Slavery, Family and Childhood in the Portuguese Diaspora in Southeast Asia, 16th-17th Centuries

Abstract

The Portuguese communities in Asia were mainly concerned with maritime commerce, which required long periods on board. The families of most of these merchants resided on land, in cities such as Goa, Cochin, Malacca and Macao, and included numerous slaves of different geographical origins and ethnicities, also characterized by their young ages. This article examines the presence of enslaved children and youths in Portuguese last wills, which have been studied concerning the confraternities of Misericórdia of Porto and Macao, in a chronology that covers the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The present approach aims to combine family history, childhood history, and history of law, in order to highlight the presence of enslaved children and youths as family members. This article is part of the special theme section on Women, Children, and Enslaved People in the Portuguese Empire in Asia, 16th-18th Centuries, guest-edited by Rozely Vigas and Rômulo Ehalt.