A
Jesuit reduction was a type of settlement for
indigenous people in
South America created by the
Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. The strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called "Indian reductions" (
reducciones de indios), in order to
Christianize, tax, and govern them more efficiently. The Jesuit interpretation of this strategy was implemented primarily in an area that corresponds to modern-day
Paraguay amongst the
Tupi-
Guarani peoples. Later reductions were extended into areas now part of
Argentina,
Brazil, and
Bolivia.