The Web of Networks presents a dynamic and multifaceted scenario of the main ways of life experienced in the Portuguese Empire, in which the relationship between Colonial Brazil and Portugal is studied in depth. The articles organized by João Fragoso and Maria de Fátima Gouvêa explore the formation of the Portuguese monarchy and the Empire itself. The concept of network plays a central role in the work. The term is understood as a network between individuals with access to different information and resources. "Social networks emerged in this context of academic reflection as a major novelty, resulting from the advancement of research, reflecting the means by which the multiplicity of individuals and groups organized themselves to take advantage of the diversity of resources available to them in the pursuit and defense of their interests," explain the book's organizers. The book deepens the debate on this process and shows that the terms colonizers and colonized do not encompass the full complexity of the topic of colonization. In their articles, historians introduce other agents and factors to demonstrate the existence of a pluricontinental monarchy. The web's interweaving clearly demonstrates how the concepts of social body and corporate monarchy presuppose the autonomy of local powers. The customs and codes already established in the so-called colonies were respected by Portugal, and the prince recognized and defended self-government in these places. The sense of belonging to the monarchy was shared by members of various strata of society. Vassals from the kingdom, Tupis, Angolans, and the new social actors produced by the very process of gestation of this new society shared a curious sense of belonging to the monarchy; each, in their own way, claimed the status of subjects of His Majesty. However, this stance did not mean that the "subjects" were passive regarding the Crown's orders. They, in fact, exploited loopholes between general and local rules to their own advantage.
