Konkani Origins
Dear Friends,
I prefer the Indo-Lusitanic Konkani that my late aunts in Goa used. In the last eight years or so, I have tried to learn the language that I had never been taught by my parents or schools. It is extraordinary that when the Christian community in Bombay is dominated by ethnic Konkani - Goans and Mangaloreans, the Church schools in Bombay are neither Konkani medium nor teach Konkani as one of the languages! I was forced to learn the language from Mangaloreans. I attempted to learn the language better by purchasing books from the Tomas Estevão Konkani Kendr. Unfortunately, in idiom and in script it seems to be an entirely different language from my Konkani: in fact, it seemed more Marathi than Konkani. I threw those books away.
I do not care for the Nagari script, nor for Marathized or Sanskritized Konkani. For me, Roman-script, Lusitanic Konkani has the implications - even the Holy Odour - of Christian association and implications, and I am never agreeable to jettisoning this.
I am still interested in learning the true Indo-Lusitanic Konkani, and I think that we need a Resource Center for teaching this Christian Konkani on the web.
However, regarding the posts on this subject, I merely wish to ask these questions:
Saraswats, following the desertification of the Saraswat basin, migrated to many lands, including Kashmir, where many Muslim separatist leaders are of Saraswat Brahmin origin.
Those who rush in eagerly to aid and relieve the 'lower caste' frequently ignore the very relevant fact that many of the tribal and 'low-caste' communities of India are originally of high caste, who have for various reasons fallen down. In Hinduism, by not performing the Upanayana Sanskara for one or more generation, renders the offspring Shudra or low-caste.
Among the large 'Nav-Bodh' and Hindu Dalit community of the Konkan and the Desh, (Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg districts in the Konkan, Satara, Kolhapur, districts, etc. in the Desh) peoples such as the Mores, Gaikwad, Jadhavs, are originally NOT low-caste, but High Caste Hindus - Maurya and the Yadava dynasties of the Konkan and of Maharashtra (Devnagar) who, because of the atrocities of the Muslims, following the invasions and depredations of Allaudin Khilji and Malik Kafur, etc., fled into the jungles, and were there not able to carry on with the caste ceremonies, for which reason they fell.
This is, in fact, the history of Shivaji Bhosale, himself of upper caste Rajput, Kshatriya (i.e. Hun) origin. For him, when the Maharashtrastha Brahmins refused to remedy the lack, Brahmins from the north did it. However, his step-brother, Venkoji Bhosale, to whom his father assigned the estates of Jinjee and Vellore, did not have this lack supplied, for which reason that dynasty (Vellore Bhosales) are still Shudras...
The Guravs are not Aborigines of the Konkan. The history of the Guravs, as far as I know it, is that they are the lower rung priests or hereditary assistants of the Brahmins in conducting the puja ceremonies. It is highly improbable that the victorious Aryans would have assigned this task to Aborigines, whom they despiced as subhuman. On the contrary, it is more probable that this is either a hybrid or mestizo caste or a lower rung Aryan tribe...
There is some similarity in idiom between Bengali and Konkani. That, however, seems to be merely evidence of common origins, not necessarily that the Bengalis migrated to Bengal from the Konkan or that the Konkani migrated from Bengal to the Konkan. Instead, it seems that the ancestors of both people possibly began as one people or as affinate people in the now forgotten original homeland, the Uttara Kuru, and then split up as they migrated into and colonized the South Country - Meluha.
As a Christian, I despise the Caste System as being profoundly evil and misanthropic and reject the notion of being a Saraswat Brahmin, or any Brahmin, whatsoever: I am a Christian, one in Christ with all true Christians, for in Christ there is NO Brahmin or Shudra, etc. I affirm and teach that when a person has become Christian, by renouncing 'Satan and all his works' he has renounced the Caste System in entirety; if however, he persists with this, then his conversion is insincere, and he is not truly a Christian.
Again, I point out that, from the Hindu viewpoint, if we accept Manuwad, then Christ, whom we worship as God Incarnate and with Whom we seek to be united, now in the Blessed Sacrament, later in heaven, in the Beatific Vision, was, being a foreigner, a Maleecha - the lowest and most polluting strata. Moreover, by abandoning Hinduism for Christianity, those who were Brahmins or other 'upper-castes' have become, by Manu's Law, fallen and 'low-caste'! So, what is this foolish boast among so many Christians - this chest-thumping boasts "I am Bahmon/Chordo"? Poor unfortunate wretches, you are neither of God, being blasphemers of Christ, nor of Hinduism, which rejects and shuns you as traitors and renegades!
As for the racial origins of the present Konkani: It seems that the ethnic group was formed by more than the immigrant Brahmins - it seems that the Konkanastha Brahmins (not the comparative latter immigrant Saraswat brahmins), together with other Konkanastha castes - Kshatriyas, such as the Kadambas, Vaishyas, Shudras, etc. immigrated into the Konkan. Moreover, it seems that they absorbed the aborigines entirely. This, it seems, was part of the larger Aryan Conquest and Colonization of the Indian Peninsula. However, the Konkani of today are unmistakeably a mixed people - not a pure Aryan or Dravidian people. Certainly, Konkani as it is today, is a uniquely regional langauge, neither Aryan, Dravidian or whatever, but a fusion of all the influences that came in.
Prakash João Maskaren. 10th January 2003.
GOA-GOANS Message 9638
From: "Ben Antao"
Date: Thu Jan 9, 2003 7:23 pm
Subject: Re: REVISED History of Konkan, it's People & Konkani Language
Jose Colaco wrote:
Re: >Dear Ben, Jerson and all,
> Isn't it interesting how REVISION works?
Yes, it is interesting. And what's despicable is the fawning behavior of Goans in Goa who have rushed to "indianize" Goa's language and culture since 1961.
I cannot for the life of me envision a Tamil or a Bengali person wanting to sanskritize his language. Ask yourself why.
It takes a keen intellect like that of a Jose Colaco to detect the motivation of Saraswat Goans to revise Konkani--it's the same motivation that drives the Hindutva agenda--let's keep the caste system at all costs.
A language must make a person free, not subjugated. I would urge every Konkani lover to resist the revisionists and write Konkani in the script of their choice. I prefer the Roman script. Buy a Konkani-English dictionary and be familiar with the roots of words.
Ben Antao
GOA-GOANS Message 9637
From: "Dr. Jos� Cola�o"
Date: Thu Jan 9, 2003 6:53 pm
Subject: Re: [konkaniforum] REVISED History of Konkan, it's People & Konkani Language
Ben Antao makes some telling points in his January 8, 2003 post
Re: >Konkani is a modern IndoAryan language with Devnagari as its script.>
[The above statement is not correct.
First of all, Konkani is not, I repeat, is NOT an Indo-Aryan language. If anything, its oral roots are Dravidian in origin stemming with the original dwellers known as the khunbis and gauddis.
Konkani has survived despite the long period of Portuguese rule mainly because it was an oral language with a rich oral literature as manifested in the folk tales of yore.
After the availability of the printing press from 1556 onwards, the first works of literature in Konkani were published in the Roman script, not Devanagiri.]
In the Jerson Vaz January 9, 2003 posting, NJ Kamath says the following
[It Would appear that the Konkani people are migrants of Aryan origin, from Central Asia. There is evidence to suggest that around 4000 BC. they were among the people who settled to an agrarian life on the banks of the river Saraswati which was a tributary possibly of the river
lndus.]
Dear Ben, Jerson and all,
Isn't it interesting how REVISION works?
Konkan is the area on the West Coast of India.
Its people are the Konkanis.
Their language is Konkani.
The Saraswats are migrants from Iran via Kashmir and possibly Bengal.
NONE of these areas speak a SOLITARY WORD of Konkani.
And suddenly.....the Saraswats tell all of us that THEIR Konkani in the NAGARI SCRIPT is the PUREST KONKANI.
WHAT PURE GARBAGE!
This is CASTE BASED REVISIONISM.
This is why the Point is being made that ANYONE WHO Promotes the idea that the S-Konkani in the Nagari script is the True, Original or Pure Konkani... is ONLY promoting the Caste System.
Once again.....I advise Goans to read Professor Alok Rai (IIT Delhi) on Hindi Nationalism. It show the exact same process of surreptious usurption as far as HINDI is concerned.
If Anyone were to advise me that it is easier to write Konkani in Nagari, I would agree.
I would tell them, however, that the Roman script has been used quite succesfully to communicate in Konkani. It was after all, the first script in which Konkani writings were published.
If anyone were to tell me that the original Konkani (of the original Konkanis i.e. Residents of the Konkan i.e. the Kunbi and Gaudi tribespeople) was enriched by Sanskrit words brought in by the Saraswats, I'd agree.
I would tell these revisionists however that the Konkan also had other foreign influences besides the Saraswat ones i.e. Arab, African and Portuguese.
Why is it that the Saraswats want to remove these other influences from Konkani?
Languages evolve....right?
Let's get this very early.
The Kunbis and Gaudis are the original Konkan residents.
They are neither Aryan nor Dravidian.
Their language can definitely NOT be Indo-Aryan.
I repeat: ANYONE WHO Promotes the idea that the S-Konkani in the Nagari script is the True, Original or Pure Konkani... is ONLY promoting the Caste System
jose