O Bonga: trajetória e experiências sócio-culturais no vale do Zambeze, Moçambique (1855-1888)

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the world of the Crown’s prazos in the nineteenth century, with emphasis on the decades between 1850 and 1880—a period marked by the expansion of the Portuguese colonial project and by intense political and social transformations across the African continent. Originally established in the sixteenth century as a form of territorial occupation, the prazos underwent significant reconfigurations over time, shaped by interactions among Portuguese agents, Goans, and local African populations. The research centers on the trajectory of Antônio Vicente da Cruz, known as Bonga, a prazo holder and political authority active in Massangano, one of the most prominent prazos in the Zambézia region. Understanding his role in this context is key to reflecting on local forms of power, social organization, and political negotiation in nineteenth-century Mozambique. A fourth-generation descendant of the Goan Nicolau de Cruz, Bonga resisted four Portuguese military expeditions (1867–1869) aimed at taking control of his territory. These episodes reveal not only conflicts with the portuguese administration but also broader disputes involving mixed-race prazo lords, Portuguese agents, and African political authorities, at a time of growing European interest in the region. Using a micro-historical approach, this study analyzes how Bonga’s figure reveals local power dynamics, offering new perspectives on African agency and resistance in nineteenth-century Mozambique.