Governors and Indians, wars and lands between Maranhão and Piauí (first half of the eighteenth century)

This article examines the Portuguese expansion towards the eastern hinterlands of the captaincies of Maranhão and Piauí, in eighteenth-century Portuguese America. It focuses on the relationship between the many wars against the Indians of this region, the spread of cattle ranching and the personal and political interests of the governors of the State of Maranhão and Pará.Este artigo examina o processo de expansão portuguesa pelos sertões orientais da capitania do Maranhão e pela capitania do Piauí nas primeiras décadas do século XVIII, procurando explicar as conexões entre as guerras contra os índios daquela região, a expansão do gado e os interesses principalmente dos governadores do Estado do Maranhão e Pará