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| Captaincy of Mato Grosso (state) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Captaincy of Mato Grosso (state) |
| Native name | Capitania de Mato Grosso |
| Status | Captaincy |
| Nation | Colonial Brazil |
| Capital | Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade |
| Established | 1748 |
| Abolished | 1821 |
| Area km2 | 903357 |
Captaincy of Mato Grosso (state) The Captaincy of Mato Grosso (state) was an administrative division of Colonial Brazil created in the 18th century as part of efforts by Portuguese Empire and the State of Brazil to consolidate territorial claims in inland South America. Formed amid contests involving Spanish Empire, Guaraní War, and exploratory expeditions such as those led by Bandeirantes, the captaincy became central to disputes over the Treaty of Madrid (1750), the Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777), and later the Congress of Vienna. Its capital, Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade, and later settlements like Cuiabá, anchored colonial expansion into the Pantanal, the Cerrado, and the upper Guaporé River basin.
The captaincy emerged after the reorganization of frontier administration by the Portuguese Crown and the Marquis of Pombal, following campaigns by Bandeirante bandeiras and explorers such as Antônio Raposo Tavares, Pascoal Moreira Cabral, and Manuel da Mota Coqueiro. Conflicts with Spanish colonial authorities around the Jesuit reductions and the Treaty of Madrid (1750) shaped early demarcation, while the Guaraní War and the Seven Years' War influenced military posture. Subsequent surveys and expeditions led by figures like Brigadier Luís da Cunha Meneses and Domingos Jorge Velho established forts and settlements, linking the captaincy to the Captaincy of São Paulo and the Captaincy of Goiás network. Administrative reforms in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and the Portuguese royal court in Rio de Janeiro presaged eventual transition into the Province of Mato Grosso after the Liberal Revolution of 1820 and the Brazilian Independence process.
Situated in western Captaincies of Brazil, the territory encompassed parts of the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal Matogrossense, and the Cerrado plateau, bounded by rivers including the Juruena River, Guaporé River, Paraguai River, and Xingu River. Borders fluctuated with neighboring entities such as the Viceroyalty of Peru, the Captaincy of Pará, and the Intendancy of Mato Grosso as defined after the Treaty of Madrid (1750) and the First Treaty of San Ildefonso (1777). Exploratory maps by Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira and cartographers like Manuel Mossella da Costa documented geomorphology, while later surveys referenced the Madeira River and the Pantanal floodplain in administrative delimitations.
Governance followed the Captaincies of Brazil model under a royal-appointed captain-major and later governor appointed by the Portuguese Crown and the Secretary of State of Portugal. Administrative centers included Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade and Cuiabá, with municipal councils (camara municipal) influenced by ordinances from the Overseas Ministry and directives from the Marquis of Pombal. Fiscal extraction relied on royal taxes such as the quinto and colonial instruments including foral-style grants and patrimonial rights exercised by families like the Bandeira families and colonial offices linked to the Casa da Índia. Judicial matters invoked the Royal Audiencia of São Paulo and later appeals to the Portuguese Crown and the Supreme Court of Justice.
Economic activity centered on mining, especially gold and alluvial deposits discovered during the Gold Rushes of Brazil that attracted prospectors from São Paulo and Minas Gerais, yielding boomtowns such as Cuiabá. Cattle ranching expanded across the Cerrado and Pantanal supporting fazendas tied to markets in Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon, while extractive industries exploited brazilwood, rubber, and medicinal plants cataloged by Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira. Trade routes linked the captaincy to the Guia de Pecuária itineraries and to riverine transport on the Paraguay River and Madeira River, interacting with merchants from Salvador, Bahia, Belém, and Montevideo.
Population comprised descendants of Portuguese colonists, Bandeirantes, Mamelucos, enslaved Africans from ports like Luanda and Cape Verde, and diverse Indigenous peoples including the Xavante, Pareci, Bororo, Kayapó, and Guató. Settlements clustered around mining centers such as Cuiabá, frontier forts like Forte de Coimbra, mission sites associated with Jesuit reductions, and riverine aldeias. Migration flows included movement from Minas Gerais goldfields, seasonal cattle drives to Corumbá, and missionary-led resettlements that interacted with demographic shifts tied to epidemics, intermarriage, and the implementation of colonial labor regimes.
The captaincy witnessed confrontations involving Bandeirantes, royal militias, Spanish forces, and indigenous confederations, shaped by the Guaraní War, disputes from the Treaty of Madrid (1750), and incursions during the War of the Emboabas. Fortifications such as Forte de Coimbra and campaigns led by colonial officers from São Paulo engaged with indigenous resistance by groups like the Xavante and Bororo. Jesuit missions influenced alliances and conflicts with the Jesuit Order and contested by the Portuguese Crown during the Suppression of the Jesuits (1759). Later border skirmishes connected to the Cisplatine War regionally affected frontier stability.
By the early 19th century, reforms influenced by the Cortes of Cádiz (1812), the Portuguese Liberal Revolution (1820), and the transfer of the Portuguese royal family to Brazil precipitated administrative reorganization, converting the captaincy into the Province of Mato Grosso during the Brazilian Empire period. Legacy elements persisted in toponymy such as Cuiabá and Vila Bela da Santíssima Trindade, in landholding patterns of fazendeiros and cattle barons, and in later state institutions of Mato Grosso (state). Historic disputes informed later treaties like the Treaty of Petrópolis (1903) and border definitions with Bolivia and Paraguay, while cultural syncretism remains visible among Xavante and riverine communities.