'Armed bands that roamed the Northeastern region of the country from 1870-1940, taking over landed-estates and exercizing justice. The origin of these bands is found in the production system, since everything that was produced in Brazil was for export and and the only people who could export were those who had large areas of land. Lampião was the most well-known of the cangaceiros. See LAMPIÃO and MARIA BONITA' (Calendário Histórico dos Trabalhadores. São Paulo: MST, Setor de Educação. 3a. edição, 1999, p. 56). EDITOR'S NOTE: The term 'social banditry', after Hobsbaum, is sometimes found in publications in English to refer to the Brazilian cangaço.