Para remédio das almas: comissários, qualificadores e notários da inquisição portuguesa na Bahia (1692-1804)

Abstract

Differently of some regions of Spanish America and the Capital of the Portuguese State in India, Brazil did not come to have established a Tribunal of Holy Office. Nevertheless, and for besides the visitations and inquiries ordered, in the Colony the Lisbon Inquisition had its performance marked through officials who in its name operated. They were, in the great majority of the times, responsible for inquiries, hearing confessions and accusations, initiating inquiries, arresting and sending the guilty to Lisbon just in case. So to speak, they were the uncontested representatives of Inquisitors. In Bahia, as in the remainder of terras brasílicas, an effective acting of the Inquisition only was viable due to the formation and performance of this network where the officials were properly qualified for such functions. The reclaim, systematization and analysis of the documentation concerning those men and their actions have special importance while they are going to enable a plunging study and renewal of discussion regarding the composition and functioning of Tribunal in Portuguese America. Thus we sought out presenting in this thesis an analysis of the relation between Portuguese Inquisition and Bahian society through the Commissioners, Qualifiers and Notaries in the period between 1962 and 1804.