Symbolic illustration of colonial India's complex narratives of decadence and political upheaval.

Decadence & Tyranny: How Political Narratives Shaped Colonial India's Identity

Lena Voss in Global Affairs August 2025 • 7 min read.

"Uncover the historical power plays and language that defined the Estado de India."

In the mid of October 1641, the streets of Santa Cruz de Cochin, located on India's western coast, were filled by a curious procession. City officials led the way with banners, accompanied by dancers and jubilant revelry. Behind them followed the friars of San Francisco, San Agustin and Santo Domingo with a triumphant float carrying a figure representing D. João IV seated on a throne covered with a canopy. The procession moved from the Cathedral along the city's main streets, which were adorned with richly decorated triumphal arches with heroic themes. This display demonstrated Cochin residents' public joy at news from the kingdom reflecting the revolt of December 1, 1640, and the proclamation of D. João, Duke of Braganza, as king of Portugal.

The narrative of these ceremonies is contained in a report dedicated to the newly acclaimed monarch, titled 'Trivmfos festivaes da insigne e nobre Cidade da Santa Crux de Cochim, nas alegres nouas da gloriosa acclamaçaõ & alçamento del Rey nosso Senhor Dom loão o Quarto de Portugal,' crafted by city oidor Agostinho de Almeida Gato. This rare manuscript, which is located in the Public Library of Évora, serves as a solid starting point for studying the overseas repercussions of the Restoration of 1640 and how the separation from the Spanish monarchy was received and justified in the Estado de India.

If the year 1640 represented the end of a planetary mosaic defined by the movement of people, products, and ideas across the Spanish monarchy, as Serge Gruzinski posits in his book 'Les Quatre Parties du Monde,' the truth is that epilogue is an exemplary depiction of the web of global connections launched by the Iberian empires. Ensuring the loyalty of all areas under Portuguese rule was one of the new dynasty's main problems, at a time when the revolt's outcome was far from certain. As a result, starting in early 1641, news of the insurrection gradually reached the overseas territories of both crowns, circulating via multiple communication channels. News from Portugal sparked enthusiasm in some, skepticism in others, and panic in portions of the Austrian empire.

Echoes of Rebellion: The Political Language of Legitimacy

Symbolic illustration of colonial India's complex narratives of decadence and political upheaval.

It would be naive to seek in these texts the key to deciphering the reasons that led Portuguese India to join the restorative movement. However, as Quentin Skinner pointed out, the choice of a particular language to justify an action is anything but innocent, and it cannot be divorced from the context, political culture, and local conflicts that frame it. The mobilization of historical, identity, and messianic arguments that characterize the discourses of restorative propaganda can thus be seen as an attempt to confer authority and legitimacy on options and modes of action that were far from natural or uncontested. Starting from this relationship between political action and the discourses that legitimize it, the exercise proposed is to consider the recurrence of a lexicon allusive to the decadence of the Portuguese empire and the tyranny of Castile, questioning the way this vocabulary interpellated the conjuncture lived in the State of India and what it can reveal about the discursive strategies of its authors.

Returning for now to the Trivmfos festivaes da insigne nobre Cidade da Santa Crux de Cochim. Already in the first chapter of his text, Agostinho de Almeida Gato stated that, in order to account for the joy with which the news of the Restoration had been celebrated, it was necessary to first describe 'the miserable state in which the city of Cochin was seen when the miraculous news of the succession of the Majesty of King Dom João the fourth reached it.' He then proceeds to paint a dramatic picture of the poverty of a city that once ranked among the richest in India, evoking 'all the neighborhoods depopulated,' the 'many matrons who had been raised with all the delights and riches and were seen wandering through the doors begging,' and the women who 'surrendered their bodies to whoever would give them what they could support themselves with.' He also related how the officials of the council themselves had been forced to pawn a silver cross, solely in order to have the flag made with which the new king would be publicly and solemnly proclaimed.

In the face of all of the issues, there are some key points:

The use of specific political language reflected deeper strategic and legitimacy-seeking motives.
Accounts of Cochin's misery served to highlight neglect and seek renewed royal favor.
Parallels were drawn between political events in Portugal and the situation in India.
Discursive strategies intertwined with personal or institutional agendas to advance particular interests.

The oidor of Cochin was not, however, the only one to disserate in a pessimistic way about the conjuncture that India was going through. Manuel Jacome de Mesquita, author of an account of the festivities of the proclamation of D. João IV in Goa published in that same city in 1643, equally affirmed that 'the state in which this one of India was seen was extreme and sorrowful, not unlike that of which the kingdom of Portugal lamented, but we could affirm, that many more in number, and greater in their quality, the miseries that accompanied and afflicted those who lived in these so distant parts.' Manuel Borges de Corte Real, a municipal councilman in Goa, expressed similar opinions in a letter to the kingdom, lamenting that 'the things of this state are in the most miserable that one can imagine and that it would be easier for our ancestors to believe that this was lost than to take care that it would reach such a state.'

Rewriting History, Shaping the Future

In conclusion, it is evident that the recent past of the State of India was a vital point of reference for texts seeking to legitimize the situation resulting from the coup of December 1, 1640. The deposition of a reigning monarch could not be other than problematic in a political culture that emphasized the harmony of the bonds uniting king and vassals. In this sense, the rupture elicited the emergence of discursive strategies that interpreted the conjuncture suffered by the Portuguese in Asia in the light of language based on topics that were decisive in the imaginary and in contemporary political culture, such as 'decadence' and 'tyranny'. By portraying the rebellion as a natural and desired outcome for all the Portuguese serving in India, the authors of the Sermão do Apostolo S. Thomé and of the Trivmfos festivaes did no more than align their interests with those of the new Royal House, interpreting the end of the dynastic union in the light of their local experiences and presenting themselves as the agents of the construction of the new political order in the State of India.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.5944/etfiv.25.2012.11952, Alternate LINK

Title: «Decadencia» Y «Tiranía»: Textos, Lenguajes Y Representaciones De La Proclamación De D. João Iv En El Estado De La India

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Espacio Tiempo y Forma. Serie IV, Historia Moderna

Publisher: UNED - Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia

Authors: José Ferreira

Published: 2014-03-09

Everything You Need To Know

What is the 'Trivmfos festivaes da insigne e nobre Cidade da Santa Crux de Cochim' and why is it significant?

The 'Trivmfos festivaes da insigne e nobre Cidade da Santa Crux de Cochim' is a report by Agostinho de Almeida Gato, an oidor of Cochin, dedicated to D. João IV. This manuscript details the celebrations in Cochin following the revolt of December 1, 1640, and the proclamation of D. João as king of Portugal. It provides valuable insights into how the separation from the Spanish monarchy was received and justified in the Estado de India.

How was the concept of 'decadence' used to shape perceptions of the Estado de India during this period?

In the context of colonial India, 'decadence' refers to the perceived decline of the Portuguese empire, particularly within the Estado de India. Authors like Agostinho de Almeida Gato and Manuel Jacome de Mesquita used this concept to describe the poverty and misery in cities like Cochin and Goa. They aimed to highlight neglect and advocate for renewed royal favor from the new Braganza dynasty, aligning their interests with the new political order.

In what ways was the idea of 'tyranny' employed to justify the separation from Spanish rule?

'Tyranny,' in this context, refers to the perceived oppressive rule of Castile (Spain) during the period of the Iberian Union (1580-1640), when Portugal and its colonies were under Spanish rule. By portraying Castilian rule as tyrannical, authors sought to legitimize the restoration of Portuguese independence and the new Braganza dynasty. This narrative framed the revolt as a natural and desired outcome for the Portuguese serving in the Estado de India.

Why was the use of specific political language so important in shaping identity and legitimizing political actions in the Estado de India?

The political language used to describe the events in the Estado de India was crucial for shaping identity and legitimizing political actions. By employing terms like 'decadence' and 'tyranny,' authors like Agostinho de Almeida Gato and Manuel Borges de Corte Real sought to influence perceptions of the past and present. This language served to justify the separation from Spanish rule, promote loyalty to the new Portuguese king, and advance the interests of those aligning themselves with the new Royal House.

What is the significance of texts like the Sermão do Apostolo S. Thomé and the Trivmfos festivaes in understanding the political dynamics of the Estado de India at the time?

The Sermão do Apostolo S. Thomé and the Trivmfos festivaes are significant because they demonstrate how local experiences and interests shaped the narrative of the Restoration in the Estado de India. These texts reveal how authors interpreted the end of the dynastic union in light of their own situations and presented themselves as agents in constructing the new political order. They highlight the complex interplay between political action and the discourses that legitimized it during a period of significant upheaval.