Resumen de “Privilégios”, “graça”, “utilidade”: argumentos do pedido de elevação da vila de Moçambique à categoria de cidade
The purpose of this reflection is to present and discuss the arguments contained in the request for the elevation of Vila de Mozambique to the category of city, sent to the regent D. João in the year 1800. At the time, the main reasons for the foundation of a city were the importance of its population and its wealth. However, in the documentation analyzed,composed of letters from the governor general, the officers of the Chamber of Mozambique and the episcopal administrator, besides these general elements, some specificities of that locality appear. It should be stressed that, as significant as the reasons given to justify the request, the way in which the arguments are presented tells us a great deal about the dynamics of the functioning of the Portuguese Empire, especially its structures and powerrelationships. In this sense, we believe that this reflection will contribute to the discussions about the importance of the towns and cities in the context of the Portuguese Empire, as well as bring to the debate some particularities of the social and political dynamics of Portuguese East Africa.
