Portuguese Santhome in 16th century

      The Portuguese colonised Santhome  around 1523. The population of the settlement increased from 60 families in 1538 to 100 in 1543. Around  1546 there were 500 Portuguese in Santhome with their slaves. In 1635 there were 120 white Casados (Portuguese families) and 200 black Casados  (Tamil  Christians). There were 600 Portuguese Mesticos(Children of Portuguese Men and Native  women ).

       Mestico  women  were very little  seen in the  public and mostly they spent  their time within the house because of the domestic orientation in which they have lived for centuries in India  . These Mestico  women  went out  seldom unless  it be to Church or to  visit their  friends. Whenever they went  out they were well provided so as to not  to  be seen  for they were carried in Palanquin covered with a mat or cloth.  They  used to put on costly  dress with  bracelets of Gold, rings upon their fingers and arms beset with  costly gems and pearls. Their clothes were of damask, velvet and cloth of gold, for silk was the  worst thing they wore. Within the house they went bare headed with a waist coat, from their shoulder covered upto their navels  and downwards they had a painted cloth wrapped three or four  times about their bodies.  These cloths were costly with loom work and flowers of all colours.  This was their manner of dress in the  house both the old and young, rich and poor because they went out very little.

      The  present Prime  Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa is also a Mestico partly  Goan  from his father side.

Source : Caste,  Catholic Christianity and the  Language of  Conversion  by Jeyaseela Stephen