Sob o fio da navalha: redes e resistência da família Mogadouro contra o Santo Ofício português (1672 – 1684)

Abstract

Resistance was never an option for the Portuguese New-Christians during the centuries of existence of the Holy Office in the Portuguese kingdom. Our research will be guided by the struggle for survival in the face of persecution against this group. Among the several strategies used by the converts to fight the Inquisition, we will use as focus the fight for exemptions from the penalty of confiscation of goods during the 17th century, because through these struggles we can understand the organizational and political strength of the commercial networks of the Christian-new businessmen. Besides the commercial networks, the converts formed aid networks that aimed to safeguard their companions and goods from the inquisitorial webs. We will use as a source the processes of the Mogadouro family, especially that of António Rodrigues Mogadouro and Diogo Rodrigues Henriques, because through these records we could enter resistance actions that included the contention for the general pardon of 1674, but also other tactics to circumvent the inquisitorial persecution, making clear the extensive collection of strategies of the New-Christians in combat against the actions of the Holy Office.