ABSTRACT
In the 1750s, Pombal instituted a new metropolitan policy towards Indians, sanctioning several measures to assimilate them in colonial society more quickly. Among these measures, of particular importance were the encouraging of mixed marriages between Indians and Portuguese; the granting of property rights in indigenous lands; the imposition of the use of Portuguese; and measures to intensify trade and the provision of services for the Portuguese. This paper analyzes how the Indians from captaincy of Espírito Santo dealt with the new challenges imposed by Pombal's assimilationist policy, especially the issue of mixed marriages and property rights, in order to regain control over their land and social reproduction within their communities.
Keywords:
Indians; mixed marriages; land tenure