A “Fortaleza de São João Baptista de Ajudá”, também referida como “Feitoria de Ajudá” ou simplesmente “Ajudá”, localiza-se na cidade de Ouidah, no Benim, na costa ocidental da África.
São João Baptista d'Ajuda foi um pequeno enclave colonial português com cerca de 4,5 quilómetros quadrados, constituído por uma feitoria e os seus arredores, onde a autoridade era exercida pelo feitor. Constituiu-se no menor território colonial do mundo. ("The Guinness Book of Records". London: Guinness Superlatives Limited, 1958; S. 81: "The smallest colony in the world is the Portuguese enclave in the French West African Territory of Dahomey consisting of the Fort of St. John the Baptist (S. Joao Batista de Ajuda). This has been occupied since 1680 and is garrisoned by one officer and a few men.")
História
As costas da Mina e a da Guiné foram percorridas por navegadores portugueses desde o século XV, que, com o tempo, aí passaram a desenvolver importante comércio, principalmente de escravos africanos. É desse período que data a ascensão do antigo reino de Daomé e a importância de sua capital, Abomei (ou Abomé).
Ao final do século XVIII, Pedro II de Portugal (1667-1705) determinou ao Governador de São Tomé e Príncipe, Jacinto de Figueiredo e Abreu, erguer uma fortificação na povoação de Ouidah, para proteger os embarques de escravos (1680 ou 1681). Esta foi construída após a povoação que existia no local ter sido arrasada, por ordem do rei de Ajudá, "(...) fazendo trabalhar mais de 50 vassalos seus com mando a todos que dentro de três dias ficou tudo demolido e desentulhado". (“Documentos dos Arquivos Portugueses que Importam ao Brasil”, 1946, nrs. 12‐14). Posteriormente abandonado em data incerta, foi sucedido entre 1721 e 1730 por uma nova estrutura, com as obras a cargo do comerciante brasileiro de escravos José de Torres. Sob a invocação de São João Baptista, a construção do forte de Ouidah (Ajudá) foi financiada por capitais levantados pelos comerciantes da capitania da Bahia, mediante a cobrança de um imposto sobre os escravos africanos desembarcados na cidade do Salvador.
Concluído, funcionou como centro comercial para a região, trocando tabaco, búzios e aguardente brasileiros, e mais tarde, quando o esquema do tráfico se alterou, oferecendo produtos manufaturados europeus, contrabandeados do Estado do Brasil, uma vez que a Coroa portuguesa não permitia que tais itens fossem transportados em navios provenientes daquela sua colónia americana. A sua importância era atestada pelo fato de o português ser a única língua estrangeira autorizada pelos reis do Daomé.
Em janeiro de 1722 o pirata Bartholomew Roberts ("Black Bart") penetrou no seu porto e apresou todas as onze embarcações ali fundeadas.
Encontra-se representada em planta pelo engenheiro militar José António Caldas (“Planta do Forte de S. Joam de Ajudá q’ está situado huma legua pela terra dentro no dominio de El Rei da Homé, cujas canhoneiras sam maneira de portinhólas de navio. Copiada por Joze Antonio Caldas em 15 de Ag.to de 1759.”), que acerca de Ajudá referiu:
“Este porto de Ajudá he avultado em negocio de escravos e mais frequentado de todas as nasoens que navegão para aquela Costa. Nele há tres Fortalezas, a saber Ingleza, Franceza e Portugueza distantes da praia hua legua e por esta razão sugeitas aos insultos do Rei da Homé. Corre a costa a Lesnordeste surgese no dito porto em nove brasas, fundo de lama” (CALDAS, 1951:490)
Com a proibição do tráfico de escravos no Império Britânico (Slave Trade Act, 1807) e, posteriormente, a abolição da escravatura no Império Português (lei de 25 de fevereiro de 1869), a fortificação começou a perder importância.
Em 1844 ao Governador da Província de São Tomé e Príncipe, José Maria Marques "(...) pesou-lhe como a bom português, que aquele forte estivesse abandonado, e mandou um oficial para comandá-lo e um presbítero para administrá-lo na parte espiritual." (MENDONÇA, João de. ''Colónias e Possessões Portuguesas''. Lisboa, 1877.)
Entre 1858 e 1861 foi abandonado pelos portugueses, vindo a ser cedido pelo soberano do Daomé a missionários franceses que o ocuparam entre 1861 e 1865.
O forte foi reocupado por Portugal em 1865, subordinado à autoridade do governador do arquipélago de São Tomé e Príncipe. Neste momento serviu como base para uma breve tentativa portuguesa para estabelecer um protetorado no reino do Daomé, do qual a cidade de Hweda (Ajudá - Ouidah) foi parte (1885–1887).
O Daomé foi conquistado por forças francesas (1891–1894). No final do século XIX a costa ocidental africana foi ocupada pelos ingleses, que ali estabeleceram importantes entrepostos, que passaram a ser defendidos pelas guarnições das fortificações antes pertencentes a Portugal, entre as quais a de São João Baptista de Ajudá.
Em 1911, após a Proclamação da República Portuguesa, o novo governo mandou retirar permanentemente a guarnição militar destacada para o forte de São João Baptista, substituindo-a pela presença de dois funcionários coloniais. De acordo com os dados do Censo de 1921, havia no enclave, nomeadamente na fortaleza, cinco habitantes.
O Daomé tornou-se uma colónia francesa a partir de 1892, obtendo independência em 1 de agosto de 1960, quando se transformou em República do Benim. No ano seguinte, tropas do Benim invadiram Ouidah, então uma dependência da colónia portuguesa de São Tomé e Príncipe, intimando os ocupantes portugueses do forte (à época, apenas dois) a abandoná-lo até 31 de julho do mesmo ano. Sem condições para oferecer resistência, o governo de Oliveira Salazar ordenou aos últimos residentes da praça que a incendiasse antes de a abandonar, o que foi cumprido na data-limite.
Em 1965 foi promovido o encerramento simbólico do forte pelas autoridades do Daomé, vindo as suas dependências a sediar o Museu de História de Ouidah, sob administração da República do Benim (1967).
A anexação só viria a ser formalmente reconhecida por Portugal após a Revolução dos Cravos (1974), tendo os trabalhos de recuperação e restauro sido desenvolvidos em 1987, com orientação e recursos da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
A grande descendência deixada por um dos feitores da fortaleza no século XIX, Francisco Félix de Souza, inspirou um romance do escritor britânico Bruce Chatwin. Espalhados atualmente por toda a África, os De Souza têm dado várias figuras de destaque ao Benim. Uma das grandes avenidas de Cotonou, a capital económica, chama-se Avenida Monsenhor De Souza.
Características
Exemplar de arquitetura militar, abaluartado, implantado numa espécie de plataforma que aproveita uma pequena elevação, sobranceiro ao caminho que se dirige à praia, a cerca de 3 quilómetros, após os obstáculos das formações lagunares paralelas à linha de costa.
De pequenas dimensões, apresenta planta quadrada com baluartes de planta circular nos vértices e muros de barro cozido. Em seu interior, ao centro do terrapleno, ergue-se uma edificação de dois pavimentos, onde se situavam a capela e os quartéis.
Bibliografia
AKINJOGBIN, I.A., Dahomey and its Neighbours 1708-1818, Cambridge (Cambridge University Press) 1967, passim.
CALDAS, José António. “Notícia Geral de toda esta capitania da Bahia desde o seu descobrimento até o presente anno de 1759”. Salvador: Tipografia Beneditina, 1951.
CANTO, Vital de Bettencourt Vasconcellos Corte Real do.. Descripção historica, topographica e ethnographica do districto de S. João Baptista d'Ajudá et do reino de Dahomé na costa da Mina. Lisboa, Typ. Universal, 1869.
CHATWIN, Bruce. The Viceroy of Ouidah (1980). (romance)
MENDONÇA, João de. Colónias e Possessões Portuguesas. Lisboa, 1877.
TAVARES, António José Chrystêllo. São João Baptista de Ajudá face ao conflito Franco-Daomeano de 1892. Ancara: s.e., 1998.
VERGER, Pierre, Le fort St Jean-Baptiste d'Ajuda, Porto Novo (Imprimerie nationale) 1966. Reeks: Mémoire de l'Institut de recherches appliquées du Dahomey, nr.1. (Gedigitaliseerd 2011).
VERGER, Pierre, "Le fort portugais de Ouidah première partie" in: Études dahoméens, n.s., n.d., 4 (1965), pp.5-50; "deuxième partie" in: Études dahoméens, n.s., n.d., 5 (1965), pp. 5-50; "troisième partie" in: Études dahoméens, n.s., n.d., 6-7 (1966), pp. 5-46.
Help
Fortification Visualization |
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• On fortification’s view page there are fortification name, its location (City, State, Country, Continent) and all other available data about it.
• First, you will see a window with a main text that contains the fortification’s history and other information about its project and construction, its buildings, works and other interventions all over the years, information about armaments and troops, interventions of archaeology, information about legal protection, relevant historical facts associated to this fortification and other information you think it is important. • Below text window, there is the Medias box: Interactive Map, Videos, Images, panoramics and CAD Designs. Click on border of the Media you want to view available content miniatures. Below, in this Help text, you can read about navigating between every different medias. Click on miniature to view it full size. This media is viewed at the same window that previously had the main text. Medias Box – Interactive Map: o An Interactive Map shows the fortification’s localization visualized by a satellite image. It is not a static picture but a dynamic one, which works with a Google MAP technology. You can go next and go back through the map with it, zoom in and zoom out, and view satellite pictures. o Click on correspondent border in medias box and on the link “Click here to view the Interactive Map of this fortification’s localization". o The Interactive Map shows viewed fortification’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). There are three navigation ways: Map, Satellite and Hybrid. Use navigation commands to navigate through the map, moving to any direction you want. Still, you are able to move through the map by dragging cursor with left mouse button, always pressing it. o Click on “Return to text” option to close the map and go back to main fortification text. Medias Box – Vídeos: o To open videos, click on the correspondent border in medias box in order to load the miniatures with available files about this fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all available videos. o Click on video miniatures you want in order to load available information about it – they are showed at the same window which previously had the main text. o At the view window there are: video title, your identification number (ID), a description about its content, video credits, date of realization and user name who registered the file – can be fortification’s tutor or other contributor user (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access available information about this user. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (Kb). Click on frame icon to open and watch it. o On the base of the visualization’s window, you can access other available videos with Previous and Next commands. Between the two commands there are the total of available videos and the number of the video that you are watching. o Click on “Return to text” option in order to close the visualization window of videos and to go back to fortification main text. • Medias Box - Images: o To open Images (pictures, old iconographies: plans and maps), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Miniature images are the first to appear available in medias box when you access fortification page at the first time. Click on a miniature to visualize it bigger. The bigger image is visualized on the same window that was occupied by the main text. o When accessing images, first you will see only four miniatures, and beside, there is the number of available images about the fortification. o Click on Show All link to view the total of miniatures. o Use horizontal roll bar to show all available images and click on the miniature you want to load with its available information. o Click on Search link (Images border or miniatures box) to open a selective consult images form . o On Search Form for images it is possible to search for the identification number (ID); image classification category; key-word of image description; any word which is in image credits; the year of image realization, in this case, with the option of searching for a specific date or looking for images from before or after a specific date. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Click on image, on visualization area, to open the original file on other window of your Web Browser, usually it is in a bigger size, with a better visualization. You can get the same result by clicking on " See image at original size" link. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the image that is being showed at the moment. o Click "Auto" to select this item option, going next automatically to an image from other. o Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, with which the register Tutor can go straight to edition area in order to change registered data. o On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where you can print the page content that you are viewing. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box - Panoramic: o To open Panoramic (photographic panorama in 360 degrees), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all Panoramic available. o Click on panoramic miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). o Click on this frame to open it and see the panoramic. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the panoramic that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box – CAD Design: o To open CAD Design (DWG format of CAD file, as graphic survey registers, restoration projects etc), click on correspondent border in medias box, in order to load miniatures with available files about a fortification viewed. Use the horizontal roll bar to show all available CAD files. o Click on miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are: CAD Design title, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, design’s author credits, realization date, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). Click on frame icon to open and view the design (you must have Autocad installed in your computer or other software of DWG file visualization). o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available designs. Between the two commands there are the total of available designs and the design number that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Below medias box, there are many inquiries with parameterized data about this fortification: Recent name, Other denominations, Type, Year of beginning etc. Parameterized data are those with which is possible to do researches on fortifications Search page. Researches can be done with each inquiry individually or by a combination of inquiries. • In “Project Author” and “Began in the governor of” is available a link to access the historical Character data listed there, forwarding to a section of fortalezas.org Website Characters. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below parameterized data box there is an entitle box: Related Characters, where there are listed the name and the nationality (with an image) of historical characters related to the viewed fortification. Click on a name to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Characters box there is an entitled box: Related Bibliographies, where there are listed title, author and type (with an image) of those bibliographies related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its informations, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Bibliographies page. After this, use “Back” Navigator command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Bibliographies box there is an entitled box: Related Links, where there are listed title, synopsis and websites (Links) internet address (URL) that are related to the viewed fortification. Click on link’s title or address forwarding to its website, that will be open in a new window. • Below Link box there is an entitled box: Related texts, where there are listed title, author and text summary posted in Forum section and which are related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • On top and base of page, the system informs the total results (registers), between parenthesis, and the number of the register that is being viewed. • On top and base of page, there are also available the commands to go Next and to go Back, from a text to other, between the results (registers) found in the previous search. • On top and base of page, it is available the “Listing” link to go back to the page with the other results (registers) found in the last research. • Below related texts box, there is a “Contributions” table, where there is Item Tutor’s name, who is responsible for fortification register. Below its name, there are listed other users name that contributed to tutor in edition, revision or adding information about this fortification. • Beside Tutor name you can see the date of the last update of fortification’s data. Beside Contributor name is the date when he last contributed. • Below “Medias” sub item there are listed users that contributed to Tutor, adding a media to this fortification: image, video, panoramic or CAD Design. Beside user name, the number between parentheses informs the quantity of media files added by this user. • Click on Tutor name or those names which are contributors in order to view their available information. • Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, which the register Tutor can change registered contents, and others users can contribute with an additional information about this fortification. • On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where it can be print all fortification content that you are viewing. In this print will be listed medias data without their images. To print it, see below, Medias Box – Images item. |