{"product_id":"controlling-contraband-ernst-pijning-9798991686068","title":"Controlling Contraband: Mentality, Economy, and Society in Eighteenth-Century Rio de Janeiro","description":"In 18th-century Rio de Janeiro, the line between legal and illegal wasn't just blurred-it was deliberately erased when convenient. Ernst Pijning's \u003ci\u003eControlling Contraband\u003c\/i\u003e exposes the fascinating double game played by Portuguese colonial authorities who publicly condemned smuggling while privately orchestrating it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis isn't your typical dry academic treatment of trade policy. Pijning has uncovered a world where corruption wasn't a bug in the system - it was a feature. Drawing from court records, government documents, and contemporary literature, he reveals how contraband became the lifeblood of colonial Brazil, tolerated and even encouraged when it served the right interests. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat makes this book essential reading: \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Portuguese Empire's official trade monopolies were largely fiction. Pijning demonstrates how colonial officials systematically looked the other way-or actively participated-when contraband served their economic and political needs. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis wasn't chaos; it was calculated pragmatism that kept the colonial economy afloat. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe book tackles three explosive questions: \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow did illegal trade actually build 18th-century Brazilian society?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat was Portugal's real strategy for \"controlling\" contraband (hint: it wasn't control)?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho held the power to decide when laws mattered-and when they didn't?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003ePijning overturns conventional wisdom about Brazil-Portugal relations, revealing a colonial system built on contradiction and compromise. \u003ci\u003eControlling Contraband\u003c\/i\u003e shows us that understanding the illegal economy isn't just about crime-it's about understanding how power really worked in colonial Brazil. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor anyone fascinated by the gap between official policy and messy reality, this book delivers insights that resonate far beyond the 18th century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Ernst Pijning\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798991686068\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Second Line of Defense\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/01\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.60d","brand":"Ernst Pijning","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48440556749055,"sku":"9798991686068","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5e5d85b5-8c82-4ea7-9d3f-a547ece1aa1e.jpg?v=1777183227","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/controlling-contraband-ernst-pijning-9798991686068","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}