The delegation of inquisitorial powers: Goa in the documents of the Brazilian National Library, Rio de JaneiroThe Brazilian National Library in Rio de Janeiro holds an important set of documents regarding the Inquisition in Goa. This data allows us to study the history of this institution in many different ways. In the present article, it will be used to unveil the Holy Office as an instrument of power and, more specifically, the modalities of the delegation of inquisitorial power. The study of the delegation of inquisitorial powers in the Estado da Índia, considering its greatly fragmented territory of action, can be regarded as an extreme case of the Holy Office's activities in this important but poorly studied facet of inquisitorial functioning.
Inquisition; Goa; Delegation of Powers