"A Research Scholar of Christianity in Coastal Karnataka"

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Rev. Dr Pius Fidelis Pinto is a well-known historian, noted for his research work and publications on the history of the Konkani Christians in Coastal Karnataka. He is a dedicated scholar, tracing the origins of the Konkani Christians of Dakshina Kannada.

Born on April 24, 1960 to a devout couple, Mr Fredrick Pinto and Mrs Stella Lobo at Cowdoor in Gurpur, Pius had the basic education in local school. His desire to become a priest of Christ and serve the Lord and humanity got realized when he joined the St. Joseph’s Seminary Mangalore in 1975 and was ordained a priest in 1986. He has worked as the Assistant Parish Priest of Puttur and Kulur, the parish priest of Nidpalli, the Asst. Director of St. Anthony’s Charitable Institutions and the Director of St. Joseph’s Industrial Workshops. He was also a faculty member of the Institute for Social Development, Founder and Managing Trustee of St Joseph Engineering Education Trust and presently the Managing Trustee of Samanvaya NGO.

After doing M.A. in History from Karnataka University he engaged himself in research and the Mysore

University awarded him Ph. D. in History for his research on Christianity in Vijayanagar and the Nayaks of Keladi. He has also a PG Diploma in Human Resource Management awarded by Indira Gandhi National Open University and PG Diploma in Peace and Value Education awarded by Madurai Kamaraj University for his credit. His theological studies have won him the B.Th. degree.

Dr Pius has done vast research both in India and abroad. He was awarded research scholarships by Fundacao Oriente for research in Portugal; Charles Wallace Trust for research in the United Kingdom and University of Basel for research in Switzerland, and as a result he has studied records and documents pertaining to his research at various archives at Lisbon in Portugal, Cambridge, Oxford, British Library in United Kingdom, Basel in Switzerland and Rome in Italy. Presently he is working as a research fellow at Department of Classical Indology of South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany.

He is a versatile author. The 8 books published by him in Kannada, Konkani and English bear ample testimony to it. He has also co-authored a book in English and one in Konkani. He has written 36 research papers, which were presented at various symposia both in India and abroad.

The following are his valuable publications in book form:

1) Canaranthle Konknni Catholic (The Konkani Catholics of Canara) (Konkani) Mangalore, 2004, 154 pages

2) Keladi Veerashaiva Nayakaru mattu Kraistaru (Keladi Veerashaiva Nayaks and the Christians) (Kannada) Mangalore, 2004, 228 Pages
 

3) Dirvyam Zar A précis of the literary output in Konkani from the pen of the renowned novelist Victor Rodrigues, (Konkani), Mangalore, 2002, 120 Pages
 

4) Desaantar Thaun Bandhadek – Karavali Karnatakantle Konkani Kristanv - From Migration to Captivity-Konkani Christians in Coastal Karnataka (Konkani), Mangalore, 1999, 140 Pages and a. Second Edition in 2001

5) Anglo-Mysore Sambandhadalli Konkani Kraistaru 1761-1799 A.D. (Kannada), Mangalore, 1999, 156 Pages.

6) Konkani Christians of Coastal Karnataka in Anglo-Mysore Relations 1761-1799 A.D., Mangalore, 1999, 172 Pages.

7) Karavali Karnatakadalli Kraistara Ithihasa 1500-1763 A.D. (Kannada), Mangalore 1999, 300 Pages
 

8) History of Christians in Coastal Karnataka 1500-1763 A.D., Mangalore, 1999 330 Pages.

He has also Co-authored a book in Konkani language with Victor Rodrigues, Angelore Nanthoor Kursacha Patli Charitra a short history of the Nanthoor Cross, Mangalore, 2002, 50 Pages.

All the above books are published by Samanvaya Prakashana, Mangalore.

The Research Papers submitted and presented in seminars by Dr Pius Pinto in relation to History are the following:

1) History of Konkani Catholics of Canara: presented at the World Convention of Konkani Catholics of Canara, Mangalore, December 26-29, 2004.

2)The Concept of Samanvaya in South Canara: presented at Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, in August 2004

3)The Basel Mission and Jesuits in Mangalore: A Comparative Study published by Studies in the History of Christianity in the Non – Western World edited by the Harrassowitz, Koln, Germany 2003.

4)Submitted a paper on the "History of Samanvaya in Coastal Karnataka" in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, August 2003.

5) Submitted a paper on "The Basel Mission and Jesuits in Mangalore": A Comparative Study at the International Ferdinand Kittel Conference, Stuttgart, Germany in May 2003.

6) Submitted a paper on "Konkani Christians in Coastal Karnataka during the Colonial Period (1800-1947 A.D.)" at the 17th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies, Heidelberg, Germany in September 9-14, 2002.

7) Participated at the "Mission Fest" at Mission House Basel Switzerland, June 2002.

8) Presented a paper on "Karavali Karnatakada Parampareyalli Samanvayakke Kraistara Koduge" on February organized by the Chair in Christianity, Mangalore University at the Seminar on “Religious Harmony in Coastal Karnataka Heritage”, 2002.

9)"Keladi Veerashiva Nayaks and Konkani Christians" - Published in Sharana, yearly Veerashiva publication of JSS, at Mysore 2002.

10) Organized a seminar on "The Concept of Samanvaya in the History of Karnataka" on March 11, 2001 at Mysore.

11) Paper on the "Marriage Customs of the Konkani Christians" published in New York, United States of America in May 2001.

12) A paper on "Tipu Sultan and the Captivity of the Konkani Christians of 1784 An Evaluation" at Karnataka History Congress in April 2001.

13) Research paper on "Land System – An Overview" published in POLI. A commemorative volume for Canara 200, Mangalore, 2000.

14) Research paper on "Christians in South Canara" published in POLI. A commemorative volume for Canara 200, Mangalore, December 2000.
 

15) Research paper on "Padroado Propaganda and the Konkani Christians of Coastal Karnataka – in Historical Perspectives" in Lisbon, Portugal, December 2000.
 

16) Directed a project on the parish history of Omzoor, one of the earliest Konkani Christian settlements in Coastal Karnataka, 2000.
 

17) Presented a paper on "Konkani Christians Peasants and Thomas Munro in South Canara" at the 16th European Conference on ‘Modern South Asian Studies’ held at Edinburgh, United Kingdom from 6-9 September 2000.
 

18) Participated in a seminar on "Peace and Value – Education" held at Department of Inter-religious Relations, Madurai Kamraj University from 10 – 16, January 2000.
 

19) Participated in the consultation on "The Heritage of the Basel Mission in India" Mangalore, January 2000.
 

20) Presented a paper on "Captivity of 1784 by Tipu Sultan" at the convention the Bi-Centenary celebration of the Captivity – organized by the C. Y. M of the Diocese of Mangalore and Bi-Centenary Celebration Committee, Mangalore at Jamalabad Port, Belthangady, December 1999.
 

21) Member of the District Administration Editorial Board, Dakshina Kannada of Canara 200, a commemorative volume detailing the 200 year old history of Dakshina Kannada District, 1999.
 

22) Presented a paper on "The Captivity of the Konkani Christians and Their Liberation in 1784" at the symposium organized by Chair in Christianity and Canara Catholic Association of Mangalore Diocese - Mangalore August 1999.
 

23) Organized a seminar on "Study of Religion in Education", from the Historical Perspective, Mangalore, November 1999.
 

24) Presented a radio talk on the concept of Samanvaya on All India Radio, Mangalore September 1999.
 

25) Presented a paper at on "The Contributions of the Christians to the Religious Harmony in the Heritage of Coastal Karnataka" Mangalore, September 1999.
 

26) Organized a seminar on "The Concept of Samanvaya in the Heritage of Karnataka", Mangalore, September 1999.
 

27) Organized a seminar on "Religion and Society", Mangalore – 1999.
 

28) Participated in a conference on "New Directions and Prospects of Christian Studies in Universities and Colleges" at the All India Association for Christian Higher Education, Chennai – 1999.
 

29) Organized a seminar and presented a paper on "The Contributions of the Christians to Samanvaya in Karnataka", Mangalore – 1999.
 

30) Participated in the Consultation on "The Heritage of the Basel Mission in India", Mangalore – April 1999.
 

31) Paper on "Christian Settlements in Coastal Karnataka" published in Krista Jayanthi 2000 Souvenir published by the Karnataka Catholic Bishops Conference, Mysore, 1999
 

32) "The Captivity and Freedom of Konkani Christians in 1799" paper published in "Unitas", Annual Souvenir of St. Joseph’s Inter-Diocese Seminary, Mangalore – 1999.
 

33) Presented a paper on "Konkani Christians and Rani Chennamaji" at Ithihasa Academy Annual Session, Bangalore – 1999.
 

34) Participated at the History Conference in Hampi Uthsava, 1998.
 

35) Participated at the History Seminar in Kadambothsava Banavasi, 1998.
 

36) Presented a Paper on "Christian Priests as Ambassadors in the Court of Rulers of Medieval Karnataka 1500-1800 A.D. Friar Luiz de-Salvador - A case study" at the History Research Scholars Meet, Mysore University, October 1998.
 

37) Invited to present the paper, "First Century of the British in Coastal Karnataka and the Konkani Christians" at the 15th European Conference on Modern South Asian Studies at Prague, Czeukoslovakia, September 1998.

He has won prestigious awards mainly for his research publications. They are; Jnana Nidhi Puraskar 2000 awarded by Kerala State Konkani Catholics Prathistana for his research on Konkani Christians of Coastal Karnataka. Danti Memorial Award 2000 for his work, Karavali Karnatakada Kraisthara Ithihasa and

Dr. TMA Pai Award 2001 for his book in Konkani Desaantar Thaun Bandhedek.

 

During the Karavali Utsav 2000, the Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes, felicitated him with a shawl around his shoulders.

Rev. Dr Pius had scholarly interactions with some influential and intellectual personalities. To name a few of them;

A. Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’ Coners, Arch Bishop of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

B. Patriarch of Goa Arch Bishop Philip Nerri Ferrao

C. Presenting the copy of his research book on the Konkani Christians to Former Chief Minister of Goa Francisco Sardinha

Widely traveled Dr Pius is an intellectual jargon and an asset of Konkani Christians. His personal library contains rare collections of old precious books.

Konkanifriends.com recognizes the merits of Rev. Dr Pius Pinto, salutes for his academic excellence, recommends the younger generations to go through his works, wishes him to acquire rich treasure of knowledge and health and confers on him the prestigious title Konkan Star.