From Bassein to Japan

During the era of missionaries and religious conversions, not all efforts were successful. In regions that were extremely conservative and resistant to foreign religious influence, missionaries often faced severe backlash from the native population. Whether these activities were beneficial or detrimental remains a controversial debate. These missions were primarily carried out by foreigners in distant lands, and their outsider status often compounded their difficulties.

In India, various European powers, including the Kingdom of Portugal, Denmark-Norway, France, England, and several pre-unified states of Italy and Germany, sent missionaries and monks to preach Christianity through sermons and conversions. Many travelers and merchants also played a role in these efforts, both peacefully and violently. One of the most famous figures associated with this was Vasco da Gama. However, this account is neither about Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese in India, nor even about India itself. This is about a town near Mumbai that was once a stronghold of the Portuguese in western India and has an unusual connection with Japan—the Land of the Rising Sun.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(1537-1598)

The year was 1596, four years before the end of the 16th century. Japan (Nihon), as we know it today, was a fragmented collection of clans on the verge of unification. The Azuchi-Momoyama period marked this transformation, with Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598) leading efforts to unite the nation under the rule of Emperor Go-Yōzei (1571–1617, reigned 1586–1611). Hideyoshi sought to complete the unfinished mission of his predecessor, Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582), who had already unified nearly half of Honshu before his death. However, significant resistance remained in parts of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Given this turbulent political backdrop, the last thing the Japanese authorities wanted was foreign interference. Throughout history, religious activities had frequently ignited military conflicts, and Japan was no exception.

The 16th century also marked the rapid expansion of Christianity in Asian kingdoms. The Kingdom of Portugal had already established its presence in Gõy (Goa, India), Melaka (Malacca, Malaysia), and several islands in the East Indies, such as Solor, Timor, and Flores. The Spanish had taken control of Liusung (Luzon) from the Tondo and Maynila people, renaming it Las Islas Filipinas, which would later become the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, through the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (Dutch East India Company), had established strongholds in Jayakarta (Batavia, now Jakarta) and Amboina (Ambon).

The growing European presence in Asia alarmed the Japanese authorities. In 1543, a Portuguese ship made its first recorded contact with Japan, arriving at the town of Tanegashima, an island roughly 276 km south of Nagasaki. This encounter was particularly significant because the Portuguese introduced firearms to Japan. Although the Japanese were not directly exposed to European colonization at this stage, they likely understood the process: first, firearms were introduced, followed by missionaries, and then, ultimately, military forces leading to colonization. Reports of the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa and the establishment of Estado Português da Índia likely reinforced these fears. Despite their initial wariness, the Japanese authorities initially welcomed the Europeans with cautious optimism.

St. Gonsalo Garcia
(1556-1597)

However, this skepticism soon turned into hostility. On January 5, 1597, an event occurred that would shape the history of Christianity in Japan. In the small fishing village of Nagasaki, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the execution of 26 Christian missionaries. The Japanese authorities feared that the growing Christian presence posed a threat to Japan’s deeply rooted Buddhist traditions. While the executions were brutal, Christianity continued to spread in Japan, and this date remains a significant moment for the Christian community there. Among the executed missionaries was a man from India—Gonsalo Garcia of Bassein (Vasai).

Vasai, a prosperous fishing town, was part of the Ahmednagar Sultanate under the Nizam Shahi dynasty in 1597. At that time, the sultanate was nominally ruled by the child-emperor Bahadur Nizam Shah, who was only two years old. Meanwhile, the Portuguese had already established multiple trade posts along the western coast of India, including Surat, Diu, Daman, Mumbai, Vasai, and Chaul, with their most prominent colony in Goa. Gonsalo Garcia was born in Vasai in 1556 and became a highly respected figure in the Christian community. His journey took him from Vasai to Maynila (Manila) and finally to Japan.

Despite Hideyoshi’s general suspicion of Christian influence, certain Japanese clans were receptive to Christianity, allowing it to spread gradually. Gonsalo Garcia became associated with the Franciscan Friars, followers of St. Francis of Assisi, and traveled to Japan. Initially, even Hideyoshi was amicable toward the Franciscans, and Gonsalo Garcia gained recognition in Musashi, Sagami, and Settsu provinces, corresponding to present-day Tokyo and Kobe.

However, the turning point came with an incident involving the Spanish ship San Felipe. While en route to Acapulco in New Spain (now Mexico), the vessel was caught in a typhoon and drifted into the waters of the Tosa province, controlled by the Chōsokabe clan (present-day Kōchi, Shikoku). During the encounter, a crew member allegedly boasted that Spain’s strategy involved first sending missionaries, followed by troops to conquer new territories. This revelation enraged Hideyoshi, confirming his worst fears. He ordered the immediate arrest of all Franciscan missionaries, including Gonsalo Garcia, and they were subjected to torture and humiliation before their execution in one of the most brutal ways imaginable.

The aftermath of this event raises significant questions. Did the Portuguese government in India react? Did the Nizam Shahi government take any action, considering that Gonsalo Garcia was from Vasai, which was still officially under Nizam Shahi rule? The answer to both questions is a resounding no. In the 16th century, governments functioned differently, and the execution of missionaries was not uncommon in uncharted territories. While this event was seen as martyrdom from a Christian perspective, to the Portuguese authorities, maintaining trade relations with Japan was of greater importance.

Since Portugal and Spain were united under the Iberian Union at the time, the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Francisco Tello, attempted to mend relations by gifting Toyotomi Hideyoshi an elephant named Don Pedro. The arrival of the elephant was celebrated grandly in Edo (modern-day Tokyo), helping restore diplomatic ties. However, the ban on Christianity in Japan remained in place, and it would not take root until the following century.

This marked one of the earliest known connections between an Indian subject and Japan. A similar incident occurred 345 years later during World War II when Japanese forces executed 30 Indians in the Andaman Islands, suspecting them of being British spies. Gonsalo Garcia was canonized in 1862 by Pope Pius IX, making him the first Indian to be declared a saint.