Povoamento, Ocupação e Agricultura na Amazônia Colonial (1640-1706).

In his article on the production of Brazilian colonial historiography, the late historian A.J.R. Russell-Wood lauded “Brazilian scholars [who] have developed a historiography that reflects … broader changes in historical studies, while pursuing them within a Brazilian context.”2 Rafael Chambouleyron’s Povoamento, Ocupação e Agricultura na Amazônia Colonial (1640-1706) exemplifies this statement. His work is based on extensive archival research carried out over many years in a wide range of both Brazilian and Portuguese archives. The crux of Chambouleyron’s book entails revised research from his 2005 doctoral dissertation, Portuguese Colonization of the Amazon region, 1640-1706, written while at Cambridge University.3 Chambouleyron’s book is a valuable contribution, offering new perspectives for scholars working on both colonial Amazonia and colonial history at large.