Religiosidades e conflitos nos batuques em Alagoas (século XIX)

Abstract

This work is the result of research on the social conflicts surrounding drumming and African religiosity in Alagoas during the 19th century. Specifically, it examines the relationship between enslaved people and their cultural expressions, and how the control over them led to the prohibition of African cultural practices in both urban and rural areas. Through historiography, we reaffirm the strong presence of Black people in the province. The main sources analyzed include the municipal codes and the active legislation governing social control and regulation. We also observed the success—or lack thereof—of this surveillance, the repression and punishment through police action, as seen in their reports, as well as sources from the press. This provided us with an understanding of the persecutions and prejudices suffered by African culture at the time. We gained insight into the struggles for social spaces within drumming practices and the conflicts arising from social control over the mobility of the Black population. The articulation of these elements helped identify the socio-religious dynamics of the 19th century, as well as the origins of xangô worship in Alagoas and its developments in the subsequent periods.