The administration of confiscated property of the Jesuits in the captaincy of São Paulo, 1760-1782

Abstract

The Society of Jesus stood out during the colonial period with an action not only in the spiritual field, but also in the political and economic spheres. It has accumulated local power and a significant wealth resulting from administrative skill, donations from individuals and the Crown. There is not enough inventory of this heritage set, but it was certainly one of the largest for the time. With the Pombaline reforms, the Jesuits were eventually expelled and their assets confiscated by the Portuguese Crown. They were part of the Jesuit property, enslaved and cattle, among others, in addition to the administration of villages, and were distributed throughout the colony. With confiscation, the direction of these assets was varied; some were used by the colonial administration; others resulted in revenue, by sale and lease, with the exception of those who continued with the Church through other religious orders. This varied direction and administrative referral in relation to these assets resulted in administrative confusion and an attempt at illustrated reform undertaken by pombalism. Therefore, this research corresponds to the period between the confiscation of the assets and the last administrator of the Pombaline period.  The analysis of several documents of the administrators after the confiscation allowed some conclusions, in summary, of the difficulties of administration, such as maladministration through deviations, corruption and local disputes. As a source, the official documents of the Portuguese-Brazilian Digital Library and the publication Documents Interesting for the History and Custom of São Paulo, available at the Unesp Digital Library, were used. These sources include official reports, correspondence and administrative procedures and allowed to point out the debates and decisions around this heritage.