captivity catholics captivity catholics year imprisonment catholics christians indian region facto ruler estimates number captives range generally accepted figure stated sultan captivity period community history cause disputed historians consider happened political religious reasons owing alliance british second anglo war community flourished regime father ali soon inherited territory january issued orders seize christians estates orders carried february thousand christians died journey captivity suffered extreme hardships torture death christians forcibly converted islam captivity led near community ended killed british battle fourth anglo war christians taken captive alive retained original faith episode deep impact literature catholics centennial anniversary christians release captivity celebrated region background roman catholics district south western coast india jurisdiction diocese generally known catholics people speak earlier records christians lost time known christianity introduced possible syrian christians settled region south 13th century italian traveller polo recorded considerable trading activities red_sea scholars foreign christian merchants visiting coastal towns period commerce christian priests possibly accompanied evangelical work french dominican south western france arrived according historian concrete evidence found permanent settlements christians 16th century region began arrival portuguese landed islands planted cross voyage portugal india portuguese explorer arrived missionaries leadership arrival converted natives christianity region portuguese took possession portuguese began slowly spreading christianity descended mainly catholic settlers migrated state north major waves wave immigrants came escape trials migrants welcomed native rulers agricultural skills followed second major wave precipitated portugal wars final influx immigrants arrived portugal wars late 17th early 18th centuries according historian numbered time capture ali ali according writer capital home community catholics severely harassed following decades churches destroyed priest house confiscated destruction undertaken king finance minister priest house eventually returned church church built suburb face local opposition relations catholics improved anti christian led expulsion resident priest forbidden preach anti christian demonstrations followed relations improved groups period priests protested taxes punished legend wrestlers court ali born northern joined distinguished took wars gained depth experience warfare ali rapidly rose power court soon prime minister general king onwards took facto control throne dynasty occupied maintained relations christians states general relations christians form chapter entirely lost close friends catholic priests protestant missionary lived court involved suppressing jesuit order army included catholic soldiers allowed christians build church french generals offered prayers priests visited historian mentions administrative purposes accordance treaties concluded portugal allowed portuguese priests settle disputes christians despite christians general hated ali heavy taxes pay king treasury february british captured end year son defeated british recaptured conquest informed helped british conquest believed behaviour amounted sovereign portuguese officer christian priests asked suggestions punished portuguese officer suggested death penalty catholics helped british standard punishment sovereign follow advice chose diplomatic stance imprisoned christians found guilty instead executing later opened negotiations portuguese agreement reached suspicions clergy christians removed longer regime catholic community continued flourish historians claim extremely tolerant christians according historian followed policy religious tolerance christians beginning christians revolted second anglo war began led death december british recaptured fort causes succeeded father age taken conquest accused sovereign having helped british aware treatment muslims portuguese clergy resented father favourable policy british army commander chief brigadier general landed march captured fort orders christians allegedly recruited army infuriated christians reasons firstly french soldiers laid arms peace paris treaty christians refused fight secondly christians lent sum led believe helping british accused suspended colonel received provisional command strategic fort assaults fort january resulted failure looking wounded garrison colonel campbell considered futile hold longer finally delivered fort british january march signed treaty bringing end second anglo war states christians acted spies guided british whilst historian points christians helped colonel campbell fort adjoining towns providing rice vegetables meat men money letter superiors colonel campbell strongly commended role regiment led native major named brave defence fort refers troops native christians points christians entered league enemies plotted english overthrow states head congregation church near provided british garrison bags rice points christians eager rid history diocese christians charged assisting british second anglo war number accusations christians including invited british invade furnished supplies assisted army landed took possession accompanied british detachment provided supplies march aided british repairing fort besieged plundered state treasury fortress fell receiving highly exaggerated reports role christians help british second anglo war decided threat kingdom british christians according decision logical outcome plans time conquest father generally believed propaganda priests alliance christians english cause community main political reason decision belief banished christians british bay dismisses idea large scale christian support british second war myth based concrete evidence states charge christians constituted united sustained apart viewpoints christian community time argues difficulties communication minority christian population spread kilometres forested coastline broken numerous streams rivers united action practically impossible states majority catholics farming land capable growing crops year idea fields cause small band british isolated confines fort besieged large army sounded insane british promises little effect militarily inexperienced christians fight large trained army support army successful basis colonel campbell letter concludes native christian soldiers present fort probably east indian infantry artillery experts belonging bombay natives believes best assistance limited nature restricted purely individual enterprise points european troops english french including mercenaries receive assistance humanitarian military states claim christians paying british utter point points annual revenue portuguese province amounted payment huge sum claimed required large number wealthy donors catholics execution orders soon gained possession january issued orders seizure christians estates subsequent capital fort route expelled priests kingdom issued orders expulsion fined threatened death hanging returned banished close friend father ali letter wrote priests sentences capital punishment ordered fine million instead according report driven missionaries state secretly went join captives died route killed soldier missionaries warned faced death penalty entered kingdom february ash wednesday secret planned arrested large number christians province parts kingdom accounts number captives range according historian arrests single day instead carried stages issued orders seize christians british entered treaty march helpless captives included tamil countries portuguese guardians christian faith intervened requested priests suggested let christians live peacefully father ali paid request estimates suggest people remained hiding actively assisted whilst christians escaped initial captivity fled protected native rulers property destruction churches orders estates properties christians seized distributed soldiers churches historical records destroyed sudden christians time prepare departure dispose little property possessed value property confiscated estimated italian jesuit ordered destruction churches according oral tradition mosque constructed stones destroyed christian establishments spared converted offices homes wealthy muslims popular fortification built prevent english warships entering river constructed stones taken destroyed churches bells demolished churches eventually found way number temples area informed impending friend government disbanded sent proceeded joined order buildings escaped destruction including small chapel near built said saved muslim officers pretext store cotton spared church account father friendship said given orders preserve church near gratitude cure christian woman portuguese saved local chiefs battalion catholics officer named hearing order destroy church called fellow soldiers arms veteran army credited telling assembled christians shall remain christian spite orders church spared battalion gradually dispersed journey according manuscript written return christians interned holding camps rebellious christians brought chains forced climb nearly feet dense western mountain ranges routes route falls route miles journey christians accompanied priests secretly joined despite threats expulsion trouble arose guards began captive christian women camp able bodied captives able resist guards camp fort rebel christian leaders thrown fort town cross roads derives large pool blood resulted execution rebellious catholics march according captive pregnant women gave birth route babies borne bundled rested suspended branches trees happened die buried spot captives given rations time came finished cooking leave rice cooking manuscript records suggest captives total died march hunger disease ill treatment soldiers journey took weeks captives half original number perished year captivity arrival christian captives forced embrace islam complied freed refused tied feet elephants dragged orders english prisoner related regiments soldiers arrived daily select girls prizes join girls seized young men offer resistance smash officers capture attackers administer strokes effects men died reports demanded surrender daughters christians order placed refusal parents ears upper lips cut streets faces tails animals treatment christians girls confirmed accounts british officer held captive book captivity escape james detained prisoner years reports relented demand captive girls captive fell beast expired spot loss blood young women selected rest women distributed wives muslim officers favourites living future christian young girls women lost descendants fully islamic today food camp sub standard catholic nobleman offered captured catholics came known legendary punishment refused accept islam ears seated city thrown dungeons able bodied young christian men drafted army converted islam manuscript records occasions young able bodied christian men drafted army appointed supplied butter etc men formed company companies placed company men taken end month wounds healed taken company initiated british general arrives figure young men capable bearing arms formed drafted went serve campaigns british casualties heavy survived captivity remained lame blind aged employed land manual work carry filled days public warning christians given tasks work fields immediately imprisoned fighting completely isolated women idea captive men die old age creating appointed christian captives posts household deputy house chamberlain faithful servants catholic named saved life donned master robes sat escaped general panic whilst captured killed erupted revolt threw forces marched capital addressed showed racial religious bias stating guilty speech gathering sub group threatened single individual instead muslims homeland speech false accusations open threat angered hated revolted seized nearly held captive forcibly converted islam received harsh treatment captured deported half christians perished disease starvation attempted preach remaining christians took custody christians settled slowly reorganised elders forming secret group named help faith alive according christians met time time deliberate issues concerning community came know group officers banned political gathering christians christians believing came neglect law god religious duties began read epic poem life jesus christ written discovering muslims destroyed books christians constructed subterranean perform religious read books strengthen faith according survivor captivity person escaped found punishment ordered ears nose feet hand reports confirm christians forcibly converted islam christians openly practised islam writers hold view christians voluntary submit conversions christian missionaries appealed roman_catholic_church intervene behalf captive christians priest wrote letter holy pressure allow priests embassy visited court french king pope representative conveyed appeal embassy anglo war british allies defeated desperate break alliance powers surrounding sides sought peace portugal powers according consequently gave persecution christians opened negotiations promise stop christians asserting rebuild destroyed churches cost christians found supervision relaxed attitude christians escaped camps gradually began enter neighbouring kingdoms time christians performed daring feats rescue captives places safety captive named brother rose high rank services particularly proficient rescued people took secretly proposed anxious regain liberty rescued payment certain sum money fixed rescue price captive male female managed escape captivity aid british armies lord able regain treaty english allies anxious kingdom welcomed fugitive remain permanently territory granted privileges obtained priest built chapel policies onwards christians began catholic students studied returned considering changed circumstances provision issued february appointed interim vicar sub districts priests came new vicar retained old accept rule openly advocating rebellion writing offensive letters making offensive speeches result brief enjoyed christians ceased persecution end captivity establishment battle british army officers stormed fortress breached town killed death fourth anglo war catholics freed captivity christians taken captive christians british general helped return remaining christians freed thousand went hundreds settled according returned whilst migrated bombay presidency mentions persons returned according present catholic community descended entirely small group survivors returned soon death detachment bombay army lieutenant colonel took possession june entire province exception fortress appointed collector june remained post october accompanied officers control administration issued christian estates taken non christians captivity determining ownership land sent christians investigate report estates assistance church support christians able recover lands estates british took census region people living christians residing houses according census entire province people christian population recorded catholic priest appointed vicar lady december took lot interest establishment community later appointed collector whilst collector took active establishment possessions recovery estates constructed church completed churches destroyed rebuilt christians relocation jurisdiction archbishop christian population doubled total estimated total population according parish books dating time catholics numbered whilst christians numbered long catholics prosperous influential community consisting mainly tile manufacturers competed local offices services british rule community prospered criticism roman catholic british writers severely criticised policies treatment christians british general referred furious fanatic british colonel south india cites account mentions cause arose rage islam began breast informed circumstances spread christianity according historian shifted hatred british south indian christian communities mentions justification conversion portuguese domination muslims forcibly converted christianity proclaimed actions punishment conversion muslims christianity according historian reasons captivity primarily religious found social customs christians fondness pork social acceptance alcohol saw community religious zeal evidence states mention large scale christian conspiracy writings sultan action instead arising rage islam began breast asserts hatred christians compounded fears shared faith european christians viewed potential fifth column event british attack adds future territorial ambitions wanted rid potential dissent christians domain according confessions prominent catholics fabricated evidence large scale christian conspiracy knew wasn true contemporary scholars like analysed religious policies christians conclude religious argue conversions islam purely political religious reasons forced conversions carried punishment christians supported british native conversions came warnings views catholic community considers bitter religious ferocious remains hated personality community century captivity ended catholic historian civil servant british bombay presidency wrote article published chronicled contemporary developments views closing decades 19th century people classes belonging especially christians suffered regime terror welcomed british sense relief joy hope future peace prosperity felt india advent british ancestors disappointed found main object british rule india secure happiness people held criticism christians thirty years event apparent lack resistance christian captives drew criticism french priest letters dated commented single individual thousands courage confess faith trying martyr religion writers concluded acceptance islam christians amounted partial remembrance captivity mid-19th century bishop erected large cross outskirts near hills honour memory catholics died march captivity release captivity widely celebrated community catholics walked kilometre route forced christians follow commemorative march ended accounts captivity arabic record treatment prisoners sultan campaigns recorded arabic inscriptions south wall mosque dated inscriptions arabic min min persian bar bar sad bar bar sad tan sad tan dad aid islam bar english translation god said caused received scriptures assisted come fortresses cast hearts terror dismay captives god caused inherit land houses wealth land god flight ordered war continued assisted breaking league muslims muslim army besieged days nights reduced distress came order given males sword women children slaves goods divided muslims prophet blessing peace god addressing said pronounced high ordered seven skies god refers event says brought fortresses assisted protected believers jews god cast hearts terror prophet army killed numbered seven women children slaves inherited land gardens fields houses fortified places property consisting money cattle given god saying likewise applies turkey persia spoken order country muslims possession day included passage god survivor captivity popular culture historical novels grace god sign knights gates hell deal captivity catholics novels catholic community eighteenth century portrayed brave portrayed hard hearted self control
Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam