Zumbi dos Palmares (1655-1695) was the last leader of Quilombo dos Palmares and also the one of greatest historical relevance.
Zumbi gained respect and admiration from his fellow quilombolas due to his skills as a warrior, which gave him courage, leadership and knowledge of military strategy.
He fought for freedom of worship and religion, as well as for the end of colonial slavery in Brazil. Despite this, this leader was also known for the despotic severity with which he ruled Palmares, where there was even a milder type of slavery.
In any case, he did not accept the domination of whites over blacks and, therefore, he became the greatest symbol of black freedom in Brazilian history.
Biography of Zumbi dos Palmares
Zumbi was the nephew of the leader Ganga Zumba, who, in turn, was the son of Princess Aqualtune of the Jagas (or Imbangalas), a people with military traditions and excellent warriors.
There is little information about his personal life, but it is known that he was married to Dandara, who fought by his side.
Zumbi was born approximately in 1655, in Quilombo dos Palmares, Captaincy of Pernambuco, in the Serra da Barriga region. Today, the place is União dos Palmares, in the Brazilian state of Alagoas.
Zumbi was captured by the expedition of Brás da Rocha Cardoso and handed over to the care of Father Antônio Melo, in Porto Calvo, when he was still about six years old.
He was then baptized with the name “Francisco” and received a thorough education. He learned Portuguese and Latin, as well as the catechism, in order to be baptized in the Catholic faith.
At the age of 10, he was already fluent in Portuguese and Latin. At 15, he ran away and returned to Quilombo de Palmares.
A few years later, in 1675, Zumbi gained notoriety by defending the quilombo from an attack by Portuguese troops. In this bloody battle, he demonstrated his skills as a Jaga warrior.
At the age of 25, Zumbi challenged his uncle. In 1680, he took Ganga Zumba ‘s place as leader of Palmares (according to scholars, Ganga Zumba was assassinated).
Their stance towards the colonial government was one of defiance and confrontation. Thus, the Portuguese leaders hired the services of the bandeirantes Domingos Jorge Velho and Bernardo Vieira de Melo.
In 1694, they led the attack that would destroy the ‘Cerca do Macaco’, the capital of Palmares. They completely destroyed it and injured its leader, Zumbi, who managed to escape.
Learn more about Quilombo dos Palmares .
Curiosity
The word “Zumbi” or “Zambi”, the name adopted by the hero, is of ‘ quimbunda ‘ origin, and alludes to spiritual beings, such as ghosts, specters and goblins.
Death of Zumbi dos Palmares
In 1695, on November 20 , Zumbi was betrayed by one of his captains, Antônio Soares, and killed by Captain Furtado de Mendonça. The leader of Palmares was 40 years old.
After defeating and killing Zumbi, the captain was awarded fifty thousand réis by the monarch D. Pedro II of Portugal.
His head was cut off, salted and taken to Governor Melo e Castro. It was displayed in a public square in order to end the myth of Zumbi dos Palmares’ immortality.
The date of his death, November 20, was adopted as Black Consciousness Day.
Understand everything about Slavery in Brazil .
Tributes to Zumbi dos Palmares
The importance of Zumbi dos Palmares is so great for the black movement that today his name is given to a college: the Zumbi dos Palmares college – FAZP – in São Paulo.
Furthermore, Maceió/AL International Airport, opened in 2005, bears his name.
The Rio de Janeiro samba school Vila Isabel paid tribute to Zumbi dos Palmares in 1988 with the theme “Kizomba, festa da raça”. This is how it won its first title with the theme.
