The Conquest and Colonisation of Maranhão-Grão Pará

the Hispanic Monarchy’s Large Project for the Brazilian Amazon Region (1580-1640)

Abstract

The region known as Maranhão at the beginning of the 17th century encompassed the whole Amazon domain. Famous in Renaissance Europe due to the numerous myths and legends that emerged there, it started to be attractive for different societies in Europe interested in the expansion and colonisation overseas. When these initiatives started to materialize, the double Luso-Spanish crown reacted against them and, from 1618 onwards, launched an important project that included military, religious, political and colonisation goals. Far from being a region in dispute for Spanish and Portuguese political systems, it served as a platform for an integration goal within the Iberian Union. It was during this period that the bases for the future European colonization of the region were established, a task that lasted more than two centuries.