"400 jagunços prisoners" - Surrender of Antônio Conselheiro's followers

The photos by Flávio de Barros are the only visual records of the Canudos War (1896-1897), a bloody conflict in which the republican army fought against the followers of the religious leader Antônio Conselheiro in the backlands of Bahia. The photos were commissioned by the Army, in order to record its victory (obtained only after three failed expeditions) and to show the population of Arraial de Canudos always as prisoners or defeated.

On October 2, 1897, the day after the final assault, about 60 men and more than 500 women and children from the Canudos camp were surrendered. The photograph of these prisoners, entitled by Flávio de Barros “400 Jagunços Prisioneiros” is one of the best known images of the set. It reveals the dramatic state of the besieged, many without water and food for several days. They were mostly women - some breastfeeding their children - and children, in addition to a few men. Standing in the background, there are also some soldiers posted.