The meanings of “territory” in historical research: São Paulo’s hinterland||The meanings of “territory” in historical research: São Paulo’s hinterland||As concepções de “território” na pesquisa histórica: o sertão paulista

Descrição

Considering the territory to be the transforming of a space according to an specific logic – official, economic, military, or other – there are innumerous possibilities of comprehension of this process, creating different meanings to this word. The follo­wing article presents four them: the official definition of the borders; the local represen­tation of the administrative institutions; the routes that connect and question the defined limits; and the idea of an urban network. For every definition, we point out researchers and analyze particular works in which they under­take such conceptualization. This analysis is part of the considerations of our own ongoing research, in which we examine the activities that took place in the countryside of the colony, and the ways through which they configured the territory, specifically São Paulo’s hinter­land. ||Considering the territory to be the transforming of a space according to an specific logic – official, economic, military, or other – there are innumerous possibilities of comprehension of this process, creating different meanings to this word. The follo­wing article presents four them: the official definition of the borders; the local represen­tation of the administrative institutions; the routes that connect and question the defined limits; and the idea of an urban network. For every definition, we point out researchers and analyze particular works in which they under­take such conceptualization. This analysis is part of the considerations of our own ongoing research, in which we examine the activities that took place in the countryside of the colony, and the ways through which they configured the territory, specifically São Paulo’s hinter­land. ||Sendo o território a transforma­ção do espaço segundo uma lógica específica – oficial, econômica, militar ou outra –, são várias as possibilidades de apreensão desse processo, criando diferentes significados. No presente artigo, apontamos quatro deles: a de­marcação oficial de fronteiras; a representação institucional no espaço; os caminhos que unem e questionam os limites definidos; e a ideia de rede urbana. Para cada um, apontamos pes­quisadores e as conceituações que constroem na esfera de seus trabalhos. Essa análise faz parte das reflexões que ensejamos em nos­sa pesquisa de doutorado em andamento, na qual examinamos as dinâmicas internas da colônia e a forma como formavam e confor­mavam o