Slave Rebellion In Brazil Analysis

In the book, Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia, authors Joao Jose Reis and Arthur Brakel discuss the Bahia slave rebellion in Brazil. In Bahia, slaves are the backbone of the economy. According to Reis and Brakel, “slaves made up the great bulk of the laboring class and were political, social, and economic subordinates of the planters”. After Brazil became an independent nation, Bahia faces an economic downturn that leads to declines in employment, as well as inflation. Due to these instabilities, there are small revolts that occurred from both the public and slaves. It was from these issues, that the 1835 rebellion will evolve. The rebels plan for the rebellion to take place on a Muslim holiday, known as Our Lady
of Guidance. The holiday is on a Sunday in January. Another reason it was a good day to conduct it was because it was also a day of rest for slaves. They are told to wear Muslim clothes and even carried amulets, which were considered important in the blended African- Muslim faith. They also reached out to non-Muslims who could help them. The author also points out that the whole goal of the rebellion is not to conduct a jihad, as other writers have claimed in the past. It is actually designed in order to fight for freedom of all Africans, from both slavery, and the injustices of racial and social hierarchies. What influences them the most is the earlier Haitian Revolution, which like many other slaves across Latin America feel that if Haitians could succeed, we can too. What hurt the initial start of the rebellion was the fact that justices had become aware of a plot to overthrow the government. This is believed to be due to a slave informing justices of the peace that there was a possible revolutionary plot taking place, led by a slave named Ahuna. When justices are led to the hideout of the revolutionaries, they confront the leaders, but were chased out by the Africans with guns. Later on that night, rebels begin attacking several people. After that, they go into different areas in the city. At first, not much fighting is conducted, due to the rebels still recruiting more slaves needed to fight. The next place the slaves attack was the jailhouse. The goal was to free Pacifico Licutan, who was one of the Muslim leaders of the rebellion. The plan fails, due to prison guards firing at the rebels across from where the prison was. They are now caught between gunfire on both sides of the jail. Realizing the hopelessness of the plan, they slaves left and go to Largo de Teatro. Things begin to turn around for them, after they receive more support from other slaves, and they fight back against the troops. This however, did not go well either, because the troops are able to lock the barracks to the jail. Because of this, the slaves cannot break Licutan out. The group then moves on to Vitoria, and later regroups at a site known as the Merces Convent. There, they find one of the other conspirators named Nago. They have to fight off police near Fort San Pedro, but refuse to go any further towards the fort, due to its well fortification. So far, the rebels have not accomplished anything, and head to Agua de Meninos. Once there, more soldiers attack them. Despite the odds, they try to attack the area where soldiers are firing. This only leads to many of the rebels dying, and so the remaining rebels decide to retreat. They are later killed by the cavalry, which was closely behind them. What is clear from the attempts by the rebels is that even though they failed in their attempt to start a massive rebellion in Brazil, the author points out that the rebellion included both Africans of all religious backgrounds and they were all united in the goal of freedom.