Panaji, Jun 6 (IANS): The Goa government will seek help from the Ministry for External Affairs to get back all the historical documents of the state that are currently in possession of the Portuguese government, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday.

Sawant, while commemorating the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Betul in South Goa, said that these documents can help historians and students in research.

"Many documents of Goa are still in Portugal. The Archaeology department of Goa should contact the External Affairs Ministry and try to bring back all those documents related to Goa," Sawant said.

"Minister for Archaeology can also visit Portugal and get those documents back in Goa. This will help historians for research work," he said.

Sawant said that documents related to the forts and other history of Goa are in possession of Portugal, which need to be brought back for research purposes and to get exact information of all events that happened in the past.

"Shivaji Maharaj ruled Goa. Many tried to erase this history. The Portuguese ruled Goa for 450 years in the selective talukas of Goa. They ruled in 8 talukas for some years. If we see the history then we will come to know that Portuguese didn't rule entire Goa," Sawant said.

He said that because of Shivaji Maharaj, Hindu culture of Goa remained intact. "Wherever he ruled, his vision was of 'Swayampurna', which people followed then," he said.

He added that students can learn the system of public administration that existed during the time of Shivaji Maharaj.