Thesis advisor: Roberto S. Goizueta / Classical formulations of liberation theology appropriated the biblical narrative of the exodus as a paradigmatic image of a God who sides with the oppressed and acts in history to transform situations of injustice. Recognition of this foundational narrative as a preeminent expression of God’s partial love for the victims of history prompted liberation theologians to begin analyzing the contemporary significance of the exodus theme in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The paradigmatic reception of the exodus in black and Latin American liberation theologies exhibits the pivotal role of the narrative in the emergence of theological reflection guided by the preferential option for the poor. In the late 1980s, however, theologians who were revisiting the exodus narrative in light of the complex realities of settler-colonial power, the mechanics of erasure, and experiences of social invisibilization began to reevaluate the meaning of the exodus in connection with its troubling underside—namely, the envisioned invasion, dispossession, and destruction of the indigenous inhabitants of Canaan. Consequently, the paradigmatic conception of the exodus was critiqued and the enduring value of the exodus as a liberative resource was called into question, especially in relation to contexts and histories of suffering which can be identified in certain ways with biblical representations of the Canaanites. Catalyzed by Osage, Palestinian, and womanist theologians, this important shift in the conversation on the relationship between the exodus tradition and God’s relation to the oppressed brought into sharp focus the harmful dimensions of a biblical narrative which had come to signify the effective justice of God amid dehumanizing conditions. In addition, this renewed attention to the exodus demonstrated how its entanglement with the theme of conquest intersects with challenges of complicity in structural violence and exclusionary legacies in the United States as well as in the larger context of global geopolitics. This dissertation advances the conversation on the theological appropriation of the exodus in several ways. The project first examines the liberation theologies of Gustavo Gutiérrez and James Cone as exemplary of the paradigmatic model. The discussion of critical departures from the exodus paradigm addresses the contributions of Naim Stifan Ateek, Delores S. Williams, and Robert Allen Warrior. Finally, a constructive response to the question of the role of the exodus in theological reflection grounded in the option for the poor is put forth. This response first introduces key insights from scholars in the field of settler colonial studies as a framework for placing Ateek and Warrior in dialogue with each other as indigenous interpreters of the biblical narrative. The results of this dialogue are then developed in relation to important theological perspectives discussed earlier in the project in order to reimagine the contemporary significance of the exodus in a manner that renders audible the cries of the Canaanites. To neighbor what has been relegated to absence, to disrupt the forgetfulness of what lies buried in both text and world, to sit with broken narratives and encounter God in their disregarded victims—this is central to the challenges facing readers who turn to the exodus in the spirit of liberation today. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Yes / Despite the vast amount of work and the huge database for Roman Britain, the people of the province remain very difficult to discern. There are many reasons for this, but one is that we have not yet learned to look behind the disjecta membra of archaeology in order to understand the structure and nature of society, and how the Roman Conquest may have impacted upon it. The language of sociology offers scope for thought, especially when combined with examples drawn from historically documented societies in later periods. Whilst models drawn from the classical world are important, attention also needs to be focused on the local, and on the factors that determined the shape of people¿s lives and influenced their daily activities. Not all these are archaeologically detectable, nevertheless an appreciation of their existence is an important pre-requisite in attempting explanations of patterns in the data. `The self image of some historians makes it appear as if they are concerned in their work exclusively with individuals without figurations, with people wholly independent of others. The self image of many sociologists makes it appear as if they are concerned exclusively with figurations without individuals, societies or `systems¿ wholly independent of individual people. ¿ both approaches, and the self images underlying them, lead their practitioners astray. On closer examination we find that both disciplines are merely directing their attention to different strata or levels of one and the same historical process¿. (Elias, The Court Society, Oxford 1983)

This study seeks to ascertain European views concerning the nature of the indigenous population of Peru by employing contemporary works of Spanish chroniclers. Major focus is on the ideological background of the conquest with elaborations on Iberian philosophies held by conquistadors. Equally important are evaluations of Indian religion and social customs based on such sources as Aristotelian and Thomist doctrines as understood by Spanish writers. Political organization and the hierarchy of rulers play vital roles in determining why the Spaniards overwhelmed the Indians. Conquest destroyed the socio-economic structure of the Inca Empire, and the bonds holding communities together were lost as the Incas accepted Catholicism as their cult.

After the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) ending Spanish rule, Mexico formed a republic. By the 1880s there was ‘reformation’ in the Mexican church and the growth of ‘modernization’ in a caste based society governed by dictators. Amid all these changes, there was a growth of a nationalist ideology which sought to break free of Spanish roots in search of a new “Mexican” identity. As nationalism unfolded, there was a resurgence of some histories that became legends. I’ve noted a trend among legends with female protagonists, legends tend to portray women in a negative way. Two legends that have caught my attention emerge from the lives of two women from colonial Mexico. One is based on the life of Malinalli (Malintzin), a Nahuatl woman from sixteenth-century Mexico who at a young age was sold into slavery, but eventually became a talented interpreter, advisor and negotiator for Hernán Cortés during conquest. The other legend is about María Magdalena Dávalos y Orosco, a widowed woman from eighteenth-century Mexico who was able to gain control of her husband’s estate and manage many of his properties. More often than not, I’ve found that the legends that transpired from the retelling of an account of past events women’s lives, exclude their accomplishments and emphasize their “deviant” tendencies. Through the use of oral histories, scholarly articles and texts relevant to Malintzin and María Magdalena’s circumstances, I will explore their legends to argue that they have a lot of valuable information to offer.

Entre la fin du régime français et l’adoption de l’Acte constitutionnel par le Parlement de Londres en 1791, le rapport que la noblesse canadienne entretient avec le système judiciaire civil de la colonie change de façon majeure. Les Canadiens doivent s’adapter au nouveau système mis en place par l’administration britannique de la colonie. En Nouvelle-France, les nobles présentaient leurs différends juridiques civils devant le Tribunal royal, régi par la Coutume de Paris ; à partir de la Cession (1763), ce sont officiellement les lois britanniques qui s’appliquent jusqu’au retour des lois civiles françaises en 1774. Après quelques adaptations, la Cour des Plaidoyers communs devient la cour de prédilection des Canadiens, et par conséquent, de l’ancienne élite militaire. Le système judiciaire constitue un élément important de l’étude de l’évolution de la colonie, car l’attitude de la caste élitaire face aux tribunaux est un indicateur de sa capacité d’adaptation et de son degré d’implication dans la vie sociale. / From the end of New-France to the adoption of the Constitutional Act of 1791, the relationship between the nobility and the colonial civil court underwent drastic changes. The ‘Canadiens’ needed to conform to the British system. In New-France, aristocrats sued each other before the ‘tribunal royal’, using the Custom of Paris; but as of 1763, it was the British laws which prevailed. After some modifications, the Common Pleas Court became the French nobility’s (and therefore the military elite’s) favourite courthouse. The judicial system is an important part of research on colonial evolution because the population’s behaviour (and in our case that of the elite) before its courts shows its ability to adapt and its degree of involvement in the social life of the time.

Orientador: Ana Raquel Marques da Cunha Martins Portugal / Banca: Eliane Cristina Deckmann Fleck / Banca: Lélio Luiz de Oliveira / Resumo: Nessa pesquisa, nos propomos a analisar os relatos escritos pelos primeiros conquistadores do antigo Peru, relatos estes, constituídos por Cartas e Relações e que compartilham da característica comum de terem sido escritos pelos próprios participantes da conquista. Não pretendemos reconstituir a história da conquista do Peru, tema já tão visitado pela historiografia. Nossa intenção consiste em verificar quais são as sensações provocadas por este Novo Mundo, as expectativas, os medos e as frustrações que acompanharam esses homens durante as viagens que culminaram na tomada de Cajamarca e na captura e morte do Inca Atahualpa. Com isso, almejamos demonstrar como os conquistadores se viram nesse mundo desconhecido, qual a imagem que cunharam de si mesmos e quais os motivos que para eles justificavam a conquista. Mais especificamente, examinaremos quais foram as ideias e imagens construídas por esses conquistadores acerca dos povos e terras que encontraram e acerca de si próprios. Para isso, levaremos em consideração em que medida as ideias com as quais esses homens tiveram contato anteriormente estabeleceram parâmetros para suas conclusões / Abstract: In this research, we consider to analyze the reports written from the first conquerors of old Peru, constituted of Letters and Relations and that share the common characteristic of have been written for the own participants of the conquest. We do not intend to reconstitute the history of the conquest of Peru, subject already so visited by the historiography. Our intention consists in verify which is the sensations provoked for this New World, the expectations, the fears and the frustrations that had came along with these men during the trips that had culminated in the taking of Cajamarca and the capture and death of the Atahualpa Inca. With this, we intend to demonstrate how the conquerors saw themselves in this unknown world, which image they designed of themselves and which reasons could be valid to justify the conquest. More specifically, we will examine which were the ideas and images constructed from these conquerors concerning the peoples and lands they had found and also concerning themselves. For this, we will lead in consideration how the ideas with these men had had contact previously established parameters for its conclusions / Mestre

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-07-06T19:39:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Magda Fabiane Seger.pdf: 15174939 bytes, checksum: 7202396af1b80c3bcd7a416ce518b98b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-06T19:39:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Magda Fabiane Seger.pdf: 15174939 bytes, checksum: 7202396af1b80c3bcd7a416ce518b98b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-04-29 / Nenhuma / O objeto de estudo desta dissertação é o Lienzo de Tlaxcala, documento indígena pós-cortesiano, produzido em meados do século XVI. Por meio dele, iremos refletir sobre a participação de La Malinche nos eventos que conduziram à derrota de Tenochtitlan em 1521. Igualmente importará a essa dissertação discutir as possibilidades de compreensão da chamada "conquista do México", discutindo as novas contribuições da historiografia e a "agency" indígena. Buscaremos também analisar o Lienzo de Tlaxcala a fim de compreender como foi produzido, seu lugar em meio a outros materiais do mesmo tipo, bem como sua singularidade, em se tratando de uma fonte imagética. / The object of study of this thesis is the Tlaxcala Lienzo, indigenous document post -cortesian, produced in mid-sixteenth century. Through it, we will reflect about La Malinche participation in the events that lead to the defeat of Tenochtitlan in 1521. Also, it’s important to this thesis to debate the understanding possibilities of the “conquest of Mexico”, discussing the new contributions of historiography and indigenous “agency”. Also, we will seek to analyze the Tlaxcala Lienzo, in order to understand how it was produced, its place in the midst of other objects of the same type, as well as its uniqueness in the case of an imagery source.

This doctoral thesis analyses the depiction of the historical topics of Conquest and Revolution across the literary writings of Alejo Carpentier (1904-1980) and Carlos Fuentes (1928-2012). These historical tropes constitute core topics of reflection throughout their literary and critical works, stressing the interplay between literature and history. I propose the concept of literary historicism to analyse their portrayal of historical topics and characterise the role of history in their poetics. This concept denotes the historical awareness that underpins the authors’ literary reinterpretations of historical events; their use of a historicist writing methodology; and the critical relationship established to historiographical sources and narratives. I argue that the authors’ deliberate historicism characterises their narratives, challenges disciplinary boundaries and posits literature as an alternative medium for the production of historical interpretation. This comparative study focuses on a corpus of fifteen fictional works from both authors that depict Conquest and Revolution. The first section analyses the authors’ literary portrayal of the Conquest of Mexico (1521) and stresses the relationship established to the historical sources consulted and their literary reinterpretation of this historical event. An assessment of the reflections and symbolisms embodied by their literary-historical figures elucidates the authors’ understanding of the Conquest. Thus, this section demonstrates the defining character of these authors’ literary historicism in their writing methodology and semantic interpretation when addressing historical tropes. The second section explores Fuentes’s and Carpentier’s depiction of historical Revolutions including the French, Mexican, Haitian and Cuban Revolutions. This section comprises a transversal and diachronic analysis of their Revolution cycles to demonstrate recurrent narrative, thematic and stylistic patterns in Fuentes’s and Carpentier’s literary portrayals of this historical phenomenon. I highlight the further meaning that these patterns acquire in their works, articulating a critical assessment of these historical revolutions. This thesis adds to the scholarship on these authors from an interdisciplinary perspective that re-centres attention on History. Through the concept of Literary Historicism, I demonstrate the existence of a central concern in their oeuvres to critically reassess the Latin American past and its historical interpretations from literary discourse. This study contributes to the understanding of history and literature in Latin America, for it analyses the interactions between these branches of written culture.

The Qing conquest of 'Xinjiang' ('New Dominion' or 'New Territory') in 1759 proved to be a watershed development in the complex and often ambiguous relation between China and the amorphous Xiyu or 'Western Regions' that had lay 'beyond the pale' of Han Chinese civilisation since the Han (206 BCE-220 CE) and Tang (618-907) dynasties. The Qing destruction of the Mongol Zunghar state in the process of conquering 'Xinjiang' brought to a close the era of the dominance of the steppe nomadic-pastoralist world of Inner Asia over sedentary and agricultural China that had existed since at least 300 BCE with the expansion of the Xiongnu. Immediately following the conquest, as chapter two shall demonstrate, the over-arching goal of Qing rule in the region was to segregate Xinjiang from the Chinese regions of the empire. Yet, at the beginning of the 21st century the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) maintains that the 'Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region' (XUAR) is, and has been throughout recorded history, an 'integral' province of China. This thesis is thus focused on the evolution of the Chinese state's perception of Xinjiang as a dependent appendage in the late 18th century to that of an 'integral' province at the beginning of the 21st century. As such there are two key questions that are the focus of the thesis. First, how - by what processes, means and strategies - did Xinjiang arrive at its contemporary position as a province of the PRC? Second, how has this process impacted on China's 'foreign policy' along its western continental frontiers since the Qing conquest? The thesis is therefore not simply focused upon a discrete period or aspect of the historical development of China's interactions with Xinjiang, but rather an encompassing exploration of the processes that have resulted in China's contemporary dominance in the region. Two encompassing and related themes flow from these questions regarding the Chinese state's response to the dilemmas posed by the rule of Xinjiang. The first stems from the recognition that the present government of China's claims to the 'Chinese-ness' of Xinjiang are more than simply a statement of fact or an attempted legitimisation of current political realities. The statement that Xinjiang is an 'integral' province of the PRC, although indeed a statement of contemporary political reality, is also a profound statement of intent by the Chinese state. It is in fact one manifestation of an over-arching theme of integration and assimilation within the state's perceptions of Xinjiang across the 1759-2004 period. The second theme stems from the question as to how the processes associated with the first theme of integration and assimilation impacted upon the Chinese state's conception of its relation to those regions beyond its orbit. Xinjiang throughout most of Chinese history has been perceived as a 'frontier' region from which non-Chinese influences have entered and at times threatened the North China plain 'heartland' of Han civilisation. This is essentially a theme of confrontation between or opposition of 'external' to Chinese influences. The relationship between these two themes across the 1759-2004 period has been one of 'permanent provocation' whereby their interaction has produced mutual continuity and contestation. The Chinese state's goal of integration, and the concrete strategies and techniques employed in Xinjiang to attain it, have required the continued operation and vitality of opposing tendencies and dynamics. This process has provided (and continues to provide) both impetus and legitimation, in the perception of the state, for the exercise of state power in Xinjiang. Yet, as will become evident in the proceeding chapters, this interaction has not developed along a constant trajectory. Rather, the process has been characterised by fluctuations in the state's commitment to the goal of integration and in its ability to implement appropriate strategies with which to achieve integration. The thesis will thus argue that from the early 19th century onward the goal of integration became embedded in the state's perception of the 'correct' relation between itself and Xinjiang. Moreover, across the 1759-2004 period the notion of integration has evolved to become both the end and means of state action in Xinjiang.

This dissertation concerns the epic poem Caramuru (1781) by José de Santa Rita Durão. I propose both a post-nationalist or postcolonial reading of Caramuru, as well as a pre-nationalist or historical analysis. The first part of this dissertation focuses on the form itself, particularly the genre of epic poetry to which Caramuru belongs. The title of this dissertation references Virgil’s Aeneid, while the comparisons between this and other epics focus on the conventions of epic poetry, placing Caramuru within the context of other epic poems. Traditionally, and even recently, Caramuru has consistently been compared to Luis de Camões’ Os Lusíadas. I have tried to establish a closer connection with Virgil’s Aeneid, rather than Os Lusíadas, as the model epic for Caramuru. Chapter One focuses on the topic of imitation, specifically the many similarities with the plot of Virgil’s Aeneid. Chapter Two offers a historiographical approach to how the readings of colonial texts changed over time, including a historical background of Caramuru, which was written soon after the fall of the so-called enlightened despotism of Portugal under the Marques de Pombal. The second part of this dissertation is a close reading of the text itself, and focuses on the colonial discourse present in the poem. Chapter Three is an analysis of the religious discourse in Caramuru, which reflects the preoccupations of an Augustinian monk living in the Age of Enlightenment. Chapter Four concerns the representations of Amerindian resistance in the poem, particularly of two characters who belong to the insubordinate Caeté tribe. The last chapter focuses on the issue of gender and how women are represented in Caramuru. The main woman protagonist is a Tupinambá woman who becomes a prototype for Iracema, a well-known fictional character from nineteenth-century Brazil. Santa Rita Durão was born in Brazil but lived most of his adult life in Portugal, plus 15 years in Italy. He wrote that the motivation to write this poem was his ‘love of homeland’ or nationalist sentiment, even though the nation of Brazil was yet to exist at the time he wrote Caramuru. / text