Territory, property, and rurality in the nineteenth century

a comparative study based on parish land registers

Abstract

Parish land records were compiled between 1854 and 1857, because of the Land Law of 1850 and Decree No. 1318 of 1854, which mandated the registration of all rural properties in the Empire. This article highlights the interpretative power of this primary source, combined with others, including nominal lists, ecclesiastical records, and notarial documents, with the aim of analyzing the forms of territorial organization, land ownership relations, and social dynamics of the rural world in the interior of the province of São Paulo. The case studies shed light on three territories that had distinct stages of urbanization in the mid-19th century: the city of Campinas, the parish of Caconde in the Sertão do Rio Pardo region, and the parish of Itatiba in the district of the town of Jundiaí. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between the rural and the urban during this period, focusing on the role of rural properties and neighborhoods in the structuring of the territory.