Paper short abstract:

The aim of this paper is to analyse the patterns of migration of some New Christian families between Lisbon and Goa between the 16th and 17th centuries. We will focus on the motives that encouraged the decision to migrate, as well as the different choices made by these families.

Paper long abstract:

The so-called Sephardic Diaspora led to the dispersion of Portuguese New Christians throughout several geographies and led to the family disarticulation of those members that came to establish themselves in different cities. One of the destinations of choice for this migration of New Christians was the territories of the Iberian Empires.

In this paper we will follow the migratory trail of some Lisbon New Christian families to the city of Goa, capital of the Estado da Índia at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century.

In order to establish the main patterns of this migration we'll considerer the following vectors of analysis: the duration of the stay in the city of destination; the motive for migration; the bounds entertained with the city of origin; the role the inquisitorial persecution played in these migrations or, oppositely, the one played by commerce.

We will use a wide array of sources, from administrative documents to travel reports. Nonetheless, we'll focus on those sources produced by the Holy Office. Despite the distance and the Oceans that lay in-between the Inquisition in Portugal maintained a very strict surveillance over the New Christians that relocated to the Empire. The presence of Portuguese New Christians in Asia deeply concerned Portuguese authorities that feared the spread of unorthodox practices of a Judaic nature. Thus, this migratory flow was frequently the cornerstone of a debate that often led to unsuccessful attempts to quash this movement.