republic · South America

Bahia Republic

1837 CE – 1838 CE · capital Salvador

The Sabinada, a revolt that proclaimed a republic in Salvador in 1837 until the young Emperor Pedro II came of age, crushed within four months.

Origins

During the unstable regency period in the Empire of Brazil, discontent in Salvador over central control and military recruitment for the war in Rio Grande do Sul came to a head. On 7 November 1837 rebels led by the doctor Francisco Sabino Vieira took the city and proclaimed the Bahia Republic.

Rule and society

The revolt was led by urban professionals, officers and soldiers. Its leaders declared Bahia independent only until Pedro II reached adulthood, a compromise reflecting divisions among them. They offered freedom to Brazilian-born enslaved people who fought for the republic. The rebels never controlled the Recôncavo sugar region, whose planters supported the imperial government.

Decline and legacy

Imperial forces besieged Salvador by land and sea and retook it in March 1838 after fierce street fighting with heavy loss of life. Sabino was exiled to Mato Grosso, and the revolt became known as the Sabinada after him.

Lineage

Brazilian Empire 1822 CE – 1889 CEBahia Republic

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bahia Republic. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahia-republic
MLA
“Bahia Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahia-republic. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bahia Republic.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahia-republic.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bahia Republic’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bahia-republic (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻