 2009|title=For Goa and for Opium|last=de Souza|first=Teotonio R.|year=1985|accessdate=2009-06-10}}</ref> Peres participated in the elections and was voted to the Parliament in Lisbon, on 4 January 1822.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> Peres, along with [[Constâncio Roque da Costa]] and Dr. [[A. J. Lima Leitão]] (a Portuguese),<ref name="supergoa"/> became the first Goans in the Portuguese Parliament.<ref name="Goan_diaspora">{{cite book |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/9503703/Goan-Diaspora-in-Portugal|title=Goan Diaspora in Portugal|first=Dattaraj V. |last=Salgaocar |author2=Mario Cabral e Sá |author3=Wendell Rodricks |date=2008-12-26|accessdate=2009-06-13 |isbn=9788190426503}}</ref>

On the way to Portugal, the three representatives were detained in [[Portuguese Mozambique]]. By the time they reached [[Lisbon]], the Parliament had been dissolved, and the absolute monarchy restored. The new government appointed Peres as ''Intendente Geral da Agricultura da India'', but did not give immediate effect to his appointment.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> During his first term, Peres sided with the liberals in Portugal.<ref name="goa_opium"/>

===Second term===
In 1827, after a new liberal government was established, elections were held again. This time, Peres's opponent was the Governor of Goa. Peres won again, but on reaching Lisbon found that the parliament had been dissolved by King Dom [[Miguel of Portugal|Miguel]]. He went to [[Plymouth]] in England. During his stay there, he came to know that someone else had been appointed in his place as representative. Peres published a strongly worded letter protesting this move. After staying there for some time, he went to [[Rio de Janeiro]] in [[Brazil]]. In order to survive, he started giving private tuition. During his stay at Janeiro, Peres wrote a book titled ''Dialógo entre um Doutor em Filosofia e um Português na Índia sobre a Constituição Política de Portugal'' (Dialogue between a Doctor of Philosophy and a Portuguese in India on the Political Constitution of Portugal).<ref name="supergoa"/>

===Appointment as Prefect===
Peres's son was serving in the Portuguese military. In 1834, he was part of an expeditionary force that took over [[Porto]]. A new constitutional monarchy was established with Prince [[Pedro I of Brazil|Pedro]] as the regent of his daughter, Queen [[Maria II of Portugal|Maria II]]. Peres immediately left for Lisbon, where he submitted a memorandum to Pedro IV, pleading for greater liberties for the people of Portuguese India. For his son's participation, and his loyalty to the [[House of Braganza]] during the usurpation by Dom Miguel, Dona [[Maria II of Portugal|Maria]] II<ref name="Fonseca">{{cite book|last=da Fonseca|first=José Nicolau|title=An historical and archaeological sketch of the city of Goa|year=1878 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.501506}}</ref> rewarded him by appointing Bernardo as ''Prefeito'' (Prefect) of Portuguese India on 7 May 1834.<ref name="Port_in_India">{{cite book|last=Danvers|first=Frederick Charles|authorlink=Frederic Charles Danvers|title=The Portuguese in India: A.D. 1481-1571|year=1894 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.189344}}</ref> The post of Prefect was a new designation for the post of Governor,<ref name="Goan_profiles"/><ref name="goa_opium"/> but it did not carry any military powers.<ref name="GaP"/>

===Prefect of Goa===
Bernardo da Silva arrived in Goa on 10 January 1835, and took charge of his post on 14 January. The [[Goans]] were very happy that one of them had been appointed Governor.<ref name="supergoa"/> The [[Portuguese people|whites]] and [[mesticos|mestiços]], however, were unhappy with Peres's appointment.

He intended to clean up the administration of Goa. Within a week of arrival, Peres's brought new reforms and made new appointments to the Finance and Justice departments. He took some steps to benefit locals which irked the whites and mestiços.<ref name="GaP"/> One of the first measures he took was to form a new city council. The members of the council were Manuel Correia da Silva e Gama, Brigadier José António de Melo Souto, and Major D. Teles José Maria de Castro e Almeida. He also reorganised the judicial services and abolished monastic orders. He made concessions to the [[Comunidade|communidades]] by removing the tax that they had to pay to the state, amounting to one-sixth of their income. He also tried to end the abuses by the privileged classes.<ref name="supergoa"/>

===Deposition===
The army in Goa at that time was dominated by whites and mestiços.<ref name="Goa_to_me"/> They eventually organised a coup in Goa and removed Peres from his post on 1 February. He had been in power for just seventeen days when he had been deposed.<ref name="Port_in_India"/> Peres was arrested and exiled to Bombay. In his place, the previous Viceroy Manuel de Portugal e Castro was appointed Governor.<ref name="history_and_events">{{cite web|url=http://hotelsingoa.in/index_1.html|title=History and Events of Goa – the Pearl of Orient|accessdate=2009-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515041544/http://www.hotelsingoa.in/index_1.html|archive-date=15 May 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Army revolt===
On 10 February, disturbances broke out in Goa in his favour. The leader of the revolt that had deposed Peres, fearing arrest had resigned and handed control over to the Chief Counselor of the Prefecture. On 3 March,<ref name="Port_in_India"/> a faction of the army, consisting of local soldiers loyal to him, revolted and demanded Peres' reinstatement as prefect. The military governor refused and ordered troops to move against the revolutionaries. His supporters took refuge at Fort Gaspar Dias (Terekhol Fort). After a pitched battle, most protesters were massacred.<ref name="supergoa"/><ref name="history_and_events"/>

===Expedition to liberate Goa===
In Bombay, Peres plotted to liberate Goa from his opposers. At first, he sought help from the [[British India|British]], as the British were allies of the Portuguese. He expected them to support him as the legal authority appointed by Portugal in Goa,<ref name="supergoa"/> but they refused.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> He spent the next five months preparing an expeditionary force to capture Goa. He recruited nearly three hundred men for the task. Rogério de Faria financed his mission. The expeditionary force, set out from Bombay harbour on 27 May, in five vessels. Unfortunately, they were forced to turn back due to the advancing monsoons on 6 June.<ref name="goa_opium"/>

===Provisional government in Daman===
Peres left for [[Daman, Daman and Diu|Daman]], another Portuguese [[enclave]], north of Bombay. He was welcomed there by the constitutionalists and supporters who still recognised him as prefect. He established a provisional government that lasted until 1837. Peres received arms and armaments from Faria for the defence of Daman, should his opposer's have attacked Daman. In return, Faria was to receive customs exemptions. Being in debt, Rogério de Faria asked for his money back (a sum of Rs. 67,957). The bureaucrats of Daman refused to clear the bills.<ref name="Goa_to_me">{{cite book|last=De Souza|first=Teotonio R.|title=Goa to me}}</ref><ref name="goa_opium"/><ref name="smuggling">{{cite book|last=Farooqui|first=Amar|title=Smuggling as subversion}}</ref>

In 1836, the Portuguese conducted elections in the European-controlled constituencies, keeping four constituencies away.<ref name="Goa_to_me"/> During Peres's absence, a provisional government headed by Rocha de Vasconcelos had been appointed. It was followed by the nomination of the Baron of Sabrosa as governor.<ref name="supergoa"/>

===Return to Goa===
Peres went back to Goa and made peace with the new governor, accepting his authority. On 9 November 1839, he was re-elected as representative from Goa to the Parliament.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> He returned to Portugal and continued to take part in the Parliament. He was appointed a member of the standing committee on colonies. He was re-elected to the parliament twice again<ref name="GaP"/> till his death in 1842. He argued on behalf of his land in the Portuguese Parliament, even though no minister responded to his demands.<ref name="Maria_Couto"/> He strongly defended the interests of Goa as well as other Portuguese colonies.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/><ref name="GaP"/>

In 1840, Peres delivered a speech in the parliament, defending his actions as Governor. He also asked for an investigation of his adversaries. He later published his speech entitled "Aos Representantes da Nação Portuguesa". He demanded that the military forces stationed in Goa be done away with.<ref name="GaP"/>

==Death==
For most of his life, Peres lived in penury, and died a pauper. He had to sell off his household furniture to meet medical expenses.<ref name="Goan_profiles"/> Bernardo da Silva died on 14 November 1844.<ref name="supergoa"/> He was buried in the ''[[Cemitério dos Prazeres]]'' in Lisbon.<ref name="Maria_Couto"/> A portrait of Silva is displayed in the portrait gallery in Archaeological Museum in [[Panjim]], Goa.<ref name="zaddesh">{{cite web|url=http://www.zaddeshresort.com/monuments.html|title=Monuments|accessdate=2009-06-13|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530025834/http://www.zaddeshresort.com/monuments.html|archivedate=30 May 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[History of Goa]]
* [[List of people from Goa]]
* [[List of governors of Portuguese India]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peres Da Silva, Bernardo}}
[[Category:1775 births]]
[[Category:1844 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Goa]]
[[Category:Portuguese people of Goan descent]]
[[Category:Governors-general of Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Medical educators]]
[[Category:18th-century Portuguese people]]
[[Category:19th-century Portuguese medical doctors]]
[[Category:19th-century Portuguese politicians]]

Bernardo Peres da Silva - Revision history

ChristineBabbidg at 16:12, 4 April 2026