, ▁and ▁was ▁then ▁commission ed ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁crown ▁to ▁found ▁a ▁col ony ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁( Equ ino ct ial ▁France ); ▁this ▁was ▁done ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 2 . ▁The ▁French ▁were ▁exp elled ▁by ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 5 , ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁held ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁ 1 6 4 1 ▁to ▁ 1 6 4 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 6 2 1 ▁C ear á , ▁Mar anh ão ▁and ▁Par á ▁were ▁un ited ▁and ▁called ▁the ▁" Est ado ▁do ▁Mar anha o ", ▁which ▁was ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁southern ▁captain cies . ▁Very ▁successful ▁Indian ▁miss ions ▁were ▁soon ▁begun ▁by ▁the ▁Jes uits , ▁who ▁were ▁tempor arily ▁exp elled ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁civil ▁war ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 4 ▁for ▁their ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁ens lav ement ▁of ▁the ▁Indians . ▁C ear á ▁was ▁subsequently ▁det ached , ▁but ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Mar anh ão ▁remained ▁separate ▁until ▁ 1 7 7 4 , ▁when ▁it ▁again ▁became ▁subject ▁to ▁the ▁colonial ▁administration ▁of ▁Brazil . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁infl ux ▁of ▁ens la ved ▁pe op les ▁into ▁the ▁region , ▁which ▁correspond ed ▁to ▁the ▁increased ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁cot ton . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁historian ▁S ven ▁Beck ert , ▁the ▁region ' s ▁cot ton ▁exports ▁" double d ▁between ▁ 1 7 7 0 ▁and