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ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Provisorios revolt 1842

Synopsis
The Provisorios revolt was a mutiny by Portuguese military forces in Goa against the interim governor of the Estado da Índia, José Joaquim Lopes de Lima. A Navy captain, Lopes de Lima became governor in 1840 after the death of the incumbent, Manuel José Mendes, Baron of Candal. His administration was marked by several important reforms, but also by fierce opposition from various sectors of colonial society. Tensions were particularly high with the expeditionary force, the Batalhão Provisório, sent from the metropolis to reinforce the colony's defenses. Led by Major Francisco Maria de Magalhães, the Provisorios became the focus of opposition to the governor. In April 1842, in the context of the First Opium War (1839-1842), Lopes de Lima decided to send part of the Provisorios to the Portuguese colony of Macau, on the coast of China, and to appoint Francisco Maria de Magalhães as governor of the remote island of Timor. This decision was bitterly resented by the metropolitan battalion. In the early hours of 27 April, the corps that was to be sent to China rebelled and, together with the rest of the Provisorios, besieged the governor's palace. With no support from the colonial army, Lopes de Lima was forced to resign and left for Bombay on 3 May. Goa was ruled by a provisional government until September, when a new governor arrived from Portugal. The mutineers were not punished, but the Batalhão Provisório was gradually dismantled over the following years.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 1 day. Name in sources: Revolta dos Provisórios, Revolta do Batalhão Provisório. Location: Pangim, Goa Country (current): India-Goa. Monarchy: Portuguese. Main participants: Soldiers. Number of participants: >500. Main reasons & motivations: Military issues, Others, Political. Leadership: Francisco Maria de Magalhães. Relevance: low.

Further reading
COSTA, António Anastácio Bruto da (1896). As Revoluções Políticas da Índia Portugueza do século XIX. Margão: Typographia do Ultramar. Miranda, Jacinto Caetano Barreto de (1865). Quadros Históricos de Goa. Margão: Typographia do Ultramar. SALDANHA, M. J. Gabriel de (1898). Resumo da História de Goa. Bastorá: Typographia Rangel.
Cite this entry

Ferreira, José Miguel (2023). "Provisorios revolt 1842", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Encyclopaedia of Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. https://mappingrebellions.com/revolt/provisorios-revolt-1842/ (accessed on 12 March 2026).