Hereditary captaincies

As we have seen, populating colonial territories was a defense tool; since it consolidated legitimacy over a given territory.
When Portugal began the assembly of the colonial system, it was also necessary to populate and administer the Colony.
Concerning the Treaty of Tordesillas, it was not enough to guarantee the legitimacy of Portugal over the territory of Brazil.
The treaty was an agreement based on medieval canonical tradition -which understood that the pope, God's representative on earth, holds universal jurisdiction over the lands.
However, -in the Modern Age- a series of social, political, economic, and mental transformations took place.

Legal issues

In addition to these, there have been changes of a legal nature.
The formation of -secular- laws was opposed to medieval, often customary traditions.
Thus, kingdoms such as France refused to accept legitimacy over territories that weren't effectively occupied.

Defense of invasions

The expedition of Martim Afonso de Sousa patrolled the coast and even expelled the French from the colonial territory.
To prevent new invaders, in 1534, Portugal implemented the system of hereditary captaincies.
Colonial administration through captaincies was not new to the Portuguese Crown.
Without the necessary resources, Portugal, since the Atlantic colonies in the 15th century, had already installed this colonization system delegated to private individuals.
Without sufficient financial and human capital, the metropolis guaranteed autonomy to the settlers as agents of exploitation- while the Crown, in most cases, was present collecting taxes and setting up the inspection device.

How they worked

The institution of the hereditary captaincies inherited, with some specificities, the royal grant of lordship in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages.
In other words, the captains, now lords of delimited territories, had jurisdiction over that region and its inhabitants.
The Portuguese monarchy, when granting the captaincies, was then restricted to a condition of greater lordship and had to respect the donatários' autonomy.
Each donatory captain assumed legal responsibility for the land, in addition to obligations such as: -create villages, collect taxes, defend the territory, appoint political, military, and legal positions and promote the donation of sesmarias.
The sesmaria was a mechanism to facilitate access to land.
The sesmeiro, when receiving the land, had the responsibility to catechize the natives of the region and protect the land. And make it profitable to the metropolis within a period of 5 years, in addition to paying taxes to the Crown on this production.
This form of colonization, granting broad powers to private individuals, generated a series of conflicts with the monarchy, both in territories in Africa and the Americas.

{Sesmaria: abandoned land belonging to Portugal and delivered for occupation. Sesmeiro: former Portuguese magistrate elected to divide and distribute the sesmarias.}

Division

The colonial territory was divided into 15 captaincies, which, in turn, were given to twelve donatário captains.
Being the condition lord of significant importance to the metropolis, the captaincies were granted to noblemen of the low and middle class, also known as noblemen, bureaucrats, and merchants from Portugal.
However, the need for high investments, added to the hostilities present in the American territory (animals, conflicts with indigenous people, foreign invasions, and climate conditions different from the metropolis), generated a series of complications in the adoption of the model in Brazil.
Of the twelve captains: Six never came to Brazil. Two of them were killed by Indians. And the others were accused by the colonists of abusing the power vested in them.
The system of hereditary captaincies in Brazil ended up granting too much autonomy to the donees.

Outcomes

It is common to state that, of the 15 captaincies, only two prospered: Pernambuco and São Vicente.
However, the meaning of "prospering" is often associated with the prosperity of captaincies only with the exploitation of sugar.
Nevertheless, we must also remember the obligations held by the donators.
Pernambuco and São Vicente prospered because of the planting of sugarcane and because they founded villages, donated sesmarias, and collaborated in the settlement and protection. Besides having legally organized the territories.
Prospering, in this context, represents meeting the expectations of the metropolis.

Home

Social Studies

World History Exploration & Colonization

Administration in Portuguese America

Hereditary captaincies

As we have seen, populating colonial territories was a defense tool; since it consolidated legitimacy over a given territory.
When Portugal began the assembly of the colonial system, it was also necessary to populate and administer the Colony.
Concerning the Treaty of Tordesillas, it was not enough to guarantee the legitimacy of Portugal over the territory of Brazil.
The treaty was an agreement based on medieval canonical tradition -which understood that the pope, God's representative on earth, holds universal jurisdiction over the lands.
However, -in the Modern Age- a series of social, political, economic, and mental transformations took place.

Legal issues

In addition to these, there have been changes of a legal nature.
The formation of -secular- laws was opposed to medieval, often customary traditions.
Thus, kingdoms such as France refused to accept legitimacy over territories that weren't effectively occupied.

Defense of invasions

The expedition of Martim Afonso de Sousa patrolled the coast and even expelled the French from the colonial territory.
To prevent new invaders, in 1534, Portugal implemented the system of hereditary captaincies.
Colonial administration through captaincies was not new to the Portuguese Crown.
Without the necessary resources, Portugal, since the Atlantic colonies in the 15th century, had already installed this colonization system delegated to private individuals.
Without sufficient financial and human capital, the metropolis guaranteed autonomy to the settlers as agents of exploitation- while the Crown, in most cases, was present collecting taxes and setting up the inspection device.

How they worked

The institution of the hereditary captaincies inherited, with some specificities, the royal grant of lordship in Portugal in the Late Middle Ages.
In other words, the captains, now lords of delimited territories, had jurisdiction over that region and its inhabitants.
The Portuguese monarchy, when granting the captaincies, was then restricted to a condition of greater lordship and had to respect the donatários' autonomy.
Each donatory captain assumed legal responsibility for the land, in addition to obligations such as: -create villages, collect taxes, defend the territory, appoint political, military, and legal positions and promote the donation of sesmarias.
The sesmaria was a mechanism to facilitate access to land.
The sesmeiro, when receiving the land, had the responsibility to catechize the natives of the region and protect the land. And make it profitable to the metropolis within a period of 5 years, in addition to paying taxes to the Crown on this production.
This form of colonization, granting broad powers to private individuals, generated a series of conflicts with the monarchy, both in territories in Africa and the Americas.

{Sesmaria: abandoned land belonging to Portugal and delivered for occupation. Sesmeiro: former Portuguese magistrate elected to divide and distribute the sesmarias.}

Division

The colonial territory was divided into 15 captaincies, which, in turn, were given to twelve donatário captains.
Being the condition lord of significant importance to the metropolis, the captaincies were granted to noblemen of the low and middle class, also known as noblemen, bureaucrats, and merchants from Portugal.
However, the need for high investments, added to the hostilities present in the American territory (animals, conflicts with indigenous people, foreign invasions, and climate conditions different from the metropolis), generated a series of complications in the adoption of the model in Brazil.
Of the twelve captains: Six never came to Brazil. Two of them were killed by Indians. And the others were accused by the colonists of abusing the power vested in them.
The system of hereditary captaincies in Brazil ended up granting too much autonomy to the donees.

Outcomes

It is common to state that, of the 15 captaincies, only two prospered: Pernambuco and São Vicente.
However, the meaning of "prospering" is often associated with the prosperity of captaincies only with the exploitation of sugar.
Nevertheless, we must also remember the obligations held by the donators.
Pernambuco and São Vicente prospered because of the planting of sugarcane and because they founded villages, donated sesmarias, and collaborated in the settlement and protection. Besides having legally organized the territories.
Prospering, in this context, represents meeting the expectations of the metropolis.