Consequently, the language spread further and became a dialect spoken along coastal Karnataka and parts of Kerala too. They are believed to have sought safe haven in coastal states of South India to flee forcible conversion during the inquisition. Adil Shah’s military had several soldiers from the Levant and North Africa who also spoke Konkani and were Jews. Portuguese conquests and the Inquisition of Goa caused many Konkani speaking people to flee the state and seek refuge in Karnataka and Kerala. These inscriptions are in a variant of the Nagari script, common to that era, although the words are indubitably in Konkani.
The legend, in Konkani credits its construction to Chavundaraja, a confederate of South India’s Talakkad dynasty. One example is inscriptions found on a giant Jain religious structure or dome seen in present day Gomateshwara shrine Sravanabelgola in Karnataka. Goa was wrested away from Adil Shah by the Portuguese though parts of the state remained under Maratha rule.Ĭonquests by rulers of various ethnicities, is believed to have lent Konkani its own unique structure. Over centuries, parts of Goa came under rule from Marathas of Pune, Adil Shah Bahman, a ruler of Iranian origin who founded the Bijapur sultanate in Karnataka. The region eventually came under the reign of Satavahana, Kadamba, Vijayanagara dynasties and myriad others. Around 297 BC and 273 BC, Emperor Chandragupta Maurya’s son, Bindusara gained control over much of southern India, including Konkani speaking regions. These include Konkan Maurya, a branch of the famous Maurya dynasty founded by Emperor Chandragupta of Pataliputra (now Patna). History of Goa as well as Konkan (or Kokan) region of Maharashtra, Karnataka and a small stretch of Kerala indicates it was ruled by several ancient dynasties. However, Konkani could have undergone an overall change from a tribal dialect to a sophisticated language due to various sieges of Goa and other coastal regions where it is spoken. This lends credence to the theory that Konkani is indeed an Indo-Aryan language, if one studies its structure. However, their legacy, the Konkani language, has strong influences of Sanskrit and Prakrit. Regardless of which theory one subscribes, traces of Kukna and Gamit tribes have been obliterated in India over eons. Others claim, they mingled with indigenous Dravidian folk and eventually assimilated into the mainstream communities of the region. According to some researchers, these tribes hastily fled Goa due to invasion or catastrophe.
Theories about their disappearance are rife.
While Kukna and Gamit tribes are credited for proliferating Konkani language on India’s western coast, no traces of these ancient people remain. It is believed they settled around Gomanchal Parbat (or part of modern day Sahayadri mountain range in Goa) and flourished. Theories say, these tribes traveled over the Saraswati River towards south-western India and eventually settled along coastal regions from Maharashtra to Kerala. They are believed to have arrived in India from Central Asia or Eastern Europe around 50,000 years ago. A paper presented by the Goa University in 2014 and studies by independent researchers from India and abroad suggest, Konkani was spoken by Indo-Austric tribes- Kukna (or Kokna) and Gamit. However, various researches indicate, Marathi is an offshoot of Konkani. Generally, Konkani is called as a colloquial version of Marathi, the official language of Maharashtra state. While Konkani stands classified as language of Indo-Aryan origin, doubts persist over these claims. However, a lot of ambiguity, sometimes controversial, exists over the origin of Konkani. Konkani now features in the 15 languages in which the value is printed on Indian Rupee currency notes. Though Konkani was recognized as the official language of Goa on January 4, 1987, it was only after five more years, on August 20, 1992, it was given status of a national language in India, through the 71st Amendment to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India. It is the only Indian language written in five different scripts - Devnagari, Roman, Kannada, Malayalam and Persian-Arabic. However, the language is spoken widely across four states- Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, albeit in different dialects, its use is somewhat limited to coastal regions only. Konkani is the official language of India’s western and coastal state, Goa. The History and Future of Konkani Language