Antônio Conselheiro

Antônio Conselheiro (Anthony the Counselor, real name Antônio Vicente Mendes Maciel, b. March 13, 1830, Quixeramobim, state of Ceará, Brazil; d. September 22, 1897, Bello Monte, a.k.a. Canudos, state of Bahia) was a religious man, preacher, and founder of the village of Canudos, the scenario of the War of Canudos (1896-1897), a civil rebellion against the central government which was brutally stamped out with the loss of more than 15,000 lives.

Canudos

Antônio Conselheiro decided then to retreat and to establish in 1893 a permanent place for his growing band of now quasi-insurrects. Near the city of Monte Santo, in the Northeast tip of Bahia, he founded the village of Bello Monte (Beautiful Mount), in an area named Canudos. It was set in an abandoned farm amid several mountain ranges, near the Vaza-Barris River.

Related Topics:
Monte Santo - Vaza-Barris River

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In Canudos, Antônio Conselheiro, aided by a local government by committe, composed by 12 "apostles", or elders, established a communist-like social system, with division of labour and produce, common property, abolition of civil marriage and of the official currency, prohibition of taverns, liquor and prostitution, rigid control over crimes and mandatory religious activities. He also gave a measure of personal freedom of injustice and oppression by landlords and governmental authorities. The fame of Canudos spread rapidly throughout the Northeast, as being a promised land of "honey and milk". Former black slaves, uprooted indigenous people and impoverished and landless mestizos started to come in droves to Canudos. One year later Canudos had already 8,000 new residents; by 1895 its population had blown up to more than 30,000 and more than 5,000 dwellings. Two churches and one school were also built and commerce and agriculture became more organised.

Related Topics:
Apostles - Communist - Division of labour - Marriage - Liquor - Prostitution - Crime - Indigenous people

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The massive presence of such kind of people started to cause much fear and trouble in the region, since many of the new residents were not-so-peaceful "jagunços" (hired armed men who worked for farmers), leading to appeals to the government for repression and control. Fearing an invasion of the city of Juazeiro by the "Conselhistas", who had a dispute with a lumber merchant, its mayor appealed histerically to the provincial government. A visit by two Capuchin monks to Canudos was insufficient to calm the population and one of them mistakingly accused Antônio Conselheiro of trying to raise a monarchist sedition.

Related Topics:
Jagunço - Juazeiro - Lumber - Capuchin - Monarchist - Sedition

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All was set for the start a military aggression against the largely pacific settlement. See War of Canudos for further detail.

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During the military siege that ensued, Antônio Conselheiro, anguished with the death, hunger and suffering of his followers, went into a period of praying and severe fasting. He was no military leader. In consequence, with 67 years of age, he died on September 22, 1897, probably of dysentery. His death was the beginning of Canudo's defeat, which eventually brought about the brutal death of probably more than 50% of the city's inhabitants under the military operations and ensuing atrocities committed against civilians by the victors.

Related Topics:
Siege - Praying - Fasting - Dysentery - Atrocities

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The cadaver of Antônio Conselheiro was located, disinterred and identified by military surgeons, his head was cut off and sent to Salvador, both as a proof and as a war spoil. It was examined by the noted forensic medicine expert, Dr. Nina Rodrigues and placed in permanent exhibition in the museum of the Escola Bahiana de Medicina (Medical School of Bahia), where it was destroyed in a fire in May 1905.

Related Topics:
Salvador - Nina Rodrigues - Escola Bahiana de Medicina - 1905

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