'Allá está de balde y aquí me serviría'. The Capillary Circulation of Guaraní Language Books in Paraguay, Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Area (18th Century)

Abstract

This article analyzes the distribution of books in Guarani along the La Plata River and in Paraguay. The missions located along the Parana and Uruguay rivers comprised the territorial center of the production and use of these materials. Yet, the objective of this article is to explore the less well known external circulation of these books and to assess the radius of their reach. How extensive was their circulation? Which books were distributed and which were not? For what reasons? What was the role of the missionaries, especially the Jesuits? The principal sources for this analysis are the inventories of the Jesuit libraries, the majority of which were compiled in the context of the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish Monarchy (1767-1768). Although quantitatively scarce, their circulation achieved a high level of capillarity. The books reached all of the important cities and missions of the region and even as far as Europe. The missions’ networks and their educational practices play an important role in the explanation of this capillary distribution, especially since the Jesuits of the entire Province of Paraguay were obligated to learn the indigenous languages. In this respect, the distribution of these books suggests that Guarani was the general colonial language of the territory.