Gandaulim (historically known as São Brás) is a village located on the western bank of the Cumbarjua Canal, within Ilhas in the state of Goa, India. It marked the eastern end of the metropolitan City of Goa as a populous sub-urb in the 16th to 18th century. [1]
| Gandaulim Ilhas | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:|250x250px|frameless|center]] | |
| Settlement type | Village |
| Country | India |
| State | |
| District | |
| Subdivision | |
History
Croatian sailors and merchants from the Republic of Ragusa in Dalmatia established contact with Goa, India, in the 16th century, then amidst Portuguese colonization.[2][3] Between 1530 and 1535, adventurers from Dubrovnik joined the Portuguese to establish Sao Braz, a small Ragusan colonial settlement in the modern-day village of Gandaulim.[4] The colony was named after Saint Blaise, the patron saint of Dubrovnik.[4][3] In the annals of 1605, Jakov Lukarević noted that Ragusan merchants invested in decorating a local church.[5] Goese historian Gomes Catão documented the town to have a population of 12,000 settlers.[3] The 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake destroyed the city of Dubrovnik which left the Ragusan Republic financially strained.[4] Trading disputes with Portuguese settlers and declining trade with Indians forced the Republic of Ragusa to surrender their colony.[2]
Public interest in the former colony was revived in 1999, when Croatian Indologist Zdravka Matišić discovered a reference to ties between Ragusa and Goa while studying Sanskrit texts in India.[3][6] After an official Croatian delegation visited the village that year, benefactors have since donated to and refurbished local buildings.[7][8] The Church of Saint Blaise in the village is a common tourist attraction buoyed by Croatia–India relations.[4][2] Since the 2000s, heritage tourism between Dubrovnik, Croatia and Gandaulim has increased.[7]
Genetic findings in 2012 suggest the Romani people in Croatia originated in northwestern India and migrated to Europe as a group.[9] Romani people were mentioned for the first time in the Republic of Ragusa in 1362 in some commercial records.[10][11][12] Sushma Swaraj, Indian Minister of External Affairs, stated that the people of the Roma community in Croatia were to be recognized a part of the Indian diaspora.[13]
Infrastructure
In 2016, a bridge was constructed on the outskirts of the village, over the canal. This bridge now links the islands of Tiswadi taluka to Cumbarjua.[14][15]
Gandaulim Fort
Gandaulim was a site of the historical Gandaulim Fort, which was demolished in early 21st century for a road expansion project.
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Gandaulim Fort Entrance Gate
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Gandaulim Fort Entrance Gate after Demolition
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Gandaulim Fort Entrance Gate post Demolition
See also
- Colonial India
- History of Goa
- History of Dubrovnik
- Catholic Church in India
- Foreign policy of Croatia
References
- ↑ An historical and Archaelogical sketch of the city of Goa{{#if:Fonseca|, Fonseca}. Thacker & Co, Limited, Bombay, 1878(2026). ISBN 9788119808687
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Croatian documentary team’s visit stirs up Gandaulim’s historic past. The Times of India(2021-11-15). Retrieved 2026-01-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Distant liaisons, Tomas, Lora. Himal Southasian(2014-05-19). Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Why this Goan village will root for Croatia. The Times of India. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
- ↑ Hrvatska i Indija: Kulturno-povijesne i gospodarsko-političke veze. Zbornik sveučilišta Libertas({Template:Date).
- ↑ Why this Goan village will root for Croatia. The Times of India(14 July 2018).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Unveiling a 400-yr-old bond: Historical connection between Croatia & Goa, D’Souza, Clinton. The Goan(16 July 2024). Retrieved 20 January 2026.
- ↑ The Croats of Goa, India(27 May 2018).
- ↑ Reconstructing the Population History of European Romani from Genome-wide Data. Current Biology({Template:Date).
- ↑ Ured vlade za nacionalne manjine-Obilježja Roma u RH. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ↑ Distant liaisons, Tomas, Lora. Himal Southasian(19 May 2014).
- ↑ Genomic Study Traces Roma to Northern India. New York Times(11 December 2012).
- ↑ Can Romas be part of Indian diaspora?. khaleejtimes.com(29 February 2016). Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ↑ Gaundalim Bridge, Goa | TPF. www.tpf.eu.Template:Dead link
- ↑ Gaundalim, Cumbarjua bridges opened for traffic. The Goan EveryDay.