Andrei Santos Arruda

Andrei Álvaro Santos Arruda is a current PhD student focusing on colonial Latin American History. Andrei is particularly interested in the comparative legal history of the Portuguese and Spanish empires, considering jurisdictional disputes between high colonial courts and royal representatives in Brazil and Mexico during the 17th and 18th centuries. In his master's thesis, Andrei has delved into the administrative history of the Portuguese Empire, investigating the rise of a colonial governing elite in São Paulo during the 16th century. In this work, he scrutinized sources from São Paulo's municipal council regarding their periodical meetings. He aimed to understand which administrative topics were relevant for the maintenance of colonial rule as well as to identify key political characters that influenced the government. Andrei received his BA and MA in History from the University of Brasília, Brazil.