The "Clash of Arms". Violence, war and Indian labor in the Amazon (17th and 18th centuries)

Abstract

This text analyses the role played by This text analyses the role played by violence in the relationship established by Portuguese and Indian peoples in colonial Portuguese Amazon region, throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. It argues that even as allies or enemies, violence had an important function in Portuguese policies towards Indian nations. This was because, despite the legislation, the portuguese dealings with Indian groups were defined by specific and concrete situations, rather than general principles.