A Historical Study of the Transition of Early Modern Spanish Military Culture and Amerindian Reactions

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K21429
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History of Europe and America; Historical studies in general
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: TAKEDA KAZUHISA 明治大学, 政治経済学部, 専任講師 (30631626)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: スペイン / 軍事組織 / ラプラタ地域 / イエズス会 / グアラニ先住民

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The outcome of this research can be summarized as follows: (1) the basic military formation, which was called tercio in early modern Spain, was instructed by the Jesuits in the Rio de la Plata region of South America to the Guarani Indians who lived in the community town referred to as a Mission or Reduction. (2) For the purpose of self-defense against the intrusion of Portuguese slave hunters, the Jesuits engaged in not only the periodical military training of the Guarani Indians and the fortification of their Mission towns, but also tried to store a variety of military weapons and strengthen the defense capability of the whole Mission. (3) The Guarani Indians were required to get accustomed with the institution and concept of values based on the European Christian culture of some which included military training and this requirement had been considered indispensable in order to realize the “peaceful integration” of cultural alterity outside Europe into the ideal Christendom.

Free Research Field

ラテンアメリカ史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「宗教が歴史的には軍事、暴力、強制といった問題と浅からぬ関係性を持ってきた」ことを具体的に解明したことが本研究の学術・社会的な意義である。グアラニのキリスト教化に対するイエズス会士の関与は極めて大きい。この目的の実現のために、グアラニは、規律の植えつけや防衛という理由により定期的に実施されたスペイン方式の軍事訓練への参加義務を負った。もちろんこれは、ポルトガル人からの頻繁な襲撃という状況下でイエズス会士がとった苦肉の策ではあったものの、軍事的な事柄が「文化」としてもてはやされ高い評価を受ける対象となっていた近世ヨーロッパという時代の風土も加味したうえで理解されるべきである。