Resumen

CALDEIRA, Arlindo Manuel. The socio-political dimension of the Luanda municipal council during the 17^th century. Cadernos de Estudos Africanos [online]. 2015, n.30, pp.27-59. ISSN 1645-3794.

The Luanda municipal council was founded in the last quarter of the 16^th century, at the same time the colonial regime was instituted in Angola, and was closely associated with the conquest of the territory. It was, in fact, a stable rearguard which supported the extremely violent war that governors and military forces pursued in the “sertão” (hinterland) and hence played an important political role in life in the region. One of the primary objectives of this article is to identify and study the social composition of the “moradores”, i.e. the small oligarchy from among whom municipal executives were chosen. Simultaneously, this study also examines the municipal council’s relations with the central Portuguese authorities and, locally, with the governors. Relations between the governors and the municipal council were highly competitive, as both sought to undermine the other and assimilate their respective competences.

Palabras clave : municipal council; 17th century; autonomy; moradores; institutional conflict; Luanda; Angola.

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