‘Rugged Hills’, ‘Dense Forests’ and ‘Backward People’. Imagining Landscapes in Nineteenth-Century Colonial Goa

Abstract

The former Portuguese colony of Goa is best known nowadays as a tourist hotspot. To many, its iconic landscape is one of sandy beaches and whitewashed churches nestling among the paddy fields and coconut trees. But beyond this postcard image there is another lesser known landscape, epitomized by the rugged mountains and forests of the Sahyadri range. During the Portuguese colonial period, which lasted until 1961, this was the ‘other landscape’ of Goa, frequently portrayed as ‘wild’, ‘backward’ and inherently hostile to colonial rule. This essay discusses the production of these images and their importance in shaping colonial policies. Building upon recent research on Environmental and Imperial History, it argues that far from being mere discursive constructions these images had important political, economic, cultural and environmental repercussions which shaped the history of colonial Goa.