The State of Maranhão () was the northern of two 17–18th century administrative divisions of the colonial

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

in South America.

History

In 1621 the Governorate General of Brazil was separated into two states; the

State of Brazil The State of Brazil () was one of the states of the Portuguese Empire, in the Americas during the period of Colonial Brazil. History In 1621, the Governorate General of Brazil was split into two states, the State of Brazil and the State ...

and the State of Maranhão. The state was created on 13 June 1621 by Philip II of Portugal.Mundo Vestibular: BRASIL COLÔNIA
/ref> With the creation of the state Portuguese America had two administrative units: the State of Maranhão with its capital in São Luís, and the

whose capital was São Salvador. After the 1670s Belem became the operational base of the Maranhão governors and it was formally designated the state capital in 1737. The purpose of creating this state was to improve military defense in the Northern Region and stimulate economic activities and regional trade with the mainland. The State of Maranhão was extinguished in 1652 and in 1654 reconstituted as Maranhão and Grão-Pará. In 1751 the State of Maranhão and Grão-Pará had its name changed to Grão-Pará and Maranhão and its capital was moved from São Luís to Belém.

Composition

The following captaincies formed the State of Maranhão. Ceará was later detached and became a satellite of Pernambuco, in the State of Brazil.

Royal captaincies

* Captaincy of Maranhão * Captaincy of Pará *

Captaincy of Ceará The Captaincy of Ceará () was one of the administrative subdivisions of Brazilian territory during the Colonial Brazil, colonial period of Portuguese America. It was created in 1534 along with thirteen other Captaincies of Brazil, hereditary capta ...

(later became subordinate to Pernambuco)

Donatary captaincies created

Captaincy of Tapuitapera A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

Captaincy of Caeté A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

Captaincy of Cametá A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

Captaincy of Cabo Norte A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

(

Amapá Amapá (; ) is one of the 26 federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil. It is in the North Region, Brazil, North Region of Brazil. It is Federative units of Brazil#List, the second-least populous state and the eighteenth-largest state by area ...

) *

Captaincy of Marajó A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

Captaincy of Xingu A captaincy ( , , ) is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. It was instituted as a method of organization, directly associated with the home-rule administrations of medieval feudal governm ...

References

External links

Relação Sumária das Cousas do Maranhão, by Simão Estácio da Silveira, a contemporary account of the early Portuguese colonization of Maranhão, published in Lisbon in 1624 by a leading coloniserHistory of the Commerce of Maranhão (1612 - 1895), by Jerônimo de ViveirosRevista do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro, 1909, Tomo LXXII - Parte I, Chronicle of the Jesuits in Maranhão, by João Felipe BettendorfHistorical geographical dictionary of Maranhão, by César Marques
{{DEFAULTSORT:State of Maranhao

Maranhão Maranhão () is a States of Brazil, state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of and it is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from north, it ...

Colonial Brazil Portuguese colonization of the Americas Former Portuguese colonies Former subdivisions of Brazil 1621 establishments in the Portuguese Empire