PORTUGUESE ORIENTALISM AND THE MAKING OF THE VILLAGE COMMUNITIES OF GOA

Portuguese colonial visions and policies shaped the development of the village communities of Goa. This analysis focuses on the differences between indigenous and colonial perceptions of these villages. One imp ortant difference is that indigenous accounts do not undermine human a gency in the way that colonial texts do. By comparing British and Port uguese colonial accounts of villages in India, we show how the program s and preoccupations of each colonial power are reflected in their por trayals of India's villages.