Alan Machado, all set to release his new book 'Slaves of Sultans'

After ‘Sarasvati's Children: A History of the Mangalorean Christians’ and ‘Shades within Shadows,’ Writer Alan Machado is all set to release his new book ‘Slaves of Sultans’. The book interprets the saga of the migration of Goans to Mangaluru which spans across a period of over 300 years.

The book speaks about many families, who moved out of the state fearing inquisition and settled in Mangaluru during the Portuguese era. The work explains how these people created an identity of their own over a span of three centuries and the domination of Nacao Portuguese and Tipu Sultan’s regime.

Being an end product of a thorough research by the writer, ‘Slaves of Sultans’ also aims to clear certain misconceptions. Briefing about his new work, author Alan Machado said “Just as the family was re-establishing new roots in Kanara, they were uprooted by Tipu and taken to Srirangapatna along with the entire Christian population. This was undoubtedly the most traumatic event in the history of the community.”

He said he studied works translated from Persian, Portuguese, French and Kannada to trace the background of the traditions and customs of the Mangalorean community which bear resemblance to the Goan culture.

“While today’s community has descended from Goan emigrants, they are composed of different castes and social segments. The emigrants from Goa came from Salcete, Tiswadi and Bardez, bringing their own distinct identities and divisions in dialects, customs and social taboos. The Mangalorean identity evolved only in the 20th century. However, the Goan connection lived on in oral tradition even after four generations, in common language, customs, cuisine and religion,”he added.

About the author
Having his original roots connected to Gaonkars of Aldona in Goa, Alan Machado belongs to the Machado Prabhu family, who migrated from Goa during the 17th century. An engineer by profession, Machado currently is based in Bengaluru.