Mission Jesuit of Paraguay

The Mission Jesuit of Paraguay is at the same time a catholic company of mission such as it existed about it the innumerable ones as from the 16th century, and true a theocratic State controlled by the Jesuits where the latter set up between a 1609 and 1763 social organization " Utopian " without equivalent in the History. The geographical area of these missions is with horse on the contemporary States of the Paraguay, of the Argentine, the Brésil and the Uruguay.

The colonization of Paraguay before 1585

Starting from the beginning of the 16th century, the Spaniards explore the Paraguay to facilitate the research of the El Dorado of the Incas. To the difference of their other colonies of South America, to Paraguay, the Spaniards do not launch out in the intensive exploitation of the country, and to a certain extent, mix with the population: some marry indigenous women, and tie family ties. They help the Indians Guaranis to fight against their traditional enemies, the tribes of the Chaco, and exchanges some, Guaranis help them to seek the El Dorado . But when in 1548, De Irala arrives at the territory of Incas, close to the Lac Titicaca it realizes that other Spaniards preceded it on the basis of Peru. Paraguay then ceases being an home base to become a permanent establishment.

It is into 1556 that the Spaniards introduce the system of the Encomienda, by which each encomandero engages with évangéliser and to leave cruelty a certain number of Indians who in return must put themselves at his service. It is a pitiless system of control which governs the exploitation of the fields and the mines.

The introduction of the " mita ", name taken by the encomienda in Paraguay, modifies the relationship between Europeans and the Indians whose revolts multiply. According to Imbruglia , whereas the encomienda is a certain economic success with the Peru or with the Mexico where it has is enough for the Spaniards to seize old official structures centralized to control the populations, it is put in failure at Paraguay by Indian revolts which reach a great violence in 1580 and make the country ungovernable. It is to leave this dead end that the Spaniards make call in 1585 with religious orders: the Franciscains and the Jesuits.

Franciscains, politically honest with respect to the Spanish crown, consider that the mita is a kind of tax legitimate, and do not call it into question in the villages of which they have the load.

On their side, the Jesuits adopt a different attitude: by paying directly to the king a tribute proportional to the number of male Indians, they withdraw the Indians of administrative control and policy of the empire to place them directly under theirs. At the beginning of the 17th century, the encomienda is far from achieving the unanimity as well near the religious authorities as near the civil authorities of Madrid which find than a too beautiful share is made to the colonists. It is in this context that the Jesuits set up their mission of Paraguay, with an social organization whose originality is essential on all.

Anthropology of Guaranis before the arrival of the Jesuits

According to Pierre Clastres, in the social system of Guaranis, the chief does not satisfy his needs by work for the others, but is equipped with some to be able insofar as it ensures the safeguard of the equality between the members. All the social relations are based on the reciprocity, but the chief who is the guaranteeing one is excluded from this type of relations. Thus, on a side, it must show qualities of generosity and of eloquence, another side, the company grants the right to him to have several women, without the two transfers (eloquence, from the chief towards the tribe and women, from the tribe towards the chief) resulting from an exchange strictly speaking.

The shaman is located like the chief in a zone of non-reciprocity. Large shamans, named karaï is true prophets who condemn the existing world to evoke with nostalgia a happy world, perfect, from where the evil would be excluded.

Establishment of the Jesuits at the Guaranís (1585-1609)

The Jesuits who are present at Paraguay since the middle of the century had already contacted the Cacique S guaranis and are not without noticing convergences between the message evangelic which they convey and the beliefs guaranis, in particular prophecies of the karaï concerning the end of the world and the migration towards " ground without mal". To explain such convergences, the Jesuits advance the idea that Guaranis could have been evangelized by Saint-Thomas, miraculeusement transported to America after its death and who would be the " Pay Zumé" myths guaranis. To designate God, they choose Tupan , of the name of a civilizing hero. Guaranis are permeable with the religion Jesuits, but of a faith which remains fragile and they do not give up really their ancestral habits.

To face this situation, a Synode joined together with Asuncion in 1603 envisages to gather the Indians in what one will call of the reductions. The interests missionaries converge then with the political interests of Madrid. The general superior of the Jesuits, Acquaviva, concludes an agreement with Philippe III and authorizes the Jesuits of America to found an autonomous State in the area of the middle price and higher of the rivers Paraná and Paraguay.

The State jesuitic (1609-1768)

Creation of the reductions

Royal decrees ( Cedula Real ) give a legal base to the companies Jesuits in Paraguay. That of 1606, dictated with Valladolid, orders to the governor Hernandarias de Saavedra not to conquer the Indians of the Paraná by the force of the weapons, but to gain them only by the sermons and the teaching of the monks sent for this purpose. The ordinance of 1607 specifies that the converted Indians could not be reduced in Esclavage and were to be exempted taxes for one ten years period. The ordinance of 1609, finally ( Cedula magna ) issues that " the Indians were to be as free as Espagnols". In 1609, the Jesuits found their first " réduction" , Loreto . The word of " réduction" evoke at the same time the sedentarisation in an urban concentration and the tender with the Church, according to the Latin sentence " AD vitam civilem and AD Ecclesiam reducti sunt " (they were reduced to the civil life and the Church). Very quickly, the Jesuits found the second reduction which they baptize Saint-Ignace, name of the founder of the Jesuits. In 1630, there are already eleven reductions gathering 10 000 Christians. This number culminates with 141 000, in 1732, and decrease then, following various disorders like the epidemic S and the attacks of the Bandeirante S and the close tribes.

The missions are established on a vast sector with horse on the Argentine, the Paraguay, the southernmost Brésil and the Uruguay. They are often established along the rivers, in the territories of Chaco, Guaira and Paraná. During a hundred and fifty years, except the aggressions of the " Mameluks" (see low), the reductions lived practically isolated from the outside world with a single mode of organization in the history.

Political organization and soldier

The dignitary of the colony, the corregidor is named directly by the Jesuits, but separately him, all the other loads are entrusted to Indians elected by Guaranis, election ratified by the Jesuits who use, sometimes by denaturing them, the local habits for the chief nomination.

Only exception of the Spanish Empire, Guaranis are authorized to carry the weapons and to constitute an army which is effective in the fight against the Bandeirante S of São Paulo so called “ Mameluks” . The latter made true raids of slaves. They tackle the reductions of the Guaira and until 1641, the damage caused by this true war will be considerable, obliging the Jesuit Ruiz de Montoya to organize a long walk to reform the villages more 1000 km in the south. One estimates that on the 100 000 Guaranis which lived close to the border, only 12 000 have escaped with the raids of the Mameluks , and only 5000 with long walk. It is on this occasion that Ruiz de Montoya obtains for the Indians the right to use firearms. The pope Urbain VIII, prohibited slavery under penalty of excommunication, which does not prevent the Mameluks from devastating the reduction of Santa Teresa in 1639. During these events, the Jesuit Alfaro , superior of the reductions of Typed and Paraguay finds death. It is only into 1641 that Guaranis, then strengthened in their villages and able to deliver true naval actions with armed boats will beat 400 Mameluks and 3000 Indians Tupis (i.e. Guaranis). Peace is then ensured for one century. Between 1618 and 1641,100 000 Guaranis were captured.

The missions Jesuits are then a military power respected in the area. One the third of the population, is close to 30 000 people can be mobilized. The Jesuits found weapons and guns. In 1679, the army guarani goes to the help of the governor of Buenos Aires and releases the town of Colonia LED Sacramento, attacked by the Portuguese.

Space organization of the villages

In a mission, the principal buildings, like the church, the cemetery and the school are laid out around a broad place, surrounded by houses on the three other sides. In the center of the place, one finds a large cross and a statue of patron saint of the mission. The streets, the houses, all is ordered according to precise geometrical lines, in conformity with the Spanish recommendations concerning the construction of new agglomerations. The central position of their place of dwelling makes it possible to the fathers to have constantly a glance on all the life of the reduction .

Until the end of the 17th century, this organization also makes it possible to maintain the structures of relationship of the tribes guaranis, thus ensuring the cohesion and the survival of the community, because the provision of the dwellings does not prohibit the contacts between various chalk-linings and by there, the perenniality of the widened family, the shape of origin of the company guarani. Thereafter, the Jesuits endeavor to impose the restricted family. In 1699, a provision taken by the Provincial one (i.e. the superior Jesuit of the " Province") prohibited “the improper demonstrations which appear in the shape of dwelling of the Indians who live with several families under the same roof”. Each family must then live separate.

Economic organization

A society based on the principles of the primitive Christianity, whose theologist Francisco Suárez could be regarded as the theorist is founded. The Jesuits preserve the division of the grounds guarani in two sectors: a Community sector and an individual sector. In this last, for one long period, the traditional techniques are preserved, under the direction of the chief of chalk-lining. The Community sector is of first importance in the economy of the reductions, since it is him which allows the trade and the payment of the tribute to king d' Espagne. Beside the agricultural produce, one cultivates there cotton and the grass of Paraguay as soon as the Jesuits discover the way of cultivating it. All the inhabitants of the missions work the communal ground, and the production is equitably distributed. The Jesuits, who introduced modern technologies there, with increase in the productivity, control the exploitation directly of it. They decide on behalf of the harvested crop in silos and that reserved for the sale, whose product returns to the missions.

Whereas in the traditional company guarani, the individual sector was most important, he does not play any more but one secondary part in the reductions. The economy of the reductions is flourishing. The foreign trade, centralized, is fully integrated into the world economic channels, with close contacts with the English. Thus, Paraguay Jesuit, insofar as he discharges his tribute to the Spanish crown, can free itself from the requirements increasingly more pressing of the Spanish Empire.

Guaranís are shown very skilful in manual work like the sculpture and the work of wood. Products sophisticated such as musical watches and instruments are produced in the missions. These artisanal products are exported, like are also the Maté, sugar and the skins and make it possible to import wine, silk, iron, tools and noble metals.

Social organization

Guided by the Jesuits, the Indians profit from advanced laws. Free public services are founded for the poor, as well as schools and hospital. The Capital punishment is abolished. Each village provides also a residence for the widows, a dispensary, and several warehouses.

The day's work of approximately 6 hours, is compared with 12-14 hours in Europe at the same time. The spare time is devoted to the music, the dance, the contests of Tir to the arc and the prayer. The company guaraní is the first in the world with being entirely taught reading and writing.

Evangelization and practical of the religion

On a side, one can say that the model of evangelization of the Jesuits is the same one in Paraguay as in Japan, in China or India. Imbruglia stresses that the jesuitic design of the religion is based on a very broad vision of the divinity who allows to dialog with the other cultures, and it is known that this faculty of adapation of the Jesuits caused what one called the Querelle of the Rites. On another side, more than in other areas of the world supposed to be more civilized, the Jesuits established in a durable way a government of Jesuits without preparing the changing by a strategy of training of the priests. It is true that at that time, it was not imagined that a priest cannot have the use of Latin. The religious formation is thus limited to the levels subordinates, catechists, sextons, and regidors which constitutes to some extent a vice squad. Each reduction is directed by two fathers Jésuites, the priest and his vicar. “The missionaries”, Muratori writing, “are not satisfied to take care during the day, either by them-even, or by others, on manners of the neophytes, they have during the night of the secret emissary which inform them carefully all that could require a prompt remedy”. Vice squad and safety with respect to external aggression are not distinct.

Built initially out of wood in a rather coarse way, the churches of which there still remains of the vestiges are then made bricks and stone. It had initially been necessary that the Jesuits teach with their flocks the art of masonry. As wrote it the Italian scientist Muratori, of passage in the reductions in 1742, “Have regard to the houses which have only one ground floor, the churches can appear superb buildings”.

“There are in each reduction a first sexton and two others which are to him subordinates. In addition to six clerks who carry the reduction and the long dress… to the manner of the Spanish priests… All these places are extremely required.”

“Every morning, as soon as the day starts to appear, the children go to the church, the boys on a side and the girls of the other… Then one says a mass to which all the inhabitants of the reduction must assist. After the mass, each one goes to its work. The evening, one makes catechism with the children…”

Sunday is the day of the festivals such as baptisms, engagement, marriages. The masses are celebrated with more ostentation than the ordinary days. The Indians like the great liturgical deployments much, thus besides that the songs and, more generally, the practice of the music.

At the same time as they manage their flocks, the Jesuits endeavor to go évangéliser of other still pagan Indian tribes. The missionary who leaves in unknown regions makes accompany by a troop by thirty to forty neophytes who take part thus in work missionary at the same time as they are used as guides. These forwardings are always more or less risky, much of missionaries are made kill by hostile tribes. It also happens that groups of Christians only leave to convince of other Indians to visit the reductions. Sometimes they repurchase prisoners become such following the innumerable wars between tribes.

Suppression of the mission Jesuit

The Jésuites missions reach their apogee in first half of the 18th century, with between 140 000 catholic Indians in approximately thirty missions. They are almost entirely independent of the areas of South America controls by Spain and Portugal. The missions disappear in 1767, with the expulsion of the Jesuits by the Portuguese to whom them Spanish had yielded Paraguay.

The Jesuits could maintain on foot their missions of Paraguay as long as the support of which they profit near the king from Spain counterbalanced the many enemies that they could have in South America, and initially the colonists who more or less employed many Indians in a state of serfdom for which the Jésuites reductions was nothing less than grounds asylum. The colonial authorities can see only one evil eye the autonomy from which the Jesuits profit and suspect them of working gold mines for their profit. As from 1735, the governor of Paraguay dom Martin de Barua enters in open conflict with the Jesuits and tries to convince the king to remove the privileges of the Jesuits, and in particular to name a Spanish corregidor and to restore the freedom of trade between the Spanish reductions and cities. The provincial Aguilar Jesuit must then answer by refuting one by all arguments of Barua, but the influence of the Jesuits is declining, and not only at the court of Spain. The Spanish volunteers are less and less numerous, and initially, one must replace them by fathers who come from all the countries of Europe.

It is in this context that intervenes the treated Limits, signed in 1750 between Ferdinand VI of Spain and Jean V of Portugal, which replaces the Traité of Tordesillas fixing the borders between the Spanish and Portuguese possessions. An important part of the Jésuites reductions is yielded to Portugal whose strong man is the Prime Minister, the Marquis de Pombal. Large enemy of the Jesuits, it requires the evacuation of seven reductions sheltering 30 000 inhabitants. Whereas Jésuites tries to use of their influence in Europe to differ the decision, Guaranis enter in rebellion under the control of the corregidor Sépé which is opposed to the authorities hispano-Portugueses in 1753, and Sépé is killed in 1755. The Jesuits are definitively expelled into 1767 before being officially removed by the pope Clément XIV in 1773.

The Indians turn over in the forest. A census of 1801 does not make any more state but of 45 000 Indians where they were formerly three times more. The cattle disappeared, the fields are in waste land and the churches out of bricks are in ruin. One can see today the ruins of some of these missions, vestiges of this period. The guaraní is the only local language with being official language in a South American nation (Paraguay). Guaranís themselves almost disappeared.

Comments and controversies

Philosophers of the XVIIIeme century

The experiment of the Jesuits of Paraguay was very known their contemporaries, grace in particular to the Lettres edifying and curious about the Society of Jesus , very widespread near the cultivated public and with the work of the Italian scientist Muratori Relations of the missions of Paraguay . Voltaire which is not deprived to scoff the Jesuits respects the missions of Paraguay by recognizing that the principal weapon of the Jesuits was persuasion. The episode of Candide to the kingdom of the reductions is not finally very malicious. Diderot is much more critical. Generally, he thinks that it is vanity, prevalent passion of any man, who is the spring of engagement missionary:

" It is impossible that a reader who reflects does not ask itself by which strange mania an individual who enjoys in his fatherland all the conveniences of the life can be solved with the painful and unhappy function of missionary… "

In 1773, during the suppression of the Society of Jesus by the pope, Diderot, without any proof, violently takes party against the action of the Jesuits who would have stunned the Indians of Paraguay of superstitions, would have whipped them etc

Chateaubriant

In the Genius of Christianity, delivers fourth, chap 4-5 , 1802, Chateaubriand in general tries a vigorous rehabilitation of the Church and Jesuits, attacked so much in particular by Voltaire. He thus insists readily on the missions of Paraguay, which caused initially a rather general respect.

" Each village was controlled by two missionaries who directed the spiritual and temporal businesses of the small republics. No foreigner could remain there more than three days… In each Reduction, there were two schools, one for the first elements of letters, the other for the dance and the music… As soon as a child had reached the seven years age, the two Monks studied his character. If it appeared specific to mechanical employment, one fixed it in one of the workshops of Rédustion. He became goldsmith, gilder, clock and watch maker, metal worker, carpenter… Young people who preferred agriculture were enlisted in the tribe of the plowmen…

the " Chrétienne" republic; absolutely agricultural, neither was completely turned towards the war, nor private entirely of the letters and the trade. It had a little all, but especially festivals in abundance.

Edgar Quinet

Written with Jules Michelet, Of the Jesuits arises from the literature lampoonist and informs the lawsuit of the Jesuits only with load. A chapter which one owes in Edgar Quinet is devoted to the Jésuites missions:

" It was given to the Society of Jesus, to realize, once, on people, the ideal of his doctrines; throughout one one hundred fifty years, she managed to make pass entire her principle in the organization of the republic of Paraguay… Within lonelinesses of America of midday, a vast territory is granted to him with faculty to apply to new tribes all, with the Indians of the Pampas, his civilizing genius. It is that its method of education, which extinguished the people in their maturity, seems some time to be appropriate for wonder with these people children; it can with a really admirable intelligence attract them, park them, retain them in an eternal noviciate. It was a republic of children where was shown a sovereign art, with all granting to them, except what could develop the man at the nouveau-né
Each one of these strange citizens of the republic of Guaranis must veil the face in front of the fathers, to kiss the bottom of their dress… The breviary in a hand, the rod in the other, some men lead and preserve like a herd the last remains of the empires of Incas… "

Sources

Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Relations of the missions of Paraguay editions the discovery, Paris, 1983
Girolamo Imbruglia, introduction to the preceding work, editions the discovery, Paris, 1983
Maurice Ezran, a soft colonization: the missions Jesuits in Paraguay. The following days which sang , Paris, Harmattan, 1989.
in article '' guarani indians '' of the catholic Encyclopedia of 1911

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