A ocupação humana e o rio Paraíba do Sul no Vale do Paraíba paulista entre os séculos XVI e XVIII
Data
2023-07-10
Tipo
Trabalho de conclusão de curso
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
A história do Vale do Paraíba paulista está intimamente ligada ao rio Paraíba do Sul e aos
outros corpos d’água que integram a sua bacia. A análise busca a reflexão sobre as formas de
utilização do rio Paraíba do Sul em seu território paulista, recortando-se o período colonial
para tentar identificar quais foram as atribuições que os colonizadores fizeram das práticas
indígenas em relação ao rio e seus caminhos. Também é o período em que se iniciam às
incursões ao interior do Brasil, chamado nesse período de sertão, em busca de metais
preciosos, cativos e terras. Tal prática só pôde ser realizada naquele trecho da Capitania de
São Vicente graças ao rio Paraíba do Sul, que corta duas serras e liga desde o Rio de Janeiro
à Minas Gerais. Pela forma como seguiu a colonização, o foco espacial vai naturalmente para
a cidade de Taubaté, já que também foi o local que melhor atendia os critérios para o
estabelecimento de um assentamento: suficientemente perto do rio, ainda que não se
precisasse correr riscos em relação a enchentes; próxima a entrada da Serra do Mar,
oferecendo proteção; e logo na entrada fluvial para os sertões, permitindo o controle do fluxo
de pessoas. Busca-se auxiliar no preenchimento dessa lacuna na historiografia de São Paulo,
munindo-se do conceito de geo-história de Braudel e da história ambiental para colocar as
águas, fator fundamental em qualquer estabelecimento humano, no centro da reflexão sobre
os processos ocorridos na região durante o período colonial.
The history of the Paraíba do Sul Valley is intricately linked to the Paraíba do Sul River and the other bodies of water that make up its basin. The analysis seeks to reflect on the ways in which the Paraíba do Sul River was used in its São Paulo territory, cutting across the colonial period to try to identify what attributions the colonizers made of the indigenous practices in relation to the river and its paths. It is also the period when the incursions into the interior of Brazil, called at that time "sertão", in search of precious metals, captives, and land, began. Such practice could only be conducted in that part of the Capitania of São Vicente thanks to the Paraíba do Sul river, which cuts through two mountain ranges and links Rio de Janeiro to Minas Gerais. Due to the way colonization followed, the spatial focus naturally goes to the city of Taubaté, since it was also the place that best met the criteria for the establishment of a settlement: sufficiently close to the river, even though there was no need to run risks in relation to flooding; close to the entrance of the Serra do Mar, offering protection; and right at the river entrance to the hinterlands, allowing the control of the flow of people. We seek to help fill this gap in the historiography of São Paulo, using Braudel's concept of geo-history and environmental history to place water, a fundamental factor in any human settlement, at the center of reflection on the processes that occurred in the region during the colonial period.
The history of the Paraíba do Sul Valley is intricately linked to the Paraíba do Sul River and the other bodies of water that make up its basin. The analysis seeks to reflect on the ways in which the Paraíba do Sul River was used in its São Paulo territory, cutting across the colonial period to try to identify what attributions the colonizers made of the indigenous practices in relation to the river and its paths. It is also the period when the incursions into the interior of Brazil, called at that time "sertão", in search of precious metals, captives, and land, began. Such practice could only be conducted in that part of the Capitania of São Vicente thanks to the Paraíba do Sul river, which cuts through two mountain ranges and links Rio de Janeiro to Minas Gerais. Due to the way colonization followed, the spatial focus naturally goes to the city of Taubaté, since it was also the place that best met the criteria for the establishment of a settlement: sufficiently close to the river, even though there was no need to run risks in relation to flooding; close to the entrance of the Serra do Mar, offering protection; and right at the river entrance to the hinterlands, allowing the control of the flow of people. We seek to help fill this gap in the historiography of São Paulo, using Braudel's concept of geo-history and environmental history to place water, a fundamental factor in any human settlement, at the center of reflection on the processes that occurred in the region during the colonial period.