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{{short description|Portuguese physician (1844–1900)}}
'''José Gerson da Cunha''' (2 February 1844 – 3 August 1900) was a [[Goan]] physician who achieved international renown as an [[Orientalism|orientalist]], historian, [[Linguistics|linguist]] and [[Numismatics|numismatist]].
{{Use British English|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = José Gerson da Cunha
| birth_place = [[Arpora]], [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]]
| birth_date  = {{birth date|1844|2|2|df=y}}
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1900|8|3|1844|2|2|df=y}}
| death_place =
| alma_mater  = [[University of Bombay]]
| occupation  = {{hlist|Physician|indologist|historian|linguisti}}
| spouse      = Ana Rita da Gama
| children    = 3
| relatives  = {{ubl|
* [[Gerson da Cunha]] (nephew)
* [[Sylvester da Cunha]] (nephew)}}
| honours    = {{ubl|
* [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]]
* [[Order of Saint James of the Sword]]
* [[Order of the Crown of Italy]]}}
}}
 
'''José Gerson da Cunha''' [[Order of the Crown of Italy|OCI]] (2 February 1844 – 3 August 1900) was a Portuguese physician who achieved international renown as an [[indologist]], [[historian]], [[Linguistics|linguist]] and [[Numismatics|numismatist]].


==Early life and medical career==
==Early life and medical career==
José Gerson da Cunha was born in [[Arpora]], [[Bardez]] on 2 February 1844, the eldest of twelve children to a [[Goan Catholics|Goan Catholic]] couple, Francisco Caetano da Cunha and Leopoldina Maria Gonçalves.<ref name="Vaz1">{{harvnb|Vaz|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&pg=PA118#v=onepage&q&f=false 118]}}</ref><ref name="Cunha Rivara"/> Francisco was an infantry lieutenant in the Portuguese army stationed in [[Goa]] who had taken part in the military campaign against the [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]] at Uspa and Rarim in [[Savantvadi]].<ref name="Cunha Rivara"/> The family traced its descent to Balkrishna Shenoy, also known as ''Balsa Sinai''; a 16th-century [[Goud Saraswat Brahmin]] from [[Cortalim]] in Salcette.<ref name="Cunha Gonçalves2">{{harvnb|Derrett|1976|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=yH8eAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA473#v=onepage&q&f=false 473]}}</ref> Upon his employment by the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese authorities]] in 1555, Balkrishna moved to [[Pilerne]] in [[Bardez]] with his two nephews Mangappa and Panduranga Shenoy.<ref name="rib">{{harvnb|Mascarenhas|2008|loc=|Ref=cun}}</ref> There he converted to Christianity and adopted the surname "Cunha". He later settled down in Arpora.<ref name="sal">{{harvnb|Mascarenhas|2010|loc=|Ref=mar}}</ref> His conversion had been preceded by that of his nephew Mangappa who changed his name to Pero Ribeiro and earned the distinction of being the first Christian of Bardez.<ref name="rib"/>
José Gerson da Cunha was born in [[Arpora]], [[Bardes]] on 2 February 1844, the eldest of twelve children to a [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] couple, Francisco Caetano da Cunha and Leopoldina Maria Gonçalves.<ref name="Vaz1">{{harvnb|Vaz|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&pg=PA118 118]}}</ref><ref name="Cunha Rivara"/> Francisco was an infantry lieutenant in the Portuguese army stationed in [[Goa]] who had taken part in the military campaign against the [[Maratha Empire|Marathas]] at Uspa and Rarim in [[Savantvadi]].<ref name="Cunha Rivara"/>


Cunha did his primary studies and study of [[humanities]] in [[Panjim]].<ref name="Arpora">{{harvnb|Naval and Military Medical Services|1900|p=781}}</ref> He then moved to [[Bombay]] and enrolled in the [[Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals|Grant Medical College]] to pursue his [[Medical humanities|medical studies]].<ref name="Konkani1">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA96#v=onepage&q&f=false 96]}}</ref> While there, Cunha distinguished himself by winning many prizes.<ref name="Vaz1"/> However, he failed to obtain his licentiate in Medicine, and instead obtained the first degree of Licentiate of the [[University of Mumbai|University of Bombay]] in 1864.<ref name="Konkani1"/> He moved to London in 1867 to obtain his degree and in the same year, obtained the diplomas of [[Conjoint|L.R.C.P.]] Lond. and [[Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons|M.R.C.S]] Eng.<ref name="Arpora"/><ref name="Konkani1"/> Cunha specialised in [[obstetrics]] at [[Edinburgh]] and London.<ref name="Vaz1"/> He returned to Bombay in 1868, where he soon acquired a large practice.<ref name="Arpora"/>
Da Cunha did his primary studies and study of [[humanities]] in [[Panjim]].<ref name="Arpora">{{harvnb|Naval and Military Medical Services|1900|p=781}}</ref> He then moved to [[Bombay]] and enrolled in the [[Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals|Grant Medical College]] to pursue his [[Medical humanities|medical studies]].<ref name="Konkani1">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA96 96]}}</ref> While there, da Cunha distinguished himself by winning many prizes.<ref name="Vaz1"/> However, he failed to obtain his licentiate in medicine, and instead obtained the first licentiate degree from the [[University of Mumbai|University of Bombay]] in 1864.<ref name="Konkani1"/> He moved to London in 1867 to obtain his degree and in the same year, obtained the diplomas of [[Conjoint|L.R.C.P.]] Lond. and [[Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons|M.R.C.S]] Eng.<ref name="Arpora"/><ref name="Konkani1"/> Cunha specialised in [[obstetrics]] at [[Edinburgh]] and London.<ref name="Vaz1"/> He returned to Bombay in 1868, where he soon acquired a large practice.<ref name="Arpora"/>


==Works==
==Works==
Cunha wrote several papers on obstetrics which attracted much attention at the Medico-Physical Society of Bombay.<ref name="Arpora"/> After an epidemic of [[dengue]] in the city, he wrote an essay on dengue entitled ''Dengue: its history, symptoms and treatment''.<ref name="Arpora"/> Besides medicine, Cunha's interest spanned across diverse subjects such as history, [[archaeology]], [[linguistics]], [[numismatics]] and Sanskritology (study of [[Sanskrit]]).<ref name="Konkani1"/> He wrote and distinguished himself more by creating works of historical value on these subjects.<ref name="Vaz2"/> Besides papers, he was the author of 20 books on these subjects.<ref name="Arpora"/> His decision to write his works in English gained him greater recognition amongst English readers than those Goan authors who had chosen to write on these subjects only in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].<ref name="Vaz2"/>
Da Cunha wrote several papers on obstetrics which attracted much attention at the Medico-Physical Society of Bombay.<ref name="Arpora"/> After an epidemic of [[dengue]] in the city, he wrote an essay on dengue entitled ''Dengue: its history, symptoms and treatment''.<ref name="Arpora"/> Besides medicine, Cunha's interest spanned across diverse subjects such as history, [[archaeology]], [[linguistics]], [[numismatics]] and Sanskritology (study of [[Sanskrit]]).<ref name="Konkani1"/> He wrote and distinguished himself more by creating works of historical value on these subjects.<ref name="Vaz2"/> Besides papers, he was the author of 20 books on these subjects.<ref name="Arpora"/> His decision to write his works in English gained him greater recognition amongst English readers than those by Goan authors who had chosen to write on these subjects only in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]].<ref name="Vaz2"/>


===History===
===History===
Cunha wrote the first book on the history of Bombay, ''The Origin of Bombay'' which was published posthumously by the Bombay branch of the [[Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|Royal Asiatic Society]] in 1900.<ref name="cun">{{harvnb|Chatterjee|2003|loc=|Ref=sin}}</ref> His other best known historical works include ''Memoir on the history of the tooth-relic of Ceylon''; with a preliminary essay on [[Gautama Buddha]] ''The life and system of Gautama Buddha'' (1875), ''Historical and Archeological Sketch of the Island of Angediva'' (1875), and ''The History and Antiquities of Chaul and Bassein'' (1876).
Da Cunha wrote the first book on the history of Bombay, ''The Origin of Bombay'' which was published posthumously by the Bombay branch of the [[Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland|Royal Asiatic Society]] in 1900.<ref name="cun">{{harvnb|Chatterjee|2003|loc=|Ref=sin}}</ref> His other best known historical works include ''Memoir on the history of the tooth-relic of Ceylon''; with a preliminary essay on [[Gautama Buddha]] ''The life and system of Gautama Buddha'' (1875), ''Historical and Archeological Sketch of the Island of Angediva'' (1875), and ''The History and Antiquities of Chaul and Bassein'' (1876).


===Linguistics===
===Linguistics===
Cunha was inspired by the Portuguese civil servant [[Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha Rivara]]'s efforts to revive [[Konkani language|Konkani]] in Goa.<ref name="Konkani1"/> In 1881, he wrote a scholarly work on the language entitled ''The Konkani Language and Literature'', wherein he discussed its origin and issues. Using the arguments of the [[Philosophy of language|Language theory]], he demonstrated that Konkani was an independent language in its own right with its own dialects, such as ''Kudali'', ''Goadesi'' and the Southern.<ref name="Vaz2"/><ref name="Literature">{{harvnb|Das|1991|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=sHklK65TKQ0C&pg=PA139#v=onepage&q&f=false 139]}}</ref> Cunha concluded that while Konkani bears close similarities to [[Marathi language|Marathi]], it is quite distinct from, through cognate with Marathi and has a predominance of Sanskrit words and a faint Turanian or [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] element.<ref name="Konkani2"/><ref name="Kodialgar">{{harvnb|George|Akademi|1992|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C&pg=PA208#v=onepage&q&f=false 208]}}</ref> It possesses an elaborate grammar of its own and a rich vocabulary which is derived from various sources (Sanskrit, [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Kannada language|Kannada]] and Portuguese, with all the contributing elements having lost their autonomy in the course of time and becoming so fused together that only a careful analysis can discover their [[etymology]].<ref name="Konkani2"/><ref name="Kodialgar"/>
Da Cunha was inspired by the Portuguese civil servant [[Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha Rivara]]'s efforts to revive [[Konkani language|Konkani]] in Goa.<ref name="Konkani1"/> In 1881, he wrote a scholarly work on the language entitled ''The Konkani Language and Literature'', wherein he discussed its origin and issues. Using the arguments of the [[Philosophy of language|Language theory]], he demonstrated that Konkani was an independent language in its own right with its own dialects, such as ''Kudali'', ''Goadesi'' and the southern form.<ref name="Vaz2"/><ref name="Literature">{{harvnb|Das|1991|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=sHklK65TKQ0C&pg=PA139 139]}}</ref> Cunha concluded that while Konkani bears close similarities to [[Marathi language|Marathi]], it is quite distinct, though cognate with Marathi, and has a predominance of Sanskrit words and a faint Turanian or [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] element.<ref name="Konkani2"/><ref name="Kodialgar">{{harvnb|George|Akademi|1992|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=m1R2Pa3f7r0C&pg=PA208 208]}}</ref> It possesses an elaborate grammar of its own and a rich vocabulary which is derived from various sources (Sanskrit, [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Kannada language|Kannada]] and Portuguese, with all the contributing elements having lost their autonomy in the course of time and becoming so fused together that only a careful analysis can discover their [[etymology]].<ref name="Konkani2"/><ref name="Kodialgar"/>


Cunha was greatly concerned with the increasing corruption of Konkani's purity, as he felt that the incorporation of Portuguese, Persian, Kannada and Marathi loanwards were distancing the language from its original source, Sanskrit.<ref name="Konkani2">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA97#v=onepage&q&f=false 97]}}</ref> He further had serious misgivings about the language's future. In ''The Konkani Language and Literature'', he states:<ref name="Konkani3">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA98#v=onepage&q&f=false 98]}}</ref>
Da Cunha was greatly concerned with the increasing corruption of Konkani's purity, as he felt that the incorporation of Portuguese, Persian, Kannada, and Marathi loanwords were distancing the language from its original source, Sanskrit.<ref name="Konkani2">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA97 97]}}</ref> He further had serious misgivings about the language's future. In ''The Konkani Language and Literature'', he states:<ref name="Konkani3">{{harvnb|Sardesai|2000|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=1YILeUD_oZUC&pg=PA98 98]}}</ref>
{{quote|text=It is only an autonomous country that can preserve its language in a state of purity, and it is to its literature or rather to the learned men of that country is confided the task of rendering its forms classic and unalterable. But Goa has for centuries been swayed by foreign rulers who have insisted on making their own language the official language, or the language of the court, withdrawing, at the same time, all encouragement for the cultivation of the native tongue. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that Konkani has been treated with neglect by the very children of the soil, and has, from the absence of a norm to regulate its forms, dwindled into the state of a jargon, or ''[[patois]]''. Add to this internal disorganisation the power and vitality of the neighbouring tongues, and one need not be a prophet to foretell that in the course of a century or two, the Konkani language will be encroached upon by the Marathi from the North, and the Kanarese from the South, a movement that has already begun, when Konkani must succumb to the struggle. This has happened before; and it will happen again: for such is the fate of all weak tongues as also of weak peoples.}}
{{blockquote|text=It is only an autonomous country that can preserve its language in a state of purity, and it is to its literature or rather to the learned men of that country is confided the task of rendering its forms classic and unalterable. But Goa has for centuries been swayed by foreign rulers who have insisted on making their own language the official language, or the language of the court, withdrawing, at the same time, all encouragement for the cultivation of the native tongue. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that Konkani has been treated with neglect by the very children of the soil, and has, from the absence of a norm to regulate its forms, dwindled into the state of a jargon, or ''[[patois]]''. Add to this internal disorganisation the power and vitality of the neighbouring tongues, and one need not be a prophet to foretell that in the course of a century or two, the Konkani language will be encroached upon by the Marathi from the North, and the Kanarese from the South, a movement that has already begun, when Konkani must succumb to the struggle. This has happened before; and it will happen again: for such is the fate of all weak tongues as also of weak peoples.}}


===Numismatics===
===Numismatics===
Cunha was an avid coin collector. He began collecting coins in 1876 and in addition to his own collection, purchased the collections of James Gibbs and Bhau Dhaji.<ref name="Vaz2"/> By  1888, his personal collection had expanded to include over 27,000 pieces of Gold, Silver and other baser metals.<ref name="Vaz2"/> The collection of coins catalogued by Cunha was generally believed to be among the best in the [[British Empire]].<ref name="Arpora"/> This catalogue was published in Bombay in 1888.<ref name="Vaz2"/> He wrote a book on numismatics, ''Indo-Portuguese Numismatics'' which was published in 1956 by ''Agencia Geral do Ultramar'' in [[Lisbon]]. This work is generally believed to be one of the few valuable studies in this field.<ref name="Vaz2"/>
Da Cunha was an avid coin collector. He began collecting coins in 1876 and in addition to his own collection, purchased the collections of James Gibbs and Bhau Dhaji.<ref name="Vaz2"/> By  1888, his personal collection had expanded to include over 27,000 pieces of gold, silver, and other metals.<ref name="Vaz2"/> The collection of coins catalogued by da Cunha was generally believed to be among the best in the [[British Empire]].<ref name="Arpora"/> This catalogue was published in Bombay in 1888.<ref name="Vaz2"/> He wrote a book on numismatics, ''Indo-Portuguese Numismatics'' which was published in 1956 by ''Agencia Geral do Ultramar'' in [[Lisbon]]. This work is generally believed to be one of the few valuable studies in this field.<ref name="Vaz2"/>


==Associations==
==Associations==
In view of his work, Cunha acquired significant fame as an Orientalist and was invited to International seminars and conferences.<ref name="Konkani1"/> In addition to his affiliation with various medical associations in Bombay, his prolific contributions to Indian history and linguistics earned him the fellowship of the ''Instituto Vasco da Gama'' in Goa in 1871, and of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay in 1873.<ref name="Vaz2"/> He received a price at the Congress of Orientalists in [[Florence]] in 1877, and was a prominent figure at the Twelfth Congress held in Rome in 1899.<ref name="Arpora"/> In the latter conference, Cunha was hailed by the [[Angelo de Gubernatis|Count Angelo de Gubernatis]] as the "leading Orientalist of the day".<ref name="Vaz2"/> He served as the President of the Bombay chapters of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Anthropological Society.<ref name="Arpora"/> He was a Knight of the [[Order of the Crown of Italy]], of the [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]], and of the [[Order of Saint James of the Sword]].<ref name="Arpora"/>
In view of his work, da Cunha acquired significant fame as an Orientalist and was invited to International seminars and conferences.<ref name="Konkani1"/> In addition to his affiliation with various medical associations in Bombay, his prolific contributions to Indian history and linguistics earned him the fellowship of the ''Instituto Vasco da Gama'' in Goa in 1871, and of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay in 1873.<ref name="Vaz2"/> He received a prize at the Congress of Orientalists in [[Florence]] in 1877, and was a prominent figure at the Twelfth Congress held in Rome in 1899.<ref name="Arpora"/> In the latter conference, da Cunha was hailed by the [[Angelo de Gubernatis|Count Angelo de Gubernatis]] as the "leading Orientalist of the day".<ref name="Vaz2"/> He served as president of the Bombay chapters of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Anthropological Society.<ref name="Arpora"/> He was a Knight of the [[Order of the Crown of Italy]], of the [[Order of St. Gregory the Great]], and of the [[Order of Saint James of the Sword]].<ref name="Arpora"/>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
JG da Cunha was married to Ana Rita da Gama<ref name="Cunha Rivara">{{harvnb|da Cunha Rivara|Borges|da Cunha Soares|1996|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vnKEgXtNHt0C&pg=PA284#v=onepage&q&f=false 284]}}</ref> They had two daughters and a son. His grandson EPW da Costa was a pioneer of opinion polling in India. JG da Cunha was a [[Polyglot (person)|hyperpolyglot]], possessing knowledge of Konkani, Marathi, Portuguese, Italian, French, English, German, [[Middle Persian|Pahlavi]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Latin]] and Sanskrit.<ref name="Vaz2">{{harvnb|Vaz|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&pg=PA119#v=onepage&q&f=false 119]}}</ref>
Da Cunha was married to Ana Rita da Gama.<ref name="Cunha Rivara">{{harvnb|da Cunha Rivara|Borges|da Cunha Soares|1996|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vnKEgXtNHt0C&pg=PA284 284]}}</ref> They had two daughters and a son. His grandson EPW da Costa was a pioneer of opinion polling in India. Da Cunha was a [[Polyglot (person)|hyperpolyglot]], possessing knowledge of Konkani, Marathi, Portuguese, Italian, French, English, German, [[Middle Persian|Pahlavi]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Latin]] and Sanskrit.<ref name="Vaz2">{{harvnb|Vaz|1997|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&pg=PA119 119]}}</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
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  |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/64AJZgBML?url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/Family-Matters/articleshow/154584.cms  
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704162738/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/Family-Matters/articleshow/154584.cms
  |archive-date=24 December 2011  
  |archive-date=4 July 2011
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  |url=http://www.saligaoserenade.com/2008/08/06/establishing-ones-roots/
  |title=Establishing one's roots  
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  |title=What Are Goa's Villages Famous For?  
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  }}.
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[[Category:Indian obstetricians]]
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[[Category:19th-century Indian linguists]]
[[Category:Indian orientalists]]
[[Category:Portuguese orientalists]]
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[[Category:Indian numismatists]]
[[Category:Portuguese Roman Catholic writers]]
[[Category:Portuguese numismatists]]
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Latest revision as of 04:38, 8 February 2026


José Gerson da Cunha
Born(1844-02-02)2 February 1844
Arpora, Goa, Portuguese India
Died3 August 1900(1900-08-03) (aged 56)
Alma materUniversity of Bombay
Occupation
  • Physician
  • indologist
  • historian
  • linguisti
Spouse(s)Ana Rita da Gama
Children3
Relatives
Honours

José Gerson da Cunha OCI (2 February 1844 – 3 August 1900) was a Portuguese physician who achieved international renown as an indologist, historian, linguist and numismatist.

Early life and medical career[edit | edit source]

José Gerson da Cunha was born in Arpora, Bardes on 2 February 1844, the eldest of twelve children to a Portuguese couple, Francisco Caetano da Cunha and Leopoldina Maria Gonçalves.[1][2] Francisco was an infantry lieutenant in the Portuguese army stationed in Goa who had taken part in the military campaign against the Marathas at Uspa and Rarim in Savantvadi.[2]

Da Cunha did his primary studies and study of humanities in Panjim.[3] He then moved to Bombay and enrolled in the Grant Medical College to pursue his medical studies.[4] While there, da Cunha distinguished himself by winning many prizes.[1] However, he failed to obtain his licentiate in medicine, and instead obtained the first licentiate degree from the University of Bombay in 1864.[4] He moved to London in 1867 to obtain his degree and in the same year, obtained the diplomas of L.R.C.P. Lond. and M.R.C.S Eng.[3][4] Cunha specialised in obstetrics at Edinburgh and London.[1] He returned to Bombay in 1868, where he soon acquired a large practice.[3]

Works[edit | edit source]

Da Cunha wrote several papers on obstetrics which attracted much attention at the Medico-Physical Society of Bombay.[3] After an epidemic of dengue in the city, he wrote an essay on dengue entitled Dengue: its history, symptoms and treatment.[3] Besides medicine, Cunha's interest spanned across diverse subjects such as history, archaeology, linguistics, numismatics and Sanskritology (study of Sanskrit).[4] He wrote and distinguished himself more by creating works of historical value on these subjects.[5] Besides papers, he was the author of 20 books on these subjects.[3] His decision to write his works in English gained him greater recognition amongst English readers than those by Goan authors who had chosen to write on these subjects only in Portuguese.[5]

History[edit | edit source]

Da Cunha wrote the first book on the history of Bombay, The Origin of Bombay which was published posthumously by the Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1900.[6] His other best known historical works include Memoir on the history of the tooth-relic of Ceylon; with a preliminary essay on Gautama Buddha The life and system of Gautama Buddha (1875), Historical and Archeological Sketch of the Island of Angediva (1875), and The History and Antiquities of Chaul and Bassein (1876).

Linguistics[edit | edit source]

Da Cunha was inspired by the Portuguese civil servant Joaquim Heliodoro da Cunha Rivara's efforts to revive Konkani in Goa.[4] In 1881, he wrote a scholarly work on the language entitled The Konkani Language and Literature, wherein he discussed its origin and issues. Using the arguments of the Language theory, he demonstrated that Konkani was an independent language in its own right with its own dialects, such as Kudali, Goadesi and the southern form.[5][7] Cunha concluded that while Konkani bears close similarities to Marathi, it is quite distinct, though cognate with Marathi, and has a predominance of Sanskrit words and a faint Turanian or Dravidian element.[8][9] It possesses an elaborate grammar of its own and a rich vocabulary which is derived from various sources (Sanskrit, Persian, Kannada and Portuguese, with all the contributing elements having lost their autonomy in the course of time and becoming so fused together that only a careful analysis can discover their etymology.[8][9]

Da Cunha was greatly concerned with the increasing corruption of Konkani's purity, as he felt that the incorporation of Portuguese, Persian, Kannada, and Marathi loanwords were distancing the language from its original source, Sanskrit.[8] He further had serious misgivings about the language's future. In The Konkani Language and Literature, he states:[10]

It is only an autonomous country that can preserve its language in a state of purity, and it is to its literature or rather to the learned men of that country is confided the task of rendering its forms classic and unalterable. But Goa has for centuries been swayed by foreign rulers who have insisted on making their own language the official language, or the language of the court, withdrawing, at the same time, all encouragement for the cultivation of the native tongue. Under these circumstances it is no wonder that Konkani has been treated with neglect by the very children of the soil, and has, from the absence of a norm to regulate its forms, dwindled into the state of a jargon, or patois. Add to this internal disorganisation the power and vitality of the neighbouring tongues, and one need not be a prophet to foretell that in the course of a century or two, the Konkani language will be encroached upon by the Marathi from the North, and the Kanarese from the South, a movement that has already begun, when Konkani must succumb to the struggle. This has happened before; and it will happen again: for such is the fate of all weak tongues as also of weak peoples.

Numismatics[edit | edit source]

Da Cunha was an avid coin collector. He began collecting coins in 1876 and in addition to his own collection, purchased the collections of James Gibbs and Bhau Dhaji.[5] By 1888, his personal collection had expanded to include over 27,000 pieces of gold, silver, and other metals.[5] The collection of coins catalogued by da Cunha was generally believed to be among the best in the British Empire.[3] This catalogue was published in Bombay in 1888.[5] He wrote a book on numismatics, Indo-Portuguese Numismatics which was published in 1956 by Agencia Geral do Ultramar in Lisbon. This work is generally believed to be one of the few valuable studies in this field.[5]

Associations[edit | edit source]

In view of his work, da Cunha acquired significant fame as an Orientalist and was invited to International seminars and conferences.[4] In addition to his affiliation with various medical associations in Bombay, his prolific contributions to Indian history and linguistics earned him the fellowship of the Instituto Vasco da Gama in Goa in 1871, and of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay in 1873.[5] He received a prize at the Congress of Orientalists in Florence in 1877, and was a prominent figure at the Twelfth Congress held in Rome in 1899.[3] In the latter conference, da Cunha was hailed by the Count Angelo de Gubernatis as the "leading Orientalist of the day".[5] He served as president of the Bombay chapters of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Anthropological Society.[3] He was a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy, of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, and of the Order of Saint James of the Sword.[3]

Personal life[edit | edit source]

Da Cunha was married to Ana Rita da Gama.[2] They had two daughters and a son. His grandson EPW da Costa was a pioneer of opinion polling in India. Da Cunha was a hyperpolyglot, possessing knowledge of Konkani, Marathi, Portuguese, Italian, French, English, German, Pahlavi, Persian, Latin and Sanskrit.[5]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

  • Dengue, its history, symptoms, and treatment: with observations on the epidemic which prevailed in Bombay during the years 1871–72. Thacker & Co. 1872.
  • Historical and Archeological Sketch of the Island of Angediva. Thacker & Co. 1875.
  • Memoir on the history of the tooth-relic of Ceylon; with a preliminary essay on the life and system of Gautama Buddha. Thacker & Co. 1875.
  • The History and Antiquities of Chaul and Bassein. Thacker & Co. 1876.
  • The Sahyadri–khanda of the Skanda purama: a mythological, historical, and geographical account of western India ; first edition of the Sanskrit texts with various readings. Thacker & Co. 1877.
  • The Konkani language and literature. Bombay Gazzetteer. 1881.
  • Contributions to the study of Indo-Portuguese numismatics. Thacker & Co. 1883.
  • The origin of Bombay. Royal Asiatic Society. 1900.
  • Indo-Portuguese Numismatics. Agência Geral do Ultramar. 1956.

Citations[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vaz 1997, p. 118
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 da Cunha Rivara, Borges & da Cunha Soares 1996, p. 284
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Naval and Military Medical Services 1900, p. 781
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Sardesai 2000, p. 96
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 Vaz 1997, p. 119
  6. ↑ Chatterjee 2003
  7. ↑ Das 1991, p. 139
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Sardesai 2000, p. 97
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 George & Akademi 1992, p. 208
  10. ↑ Sardesai 2000, p. 98

References[edit | edit source]

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