Treaty of the Mapuá
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- Portuguese Jesuits led by António Vieira
- Various indigenous peoples, including Chief Piyé of the Aruã
| Signed | August 27, 1659 |
|---|---|
| Location | Mapuá River, Marajó Archipelago |
| Expiration | 1661 (de facto) |
| Parties |
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| Language | Portuguese |
The Treaty of the Mapuá (Portuguese: Tratado do Mapuá) was signed in August 1659 by Portuguese Jesuits led by António Vieira with various indigenous peoples who inhabited the Marajó Archipelago at the mouth of the Amazon River.
The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed in 1494 and ratified by Pope Julius II in 1506, had divided the New World between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile. The line was drawn 370 leagues (around 600 km) west of Cape Verde. The problem was knowing where exactly this line was, as the treaty did not specify the exact length of a league, or which of the Cape Verdean islands was intended. The Portuguese naturally adopted an interpretation which claimed the line at its most Western location, which makes it run through the Marajó Archipelago at the mouth of the Amazon River. This put the region at the frontier of their ambitions to establish what later became Colonial Brazil.[1]
By the 17th Century, their struggle for dominance in the archipelago was less with the Spanish, but instead with the French (who were operating from Cayenne) and the Dutch. The Portuguese intended to dominate the indigenous peoples that lived on the numerous islands, trying to enslave them and organising various raids and military expeditions against them. At the same time, each European colonial power needed the support of their numbers.[2]
In 1652, Jesuit missionary António Vieira arrived in Belém. His standing with the Portuguese there was not very good, as in 1648 he had recommended handing over the State of Maranhão, which contained the region, to the Dutch in exchange for the Captaincy of Pernambuco.[1] However, after setting sail for Lisbon in June 1654, he obtained a series of decrees from King John IV in April 1655 which placed the Catholic missions in the region under the Jesuits, with himself as their superior. The decrees also prohibited the enslavement of the indigenous peoples, except in certain specified cases. With these in hand, Vieira returned to Belém and managed to convince the Portuguese to abolish the laws that sanctioned slavery.[3]
In spite of this, the Portuguese continued to organise military expeditions. As an example, in 1658 another armed expedition was prepared from Belém against the Aruã and other indigenous groups.[2]
