Judeus portugueses na Europa e nas Caraíbas, séculos XVII-XVIII: declínio ou adaptação?

Abstract

The four essays comprising this theme section present case studies revealing problematic situations in each of the analyzed communities and address a common question: when (and how) can we speak of a “decline”, or perhaps more appropriately “adaptation”, of various groups of Jews of the Portuguese matrix? Focusing on an extensive chronology and movement in varied spaces, this dossier observes how diverse communities of Jews of the Portuguese matrix tried to manage conflict arising both from internal issues and from its relationship with the surrounding communities. The essays by Hugo Martins and Julia Lieberman address strategies adopted by governing bodies to handle internal affairs. The contributions of Ana Leitão and Blanca de Lima reveal how an internal agenda, economic in nature, also impacted the colonial spaces in which the Jews moved. This text offers an introduction to the special theme section on Portuguese Jews in Europe and the Caribbean, 17th-18th Centuries, guest-edited by José Alberto Tavim.

Keywords

• Portuguese Jews
• Portuguese nation
• diaspora
• internal agenda
• decline
• adaptation