The appointment of military officers and the organization of defense in the captaincy of Bahia (1642-1682)

In this study, we analyze the appointments of vacant military officers made by governors-general of the State of Brazil for the captaincy of Bahia. We seek to highlight which types of troops existed in the captaincy of Bahia and their functions in the local defensive system. Besides that, we aim to demonstrate how the relations between the general government, the local elites, and the military officers enabled the insertion of local interests in the governance through the spatial delimitation of defense and the organization of the basis for the punitive expeditions against indigenous populations and mocambos.

Keywords:
general government; State of Brazil; military appointment; defense; local elites