O Alufa Rufino: Trafico, Escravidao E Liberdade No Atlantico Negro

by João José Reis, Flávio dos Santos Gomes, Marcus J.M. de Carvalho

Este livro, escrito a seis mãos por especialistas na história da escravidão no Brasil, reconstitui a movimentada biografia de Rufino José Maria e faz uma abrangente análise do contexto histórico do Brasil e da África no século XIX. Nascido no antigo reino africano de Oyó, escravizado na adolescência por um grupo étnico rival, adquirido por traficantes brasileiros e levado para Salvador da Bahia, o protagonista destas fascinantes páginas da história do Brasil teve sua biografia dividida pelo oceano. A vida de Rufino foi plena de aventuras e desventuras. Após conseguir sua alforria, tornou-se cozinheiro assalariado de navios negreiros e, na maturidade, no Recife, alcançou o posto de alufá, guia espiritual da comunidade de negros muçulmanos.

 


Capa 488 páginas
Companhia das Letras; Ediçã 1ª (12 de novembro de 2010)
Português
8535917365
978-8535917369
Dimensões do 21,4 x 14,6 x 3,8 cm
Peso de 839 g

Genres: History, Brazil, Islam

481 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2020

Reviews

[Joaquin A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the research that I have conducted about the slave trade in Brazil, no other book comes close in providing such a detailed account of the middle passage. This book works because it captures each layer of the transatlantic slave trade through its central focus— Rufino. With strong numerical and anecdotal evidence, The Story of Rufino elucidates an inherently complicated process.
As a slave and cook aboard a slave ship, Rufino experienced the transatlantic slave trade from both points of view. As a slave captured from West Africa, Rufino was brought to Bahia to work at an apothecary. After a brief stint in Rio Grande do Sul, Rufino was finally freed.
The 1830s urban Brazil of Rufino was extremely diverse. Bahia functioned as a Luso-African metropolis and a proverbial "Tower of Babel." Despite their ethnic and linguistic differences, African slaves shared a common experience of oppression and a common reaction of resistance. As such, the Brazilian power elite lived under a constant fear of insurrection.
Motivated by the financial incentives, Rufino served as a cook and a translator aboard a slave ship. As a cook, Rufino had the crucial job of ensuring that slaves were well fed. If done poorly, dozens of slaves could die thereby curtailing potential economic profit. Some journeys recorded mortality rates as high as 26.8%.
The book also covers the black market slave trade of 1830 to 1850 and the work of the British Royal Navy to prevent illegal slave ships from reaching Brazil. João José Reis captures the evils of mid- nineteenth Brazilian slavocracy with stunning accuracy and depth. I highly recommend this book.

[Gabriel Ribeiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

bão livro, irei reler algumas vezes vários desses capítulos.

[Mike Emett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for a graduate seminar, Comparative Slavery