“Uma muy honrosa” patente militar: os mestres de campo nas Minas setecentistas (1709-1777)

Abstract

The study of mestres de campo, a high ranking military existing both in Portugal and its colonies is this work’s theme. The scenario chosen to write this research were the Minas eighteenth century between the years 1709-1777. There are two purposes to be achieved: the first is an attempt to understand what it meant to be a mestre de campo of colonial mining company. Second, I try to demonstrate the importance of the military ranks possession for the configuration of a local elite profile. For this, I seek to trace and cross data sources required to elucidate the significance of this patent in its multiple spheres of activity, highlighting aspects of its career and unraveling the universe of its shares in relentless pursuit of these men for social differentiation. With that, I try to show how the military ranks possession and in the case of this study, the mestre de campo, was an important factor in the local elite configuration and also fundamental to the construction of their social legitimacy and effectiveness of a good political maintenance in Overseas.