(Extracted from a seminar paper read by Dr. Sr. Decla at Chennai.)
The Early Jesuits did yeomen service to the Paravas in three important spheres .

They are :–,
1. Promoting Christian life among Paravas.
2. Bringing about Social reforms.
3. Protecting the Paravas from the Portuguese officials.

Though mass conversions to Catholic Christianity took place in 1536, it was not followed up by any organized missionary work in the fishery coast. The scanty presence of the Franciscan clergy did not bring out any tangible change in the religious lives of the Paravas. It was left to the Jesuits to attempt and achieve this.

Only after the arrival of Fr. Francis Xavier in 1542,a true Christian life was promoted among the Paravas. The task was systematically planned, organized and carried out by Fr. Francis Xavier and his successors.

The Paravas were asked to come to church regularly every Sunday after the Portuguese officials had left the church and they were taught catechism, meditation, recitation of rosary and examination of conscience and thus to lead a Christian life. They were so effectively taught in religion that the Dutch found it impossible to convert any one of them as protestant Christians in 1658 when they took hold of the Pearl fishery coast and attempted.

The Jesuits brought about Social Reforms too among the Paravas. They sent the bright children among the Paravas to the college at Quilon, and educated them by Portuguese priests. They also placed many children in the Tuticorin seminary for education. They opened a hospital to tend the sick who were victims of the unclean surroundings of pearl yards and rotting pearl muscles. They established Famine relief centres down the coast, when the area suffered famine.

They discouraged widows shaving their heads and indulging in the cruel custom of Sati at the time of the death of their husbands and encouraged widow remarriages if they were less than 50 years of age.

They prevented consumption of liquor among men and women. They severely reprimanded drunkards among women. Fr. Francis Xavier went to the extent of rewarding one Fanam for the informer on drunkards. He also got it proclaimed by the Portuguese police man ‘’ Merinho ‘’in villages that he would apprehend and confine any one violating his instruction.

The Jesuits stood in support of the Paravas against the misdeeds of Portuguese officials. They vehemently protested against the treatment meted out to Paravas by Portuguese captains, factors, and other officials who were oppressive in extracting money from the Paravas.

a)They collected more local tax than they were expected to collect and ploughed such money into their private business of Pearl fishing.
b) They demanded and collected more money by way of tax to the Portugal king than they were expected to pay and treated them badly when they refused to pay even by sending them to gallows.
C ) They often demanded money for their own expenses and reduced the Paravas to penury.
d) They indulged in robbery and and tyranny,
e) They took a share in the fishing of chanks and sent them to Bengal. They did not allow the Paravas to sell the Chanks themselves but kept the divers and the business under their control.
f) They imposed cartoza—the passport fee, for movement in the sea while they were exempted from paying this tax.

Such misconducts of the officials on the Paravas were criticized and reported upon by the Jesuits and as a result they came in conflict with the local officials often .

Fr. Nicola Lancillato deplored the bad behavior of the Portuguese in money matters and business and specially condemned them for their vices .He specically upbraided them for indulging in the evil business of buying and selling slaves –men and women, as if they were sheep and goats.

Feeling frustrated at the abominable conduct of Portugese officials , Fr. Francis Xavier , several times felt that he should give up his mission in the fishery coast. Sympathizing with the conditions of the Paravas in the hands of the Portuguese he requested the Queen of Portuguese, to give up the grant that she was earning from the Fishery coast for the upkeep of her foot wear and hand it over to him to be used for the welfare of Paravas.

Fr.Miguel vaz complained to the king about the ill –treatment meted out by a captain to the Paravas. He also pleaded with the king to reduce the tax he had imposed.

The Paravas on their part were loyal to the Jesuits and contributed their financial mite to the missionary activities. They loved them so much that they considered them as their patriarch. The grand funeral they gave to Fr. Henrique Henriques by sailing with his body from Punnaicail to Tuticorin for the burial is one example.

by A.X Alexander