The book is divided into two parts. Part I, titled "The Goa Inquisition", is divided into ten chapters. The first two chapters detail the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition in Europe providing background material and context that would lead to the inquisition in India. It describes the anti-Semitic hatred developed for Marranos Jewish people in Europe by Tomas de Torquemada using a fictional story of unrequited love. It also makes the origin of the Portuguese Inquisition based on the love of King Manuel I of Portugal for Princess Isabella of Aragon, instead of politics. (The arrival of Jews to Portugal after their expulsion from Spain was a security threat to the Kingdom of Portugal, because Sephardi Jews had an established reputation in Iberia for joining forces with Moors to overthrow Christian rulers.)