Abstract
The article analyses the changes in the land grants legislation that occurred during the reign of D. Pedro II in Portugal (1683-1706) and their consequences. From 1690 on attempts were made to control land grants, and several royal charters were sanctioned in order to rule the gaps left by the Ordinances, concerning the size of the land grants, the necessity of demarcation and of royal confirmation, but above all to impose the payment of a tax in the "capitanias" (administrative divisions) of the North of Brazil, thus altering the legal status of the grants. In our analysis, besides a collection of royal rules, we have examined documents such as judges' reports, petitions and queries made to and by the Overseas Council. The crossing of such sources allowed us to testify this attempt of the authorities to increase their control over the land legislation.
Key-words:
land grants; legislation; colonial Brazil; privileges; land; demarcation processes.