The region of Sete Povos das Missões resulted from the strategy of the Spanish government for the colonization of the Rio de la Plata region, in Spanish America.
Location
The regions were formed by São Francisco Borja, founded in 1682, São Nicolau (1687) and São Luiz Gonzaga (1687). They were also integrated by: São Miguel Arcanjo (1687), São Lourenço Mártir (1690), São João Batista (1697) and Santo Ângelo Custódio (1707).
The missions, also called reductions, were founded and organized by priests from the Society of Jesus. The 30 reductions occupied the current territories of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. In such missions there were Indians of different ethnicities, but the majority were Guarani.
The Guarani Indians were the first to feel the impact of the European with the arrival of the Spanish Jesuit priests in 1626.
The Jesuits arrived in the region with the aim of catechizing and "civilizing" under Spanish authority. The permanence, however, was conflicting. During the 17th century, battles between pioneers and natives were common.
The conflicts were marked by the destruction of the missions and the first exodus of the Guarani. In periods of peace, the indigenous people returned to their place of origin with the support of the Jesuits.
Among the challenges faced by the Jesuit priests were to convince the Indians that they needed to be sedentary and monogamous. The Guarani are nomadic and polygamous. Furthermore, they are polytheistic.
Some groups still practiced cannibalism in funeral ceremonies until the beginning of colonization.
The missions suffered successive attacks, mainly by slave traders. As a strategy to free the Indians, in 1818, the Jesuits proposed that the Indians become the king's vassals.
The Indians also received military training. The strategy was applied because the area was not clearly demarcated and was the target of a dispute between the Portuguese and Spanish crowns.
There were two types of missions. The eastern missions were in territories east of the Uruguay River, in the region that today borders Brazil. The western missions were in the region that is now occupied by Argentina, on the banks of the Paraná and Paraguay rivers.
At its height, the region of Sete Povos das Missões held 30,000 people. All were indigenous, but the Spanish priests were the administrators.
Read too:
- Society of Jesus - Jesuit Order
- Indigenous Slavery in Colonial Brazil
- Guarani Indians
- Rio Grande do Sul
Madrid Treaty
The permanence of the missions was at the center of successive territorial disputes between Portugal and Spain.
Conflicts began in 1680 and lasted until 1750, when the Treaty of Madrid was signed. The agreement redefined ownership of the territory. It provided that Spain should hand over the region of Sete Povos das Missões.
Portugal would hand over the area of the province of Sacramento, Argentina.
Learn more about Madrid Treaty.
Guaranitic War
The indigenous people were against the terms of the treaty and refused to leave the territory. In 1754, when Portugal took possession of the region, it had the help of the Spanish army to enforce the provisions of the agreement.
In the fight against indigenous people, 20,000 indigenous people died.
Treaty of Saint Ildefonso
The Treaty of Santo Ildefonso was signed on October 1, 1777 between Portugal and Spain as a way to revalidate the Treaty of Madrid.
The signing of the agreement ended the dispute between the two countries for the colony of Sacramento. By agreement, the Spaniards maintained the colony and the region of the Sete Povos das Missões. They returned Santa Catarina to the Portuguese and recognized Portuguese sovereignty over the left bank of the River Plate.
Curiosities
The government management of the missions obeyed the organization of Spanish cities. Each had a superior chief and there were mayors and councilors. Both formed a council. All positions were held by indigenous people.
In the social organization imposed by the Jesuits, there was no private property. The tools for treating the land were for collective use.
Under the command of the religious, the indigenous people learned to deal with the land, raise animals and carve wood. Society was divided into class according to craft and artists had noble status.
The Portuguese Crown allowed indigenous slavery, while the Spanish Empire automatically made them subjects of the king
The missions were constantly attacked by explorers in search of slaves for the colonies
Tourism
The municipalities of Rio Grande do Sul that make up the region where the Sete Povos das Missões were installed are a constant target of tourists.
In the regions, tourism companies and the municipal executive promote tours on the so-called "Mission Routes". The objective is to retrace the path of the indigenous people, promote the contemplation of nature and visit archaeological sites.
Movie Tip
The film "A Missão" is among the main works that highlight the effects of the dispute between the Portuguese and Spanish for the territory of Sete Povos das Missões.
The English work portrays the drama of the indigenous people who fled Portuguese slavery and remained at the center of the territorial battle. Directed by Roland Joffé, it was released in 1986.
Documentary Tip
In 2013, the Federal Senate launched the documentary "Jesuit Missions - Guerreiros da Fé". Divided into three parts, the documentary features specialists who analyze the effects of the presence of priests of the Society of Jesus in the region.
Want to know more about this topic? read:
- Treaty of Utrecht
- Madrid Treaty
- Entries and Flags
- Formation of the Brazilian territory
- Cultural heritage
