War of the Emboabas

The War of the Emboabas was a conflict in colonial Brazil that happened between 1707 and 1709. It was fought over control of newly discovered gold fields in the interior of the Captaincy of São Vicente. On one side were the paulista bandeirantes, who had explored the area first and believed they should have the right to work the gold fields. On the other side were people from other parts of Brazil and Portugal, called emboabas.

The fighting took place in several mining areas that later became part of Minas Gerais, including places like Sabará, Cachoeira do Campo, and the Arraial Novo do Rio das Mortes. One of the leaders of the paulistas was a former explorer named Manuel de Borba Gato, while the emboabas were led by figures such as Manuel Nunes Viana.

The conflict ended when the newcomers won, and the Portuguese Crown stepped in to reorganize how the mining region was managed. This war is important because it shows how groups of people competed for power and control, and it helped shape the way different regions in Brazil developed.

Etymology

The word emboaba came from an old language used by people in a place called São Vicente. It meant “outsider” or “invader” and was used to describe people who were not from there.

Some think the word came from a name for birds with feathered legs. Others believe it might have meant “different man” or “foreigner.” One idea is that it described people who seemed to betray or trick others by taking control of new gold discoveries. Whatever its origin, the word was used in a negative way and showed the conflict over who could claim the gold.

Background

Discovery of gold and transformation of the colony

The discovery of gold in Brazil near the end of the 1600s and the start of the 1700s brought big changes to society, the economy, and politics. For many years, explorers called bandeirantes from São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga had traveled far into the lands inside Brazil. They looked for precious metals and also dealt with Indigenous groups. These journeys started from places like the Captaincy of São Vicente and Itanhaém, and went through areas that are now the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul.

By the 1690s, people were finding gold in streams and rivers in a place called Minas dos Matos Gerais, which later became Minas Gerais. News of the gold spread fast. In just a few years, thousands of people came from Portugal and from places like Bahia, Pernambuco, and Rio de Janeiro. They brought many workers with them.

All of this new activity created temporary mining camps and new towns along rivers like the Rio das Velhas and Das Mortes. Things were chaotic, with high prices and shortages because it was hard to get supplies to the area.

Paulistas and newcomers

The people from São Paulo, called paulistas, said they should control the gold because they were the first to find it and had helped protect the area. In 1700, leaders from São Paulo asked to control the mining area alone, but this request was turned down. This made the paulistas feel that the government in Lisbon did not care about them.

The newcomers, called emboabas, were a mixed group. They included merchants, farmers, and adventurers from many places. They had better connections to trade along the coast and to government leaders. They felt angry that the paulistas tried to keep the best land and jobs for themselves.

Both groups accused each other of unfair actions. The paulistas thought only those who helped find the gold should get to benefit from it. The emboabas felt the paulistas were trying to keep others out and acted like they were in charge.

Royal interests and rising tensions

The government wanted its share of the gold because of a tax called the quinto, which meant they wanted one-fifth of all the gold found. Officials tried to stop illegal trading, organize land claims, and make sure the gold reached Lisbon. But controlling the area was hard because it was far from the coast and had no stable government.

From 1706, fights over land, water, and supplies became common. Local leaders sometimes gave special rights to their friends, which made people unhappy. Violence grew in many places, and stories of planned attacks spread through the camps.

In 1707, two important paulistas were attacked by emboabas at Arraial Novo do Rio das Mortes, later called São João del-Rei. That same year, fighting increased in places like Sabará and Cachoeira do Campo. By the end of 1707, the area was split into two groups, each wanting the government to support their way of running the mines.

Course of the war

Open fighting happened between 1707 and 1708 in different mining areas. In the Sabará district, groups fought over control of gold claims along the Rio das Velhas.

In Cachoeira do Campo, arguments over mines led to battles, including an event called the Capão da Traição (“Thicket of Treason”). In the Rio das Mortes region, the removal of paulista leaders in 1707 increased distrust and led to groups forming armed bands on both sides.

After winning in several areas, the emboabas named Manuel Nunes Viana as “governor of the mines,” creating their own rule in the region. Concerned about the unrest and its effect on taxes, the king sent the governor of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, Antônio de Albuquerque Coelho de Carvalho, to restore order. He removed Nunes Viana and reestablished royal control. The paulistas, now without support and tired from fighting, left the area. Many moved west to explore new lands in what would become Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. By the end of 1709, open fighting stopped, but tensions remained and appeared again in later conflicts such as the Vila Rica Revolt of 1720.

Primary accounts

There are a few old stories that help us understand the War of the Emboabas, even though many papers from that time are lost or only partly remain.

One early story was written by Bento Furtado Fernandes de Mendonça. He was the son of a famous explorer and wrote his story in the mid-1700s. His writing shows strong support for the local explorers and criticizes outsiders from Europe.

Letters written in 1708 by Borba Gato to the governor describe armed groups of outsiders and how hard it was to follow the king’s rules in the gold mining areas.

On the other side, a letter from Bento do Amaral Coutinho in January 1709, sent from Ouro Preto, talks about how the local explorers were seen as attackers planning night raids. It explains why many people took up arms to protect themselves and shares details about early fights in Caeté and Sabará.

Consequences

The War of the Emboabas led to important changes in how Portuguese America was organized and governed. One major change was the Crown deciding to split the old Captaincy of São Vicente into the new Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas de Ouro and the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro in 1709. São Paulo became a city and the capital of its new captaincy, and new towns like Vila Rica, Sabará, and São João del-Rei were created, shaping the growth of Minas Gerais.

This conflict also shifted power dynamics. Some leaders moved westward, helping to explore new areas, while others strengthened their positions in the mining districts. The increased control by the Crown helped boost gold production, making Minas Gerais very wealthy, though some gold still reached unofficial markets. Over time, these events changed the relationship between Portugal and its colonies, and helped form new regional identities and social structures.

Historiography and memory

For a long time, stories about the War of the Emboabas were mostly told from the view of the paulista people, showing them as brave heroes fighting against outsiders. Writers like Afonso d'Escragnolle Taunay helped create this image.

Later, new studies looked at the war from different angles, such as social changes and how leaders made decisions. These studies showed that many groups had different interests and that leaders helped settle arguments.

Recent research has also looked at how the war affected Indigenous and African people, who worked in the mines but were often left out of older stories.

In literature and popular culture

The War of the Emboabas remains important in Brazilian culture. The novel A Muralha (1954) by Diná Silveira de Queirós tells a story about explorers and their conflicts over gold. This novel was turned into a television show in 1968 and again in 2000, helping people remember this part of history.

People in Minas Gerais and São Paulo often talk about this war in museums and history books. It helps tell the story of how these places began during colonial times.