Enslaved Children in Portuguese India, 1550-1760

Abstract

This article aims to contribute to the study of enslaved children and youth in Portuguese India. While enslaved children have been addressed in studies on slave trafficking and slavery in Portuguese India, they have not been the primary focus of analysis. The aim is to provide insights into the experiences of these children as slaves and their displacement through the societies of the Indian Ocean and from Goa to Lisbon. The article also discusses the challenges of studying enslaved children, considering the possibilities and limitations of analysis based on Portuguese sources from Goa and Lisbon, such as manumission letters and ecclesiastical and inquisitorial sources. This article is part of the special theme section on Women, Children, and Enslaved People in the Portuguese Empire in Asia, 16th-18th Centuries, guest-edited by Rozely Vigas and Rômulo Ehalt.

Keywords

• Goa
• slavery
• Portuguese empire
• children
• Portuguese India