ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Abrantes riot 1708

Synopsis
The events of 1708 were a combination of military mutiny and popular revolt that broke out in the town of Abrantes, also an important Portuguese military base, during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). The reports of the military governor of Abrantes, Artur de Sá e Meneses, included in a letter to King João V, inform us of a riot on September 20, 1708, led by the unpaid soldiers of the Portuguese army – those belonging to the second line (militias) and the third line (Ordenanças) – in protest against the better conditions offered to the paid troops that made up the first line of the land armed forces. The arrest of Pedro Nunes, one of the leaders of the riot, was the trigger for what followed, facilitated by the absence of the governor, who had left for Buarcos to take care of his health. The mutinous soldiers, followed by the town’s civilian population, attacked the guardhouse with weapons, swords, and rocks, and “the women with bolts”, but were unable to overcome the resistance offered to them. In response and as an attempt to resolve this conflict, the War Council proposed an investigation and an increase in the number of paid troops, obtaining the king's agreement. However, it is unknown whether this measure was implemented and how the unrest situation evolved in Abrantes.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 1 day. Name in sources: Motim de Abrantes. Location: Abrantes Country (current): Portugal. Monarchy: Portuguese. Main participants: Others, Soldiers, Women. Number of participants: 50-100. Main reasons & motivations: Labour conditions, Military issues, Others. Leadership: Pedro Nunes. Relevance: low.

Further reading
ALMEIDA, Luís Ferrand de (1987). “Os motins de Abrantes e Viseu (1708-1710)”, Revista Portuguesa de História, 22: 137-148.
Cite this entry

(2023) "Abrantes riot 1708", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. (accessed on ).