HISTORY. The native inhabitants of the re gion above the junction of the Parana and the Paraguay rivers belong to the warlike race of the Guarani (q.v.). The country was first explored in 1527-28 by Sebastian Cabot, who made his way for several hundred miles up the course of these two streams. In 1529-30 Diego Garcia entered the same region, and in 1536 or 1537 Juan de Ayolas laid the foundation of a town at Asuncion. He was murdered by the natives. but Martinez Yeala, who succeeded him, soon put the colony in a prosperous condition and it promised to become one of the most important in South America. His power was largely per sonal. however, and after his death a period of anarchy ensued, which effectually destroyed Spanish influence over the natives. The coun try was considered as a dependency of the Vice royalty of Peru, which exercised, however, little more than nominal oversight. The history of Paraguay is chiefly remarkable for the long civil and religious domination of the Jesuits, extend ing from 1609 to I768. The missions, or Re ductions as they were called. were not only centres of education and civilization, skillfully directed to appeal to the habits and imagination of the natives, but they were refuges from the rapacity and oppression of the Spanish con querors, and as such acquired an influence and moral ascendency in many ways analogous to that exercised by the monasteries of Europe in the early Middle Ages. The diseiplinary rule of the Jesuits was thorough. They instituted a penal code with carefully graduated penalties, and established large schools for the education of the children. The economic character of the Re ductions was largely communal, in keeping with native customs and traditions. After the expulsion of the Jesuits the missions soon became deserted. At that time (1768) there were in the various Jesuit stations some 400.000 natives. In 1776 Paraguay was included in the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. The Spanish Government was overthrown in 1811. The last Governor quietly resigned his office, and his place was taken by a triumvirate, one of whose members was Gaspar Francia (q.v.), who soon made himself Dictator, upon the occasion of a war with the Argentines, and held that position until his death, in 1840. His rule was based on a policy
of national isolation. He attempted to cut off all intercourse with other States, and actually closed the Paraguay River to navigation. His policy was followed by his sueeessors—Vidal, who ruled the country from 1840 to 1S-44: Fran ' cia's nephew. Carlos Antonio Lopez (1S44-62) and from 1862 to 1570 the latter's son. Francisco Sohum Lopez (q.v.). The last named. an ambi tint's despot, plunged Paraguay into a five years' war with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. which • utterly exhausted the country. The struggle ter minated with the death of Lopez at Aquidaban in 1870. The establishment of peace was followed by the adoption of a more liberal Constitution.
• BIBLIOGRAPHY. DeMersay, Histoire physique, BibliographyY. DeMersay, Histoire physique, et politique du Paraguay (Paris, 1865) : Du Graty, La republique de Paraguay lib., 1865) ; Clemens. La Plata Countries of South America (Philadelphia, 1586) Vincent, Round and About South America (New York, lti8ti); Criado. La repUbliea de Paraguay.
sss Brainy-le-Conte, Lu lique de Paraguay (Bordeaux. 1589) ; "Para guay," L'urreu of Anurican Republics, Bulle tin 54 (Washington, 1892) ; de gade. Paraguay (London, Rena/book to the Ricer Plate Republics, Comprising Ara( n tine Republic. Uruguay, and Paraguay ( Buenos Ayres, 189.2); La Dardve, Paraguay, translated by Itavenstein (London, 1892) : La republique de Paraguay (Brussels. 1893) ; Olas maga. Paraguay, translated from Peclus, Giog raphie unir(rselle (Asuncion, 1890) : Deemol, Gcoyratia de In rcyiublica dcl Paraguay (241 ed., ib., 18961 ; Santos, La reptiblica (1,1 Paraguay lib., 1807). For history, consult: Graham. A numbed Arcadia (London, 1901), for the Jesuit period; Reugger, The Reign of Francia (ib., 1827 1 ; P,obertson, Letters on Paraguay lib., 1838) ; id., Letters on South America (ib., 1845( Page, The La Plata (New York, 18601 ; Hutchinson. The Parand(London, 1868) : Thomp son. The War in Paraynay (ib., 18691; Burton, Letters from the Battlefields of Paraguay (ib., 1870) ; Washburn, History of Paraguay (Bo-ton, 1871).