ABSTRACT
This article analyzes the actions of a captain, Antônio Vieira de Melo, a lord of a territory, who ravaged the sertão of Ararobá, Pernambuco, in the eighteenth century, using violence to coerce people and make them in to hisvaqueiros, as he had self-titled himself lord of those lands. Three aspects ae analyzed: the first refers to the inhabitants' accusations against the captain; the second, how he managed to get support from indigenous people to form his militia, creating waves of violence and persecution; finally, the third, the solution of the authorities to reduce his power, based on the discussion of the legality of the possession of his land.
Keywords:
land conflict; violence in the countryside; colonial Brazil