Ceremonies of public authority in a colonial capital. The king’s processions and the hierarchies of power in seventeenth century Salvador

Abstract

This article examines to processions «of the king» or «of the camara» in the colonial capital of Salvador, Bahia. These processions formed part of the religious and secular calendar and they were particularly important as a theater for the demonstration of loyalty and authority as well as a stage on which social rankings could be made ceremonially clear. The processions promoted collective historical memory and community solidarity but they were also characterized by disputes over precedence and rank. The camara’s role was complicated because it composed of the «nobreza» of the city but it represented the «people.» By the Eighteenth century as Bahian society became increasingly composed of mulattos and blacks, the Camara found it increasingly difficult to represent the people (povo) as well as the king in these symbolic ceremonies.