83:, the offspring of Portuguese and African unions dominated the prazos, signifying a completion in racial absorption. As one of the first dominant hybrid cultures to exist in this region, the Prazeiros were successful in wielding tangible power in relations with the Europeans and the local indigenous population, acting as the “middle men” in numerous interactions.
112:
Through the support of these armies, the
Prazeiros controlled the people and the land of this region. Local farmers were taxed and expected to provide sufficient amounts of food to support the Prazeiro communities and their armies. Between 1630 and 1670, the Prazeiros invoked a deep sense of violence
46:
became a topic of interest to the
Portuguese as early as 1505, and later became the main trading initiative taken by the prazeiros and their armies. By the mid-16th century, the Portuguese crown had established minuscule administration centres, which in turn prompted a small but sustainable migration
135:
As trans-frontiersmen, the
Prazeiros abided by four concepts: they were permanent residents on land extended beyond the European settler community’s limits; most marital unions they engaged in were with people from the indigenous population, rather than European; by adopting the culture and identity
76:
Throughout the 18th century, the
Portuguese population in the Zambezi Valley continued to form unions with the local peoples, which also involved an adoption of culture, ultimately creating a hybrid race. By the middle of the 18th century, people of colour dominated the Prazeiro community; referred
67:
At this time, the number of people immigrating to the
Zambezi Valley was minimal, due to the harsh weather conditions such as intense heat, prolonged rainfall and fatal diseases that characterized this region. In many ways, the Portuguese had to fight to survive. Due to the absence of a substantial
63:
The first influx of
Portuguese migration to the Zambezi Valley (beginning in the sixteenth century) consisted of prestigious Portuguese individuals and families, many of whom were awarded with estates as recognition for social standing, along with royal agents to the crown who had performed elite
54:
By the next century, the
Portuguese government grew weary in the status of the Zambezi Valley. With no formation of a well-trained administration bureaucracy, and a military that was small in numbers and underdeveloped in both military tactics and combat training, the region had no hope of
64:
tasks on its behalf. Such individuals included priests, merchants, and military officers, who enjoyed a monopoly of power, wealth and prestige; all of whom were profoundly committed to the king and nation, and regarded themselves as representatives sent to expand the majesty of
Portugal.
33:
that were leased to them by the
Portuguese Crown, in the Zambezi Valley from the sixteenth through to the eighteenth century. As a racially hybrid community, the Prazeiros signified not only a merger of cultures, but an emergence of a new socio-political order.
125:, leading them to stray farther away from the Portuguese crown as time went on. From once recognizing themselves as agents for the crown, by the 18th century, the Prazeiros were no longer accepting of their subordinate position in society.
132:, while also rejecting the Portuguese appeal to renounce autonomy. Despite this appeal being enforced by their standing military power, the Prazeiros fought against them, proving their solidarity with their African home and people.
68:
population of eligible
European women, Portuguese men were led to engage in interracial marriages and ultimately reproduce with the indigenous population, causing an upheaval in social and racial composition.
105:
The power of these armies through their abundant supply of guns and advanced weaponry eliminated any possibility of another large state opposing them. As a result, the Prazeiros dominated the
109:
in the lower Zambezi Valley throughout the 18th century, shooting elephants without regard of local hunting laws, and continued raiding villages for captives to add to their armies.
97:
armies which consisted primarily of captured slaves. These armies were utilized for the purposes of collecting taxes, hunting, raiding and trading with other local communities.
262:
267:
121:
Through this deep connection to indigenous African culture that was being transmitted through genealogical ties, the Prazeiros were in many ways
257:
252:
136:
of the locals, all European ties amongst them were lost; their loyalty, despite originating with Portugal, shifted to the local people.
91:
As a community powerful in both numbers and in military/economic support, the main source of power for the Prazeiros were their large
113:
and oppression throughout the land, driving the local people to flee from their homes in hopes of refuge with local powerful men.
272:
247:
220:
Isaacman, A. & Isaacman, B. (1975). The prazeiros as Transfrontiersmen: A Study in Social and Cultural Change.
145:
27:
were the Portuguese and Afro-Portuguese landowners who ruled, in a feudal-like manner, vast estates called
128:
This non-conforming attitude led them to refuse to pay taxes or provide military assistance to the
129:
225:
43:
241:
165:
16:
This article is about the ethnic group. For the legal system that birthed them, see
160:
106:
170:
93:
48:
79:
229:
29:
55:
effectively integrating into the colonial empire of the Portuguese.
17:
222:
International Journal of African Historical Studies, 8
72:Increase in migration throughout the 18th Century
8:
216:
214:
212:
210:
182:
59:Establishment of the Prazeiro community
196:
194:
192:
190:
188:
186:
7:
263:African people of Portuguese descent
117:The Prazeiros as trans-frontiersmen
14:
268:Portuguese colonisation in Africa
202:History of Africa: Third Edition.
204:London, UK: Palgrave MacMillan
1:
258:Multiracial affairs in Africa
253:Portuguese diaspora in Africa
150:JoĂŁo Bonifacio Alves da Silva
289:
15:
200:Shillington, K. (2012).
146:Manuel Antonio de Sousa
87:Power of the Prazeiros
130:Portuguese nobility
273:Nobility in Africa
38:The Zambezi valley
248:History of Africa
140:Notable Prazeiros
280:
232:
218:
205:
198:
288:
287:
283:
282:
281:
279:
278:
277:
238:
237:
236:
235:
219:
208:
199:
184:
179:
157:
142:
119:
103:
101:Chikunda Armies
89:
74:
61:
51:to the valley.
40:
21:
12:
11:
5:
286:
284:
276:
275:
270:
265:
260:
255:
250:
240:
239:
234:
233:
206:
181:
180:
178:
175:
174:
173:
168:
163:
156:
153:
152:
151:
148:
141:
138:
118:
115:
102:
99:
88:
85:
73:
70:
60:
57:
44:Zambezi valley
39:
36:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
285:
274:
271:
269:
266:
264:
261:
259:
256:
254:
251:
249:
246:
245:
243:
231:
227:
223:
217:
215:
213:
211:
207:
203:
197:
195:
193:
191:
189:
187:
183:
176:
172:
169:
167:
166:Luso-Africans
164:
162:
159:
158:
154:
149:
147:
144:
143:
139:
137:
133:
131:
126:
124:
116:
114:
110:
108:
100:
98:
96:
95:
86:
84:
82:
81:
71:
69:
65:
58:
56:
52:
50:
47:pattern from
45:
37:
35:
32:
31:
26:
19:
221:
201:
134:
127:
122:
120:
111:
104:
92:
90:
78:
75:
66:
62:
53:
41:
28:
24:
22:
123:Africanized
107:ivory trade
242:Categories
177:References
171:Degredados
25:Prazeiros
161:Lançados
155:See also
94:Chikunda
49:Portugal
80:Muzungu
230:217484
228:
77:to as
30:prazos
226:JSTOR
224:(1).
18:Prazo
42:The
23:The
244::
209:^
185:^
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.