Jesuit Reducciones: Map & History
The Jesuit missions among the Guaraní were a type of settlement for the Guaraní people in an area straddling the borders of present-day Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, known locally as the triple frontier.
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The Jesuit missions among the Guaraní were a type of settlement for the Guaraní people in an area straddling the borders of present-day Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, known locally as the triple frontier. The missions were established by the Jesuit Order of the Catholic Church early in the 17th century and ended in the late 18th century after the expulsion of the order from the Americas. The missions have been called an experiment in "socialist theocracy" or a rare example of "benign colonialism". Others have said that "the Jesuits took away the Indians' freedom, forced them to radically change their lifestyle, physically abused them, and subjected them to disease".
Modern Countries Once Part of Jesuit Reducciones
At its mapped extent, Jesuit Reducciones covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Paraguay1595–1768 CE · a large part
- Brazil1595–1756 CE · a small part
- Argentina1629–1768 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Jesuit Reducciones's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Jesuit Reducciones in Depth
History
In the 16th century, priests of different religious orders set out to evangelize the Americas, bringing Christianity to indigenous communities. The colonial governments and missionaries agreed on the strategy of gathering the often nomadic indigenous populations in larger communities called reductions in order to more effectively govern, tax, and evangelize them. Reductions generally were also construed as an instrument to make the Indians adopt European lifestyles and values. In Mexico the policy was called congregación, and also took the form of the hospitals of Vasco de Quiroga and the Franciscan Missions of California. In Portuguese Brazil reductions were known as aldeias.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Jesuit missions among the Guaraní (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Jesuit Reducciones: Key Facts
| Religion | Catholic Church |
|---|---|
| Founded | 29 December 1609 |
Facts from Wikidata Q465960 (CC0).
Jesuit Reducciones Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Jesuit Reducciones appears, with the other states of the time.
Jesuit Reducciones Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 261,430 km² in 1744 CE.
Jesuit Reducciones: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Jesuit Reducciones exist?
Jesuit Reducciones is dated to 1595 CE – 1768 CE, in the Early Modern & Age of Discovery era.
How large was Jesuit Reducciones at its peak?
At its peak in 1744 Jesuit Reducciones covered about 261,430 km².
How did the map of Jesuit Reducciones change over time?
Jesuit Reducciones appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1600 CE to 1700 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Söğüt, Bursa, Edirne, Constantinople
Industrial Era • Capital: London
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Lahore, Delhi
Early Modern & Age of Discovery • Capital: Raigad