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Portuguese empire
*** Shopping-Tip: Portuguese empire
{{History of Portugal|
image=
Image:BancoUltramar200301_CopyrightKaihsuTai.jpg 250px|
caption=A piece of artwork for the National Overseas
Bank (''Banco Nacional Ultramarino'') in
Lisbon, with
coat-of-arms coats-of-arms symbolizing
the colonies of the Portuguese Empire.}}
The '''Portuguese empire''' was the earliest and longest lived of the
colonial Western European
Global Empires (1415–1999). After its
Reconquista culminated in
1272,
Portugal focused its territorial expansion in the
Atlantic Ocean. The Portuguese captured
Ceuta in
1415 and discovered the islands of
Madeira in
1418 and
Azores in
1432. Such great sailors as
Bartolomeu Dias and
Vasco da Gama explored of the sea route around
Africa to
India, whereas other important Portuguese sailors such as
Fernão de Magalhães Magellan,
Pedro Fernandes de Queirós Queirós and
Luis Vaz de Torres Torres worked for the
Spanish Empire in the
Pacific Ocean. The throne of
Portugal was held by
Habsburg Spain from
1580 to
1640.
In the
XVIII century, Portuguese colonial ambitions centred in
Brazil and a few bases in
Africa and
Asia.
In
1822, Brazil
Empire of Brazil declared independence and the Portuguese colonialism focused on expanding its outposts in Africa into nation-sized territories to compete with other European powers there.
After
World War II, Portugal began abandoning its colonies. The Portuguese overseas empire finally came to an end when Portugal handed
Macau over to
China in
1999.
The beginnings of the empire (1415-1580)
The countries that we now know as Spain and
Portugal spent the
Middle Ages after
722 in an intermittent struggle called the ''
Reconquista''. This struggle pitted the northern Christian kingdoms against the Islamic kingdoms of the South and among themselves.
The
Portugal Portuguese Reconquista culminated in
1272 with the conquest of
Algarve by
Afonso III of Portugal Afonso III, setting Portuguese borders almost in the
Iberian Peninsula. During the
15th century, the Crown of
Aragon and the Crown of
Portugal expanded territorially seawards (Castille did not complete the conquest of the last Moorish stronghold at Granada until
1492).
Aragonese Empire, who has finished his Reconquista in
1266, focused in the
Mediterranean and Portuguese Empire, in the
Atlantic Ocean.
Portuguese soldiers captured
Ceuta (on the
North African coast) in
1415 and again defeated the Moors, who attempted to re-take it in
1418.
In
1419 two of the captains of Prince
Henrique the Navigator,
João Gonçalves Zarco and
Tristão Vaz Teixeira, were driven by a storm to
Madeira. In
1427, another portuguese captain discovered the
Azores.
In an expedition to
Tangier, undertaken in
1436 by King Edward (1433-1438), the Portuguese army was defeated, and could only escape destruction by surrendering as a hostage Prince Ferdinand, the king's youngest brother. By sea Prince Henry's captains continued their exploration of
Africa and the
Atlantic Ocean. In
1433 Cape Bojador was doubled; in
1434 the first consignment of slaves was brought to
Lisbon; and slave trading soon became one of the most profitable branches of Portuguese commerce. The Senegal was reached in 1445,
Cape Verde was passed in the same year, and in 1446
Alvaro Fernandes pushed on almost as far as
Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile colonization progressed in the
Azores from
1439 and
Madeira, where sugar and wine were now produced by people from Portugal,
France and the
Flanders; above all, the gold brought home from
Guinea stimulated the commercial energy of the Portuguese. It had become clear that, apart from their religious and scientific aspects, these voyages of discovery were highly profitable. Under
Afonso V of Portugal Alphonso V (1443–1481), surnamed the African, the
Gulf of Guinea was explored as far as
Cape St Catherine, and three expeditions (1458, 1461, 1471) were sent to Morocco; in 1471 Arzila (Asila) and Tangier were captured from the Moors.
Under John II (1481–1495) the fortress of
São Jorge da Mina, the modern Elmina, was founded for the protection of the Guinea trade in.
Diogo Cão, or Can, discovered the Congo in 1482 and reached Cape Cross in 1486.
Portuguese ships organized by
Henry the Navigator explored the west coast of
Africa, mapping territory and pursuing trade, particularly in
gold and
slavery slaves. By
1487,
Bartolomeu Dias rounded the
Cape of Good Hope, and in
1498 Vasco da Gama reached
India and established the first Portuguese outposts there. The discovery of the sea route around Africa to India and the rest of
Asia opened enormous opportunities to
trade for Portugal, which it aggressively pursued with the establishment of both trade outposts and fortified bases.
In
East Africa, small
Islamic states along the coast of
Mozambique,
Kilwa,
Brava and
Mombasa were destroyed, or either became subjects or allies of Portugal.
Pêro da Covilhã had reached
Ethiopia as early as
1490; a diplomatic mission reached the ruler of that nation
October 19,
1520. Explorer
Pedro Ã?lvares Cabral landed on
April 22,
1500 in what is today
Porto Seguro,
Brazil and temporary trading posts were established earlier to collect
brazilwood, used as a
dye. In the
Arabian Sea,
Socotra was occupied in
1506, and in the same year
D. Lourenço d'Almeida visited
Ceylon. In the
Indian Ocean, one of Pedro Ã?lvares Cabral's ships discovered
Madagascar, which was partly explored by
Tristão da Cunha (
1507), whilst
Mauritius was discovered in
1507. In
1509 the Portuguese won the sea
Battle of Diu against the combined forces of the
Ottoman Empire Ottoman Sultan Beyazid II, Sultan of Gujarat, Mamlûk Sultan of Cairo, Samoothiri Raja of Kozhikode,
Venetian Republic,
Ragusan Republic (Dubrovnik). A second Battle of Diu in
1538 finally ended Ottoman ambitions in India and confirmed Portuguese dominance in the Indian Ocean.
The Portuguese empire was guaranteed by the
Treaty of Tordesillas of 7 July, 1494 with Spain, and Portugal established trading ports at far-flung locations like
Goa,
Malacca, the
Maluku Islands,
Macau, and
Nagasaki. Guarding its trade from both European and Asian competitors, Portugal dominated not only the trade between Asia and Europe, but also much of the trade among different regions of Asia, such as
India,
Indonesia,
China, and
Japan.
Society of Jesus Jesuit missionaries, as the spanish
Francis Xavier, followed the Portuguese to spread
Roman Catholic Christianity to Asia with mixed success.
Image:Portuguese_Empire_map.jpg John III of Portugal thumb|right|400px|Map of the Portuguese Empire during the reign of [[John III of Portugal|John III (
1502–
1557)..html" title="Meaning of John III.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|400px|Map of the Portuguese Empire during the reign of [[John III of Portugal|John III">thumb|right|400px|Map of the Portuguese Empire during the reign of [[John III of Portugal|John III (
1502–
1557).">John III.html" title="Meaning of thumb|right|400px|Map of the Portuguese Empire during the reign of [[John III of Portugal|John III">thumb|right|400px|Map of the Portuguese Empire during the reign of [[John III of Portugal|John III (
1502–
1557).
In
1503, an expedition under
Gonçalo Coelho discovered that the French were making incursions to the land what is today Brazil and looting it. In
1530 there was a new expedition from
Martim Afonso de Souza to patrol the entire coast, banish the French, and to create the first colonial towns:
São Vicente at the coast, and
São Paulo (city) São Paulo on the border of the altiplane. In
1549,
Tomé de Sousa, the first Governor-General was sent to Brazil. He built the capital of Brazil,
Salvador, Brazil Salvador at the
Bay of All Saints. The first
Society of Jesus Jesuits arrived the same year.
From
1565 through
1567 Mem de Sá, a Portuguese
colonialism colonial official and the third
Governor General of Brazil, successfully destroyed a ten year old
French colonization of the Americas French colony called
France Antarctique, at
Guanabara Bay. He and his nephew,
Estácio de Sá, then founded the city of
Rio de Janeiro on March
1567.
Having established some cities, Portugal started the colonization of Brazil. Having no means to administer the new colony, the king of Portugal divided the land in 15 "Capitanias Hereditárias" ("heritage captainships"), that were given to anyone who wanted to administer and explore them. From the 15 original Capitanias, only two,
Pernambuco and
São Vicente, Brazil São Vicente, prospered. With permanent settlement came the establishment of the
sugar cane industry and its intensive
labor (economics) labor demands which were met with
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Native American and later
African slaves.
In
1578, the Portuguese crusaders crossed into
Morocco and were routed by
Ahmed Mohammed of Fez, at
Battle of Alcazarquivir Alcazarquivir (Field of the Three Kings).
Sebastian of Portugal was almost certainly either killed in battle, or subsequently executed. This battle marked the end of Portugal as global ambitions.
The Habsburg kings (1580-1640)
From
1580 to
1640, the throne of
Portugal was held by the
Habsburg kings of
Spain resulting in the biggest colonial empire until then (see
Iberian Union). In
1583 Philip II of Spain as king of Portugal sent his combined Iberian fleet to clear the French traders from the Azores, decisively hanging his
prisoners-of-war from the yardarms and contributing to the "
Black Legend". The Azores were the last part of Portugal to resist Philip's reign over Portugal.
Image:Spanish Empire.png thumb|450px|An anachronous map showing the Portuguese possessions ruled by the Habsburg kings (1580-1640) jointly all Spanish colonies (1492-1975), shown together simultaneously and at their maximum extent.
In the Americas, the Portuguese expansion continue beyond the west side by the meridian set by the Treaty of Tordesillas. Portugal was able to mount a military expedition, which defeated and expelled the French colonists of
France Équinoxiale in
1615, less than four years after their arrival in the land.
1627 saw the collapse of the Castilian economy. The
Netherlands Dutch, who during the
Twelve Years’ Truce had made their navy a priority, devastated Spanish maritime trade after the resumption of war, on which Spain was wholly dependent after the economic collapse. Even with a number of victories Spanish resources were now fully stretched across Europe and also at sea protecting their vital shipping against the greatly improved Dutch fleet. Spain's enemies, such as the
Netherlands and
England, coveted its overseas wealth, and in many cases found it easier to attack poorly-defended Portuguese outposts than Spanish ones. The Spanish were simply no longer able to cope with naval threats.
Between
1638 and
1640 the
Netherlands came to control part of Brazil's Northeast region, with their capital in
Recife. The Portuguese won a significant victory in the
Second Battle of Guararapes in
1649. By
1654, the Netherlands had surrendered and returned control of all Brazilian land to the Portuguese.
Although
Dutch Empire Dutch colonies in Brazil were wiped out, during the course of the
17th century the Dutch were able to occupy
Ceylon, the
Cape of Good Hope, and the
East Indies, and to take over the trade with Japan at
Nagasaki. Portugal's
Far Eastern territories were reduced to bases at
Macau and
East Timor.
The Empire of Brazil (1640-1822)
In
1661 the Portuguese gave
Bombay and
Tangier to England as part of a
dowry, and over the next hundred years the British would gradually become the dominant power in India as the
Moghul Empire disintegrated, excluding other powers almost completely from trading there. Portugal was able to cling onto
Goa and several minor bases through the remainder of the colonial period.
In
1755 Lisbon suffered a catastrophic
1755 Lisbon earthquake earthquake, which together with a subsequent
tsunami killed more than 100,000 people out of a population of 275,000. This sharply checked Portuguese colonial ambitions in the late
18th century.
Although initially less important, Brazil would become the main centre for Portuguese colonial ambitions, from which Portugal gathered resources such as gold,
precious stones,
sugar cane,
coffee and other
cash crops. Voluntary
immigration from Europe and the slave trade from Africa increased its population immensely (today Brazil is the largest
Portuguese language Portuguese-speaking country in the world).
Unlike the
Spain Spanish, the Portuguese did not divide its colonial territory in America. The
capitania captaincies there created were subdued to a centralized administration in Salvador which reported directly to the Crown in
Lisbon.
In
1789, there was the
Inconfidência Mineira, a rebel movement that failed, and the leader of which,
Tiradentes, was hanged.
In
1808, the French troops of
Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Portugal, and Dom João,
Prince Regent prince regent in place of his mother,
Maria I of Portugal Dona Maria I, ordered the transfer of the royal court to Brazil. Brazil was elevated to the condition of a Reino Unido de Portugal e Algarve (
1815). There was also the election of Brazilian representatives to the Cortes Constitucionais Portuguesas (Portuguese Constitutional Courts).
Dom João, fleeing from
Napoleon's army, moved the seat of government to Brazil in 1808. Brazil thereupon became a kingdom under
Dom Joao VI Dom João VI. Although the royal family returned to
Portugal in
1821, the interlude led to a growing desire for independence amongst Brazilians. In
1822, the son of Dom João VI, then prince-regent
Dom Pedro I, proclaimed the independence,
September 7,
1822, and was crowned emperor.
The African Empire (1822-1945)
By the height of European
colonialism in the
19th century, Portugal had lost its territory in
South America and all but a few bases in Asia. During this phase, Portuguese colonialism focused on expanding its outposts in Africa into nation-sized territories to compete with other European powers there. Portuguese territories eventually included the modern nations of
Cape Verde,
São Tomé and PrÃncipe,
Guinea-Bissau,
Angola, and
Mozambique.
Decline and Fall (1945-1999)
Image:Lisbon monument.jpg Lisbon.html" title="Meaning of right right|250px|thumb|Monument to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese Navigators in [[Lisbon,
Portugal.html" title="Meaning of 250px|thumb|Monument to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese Navigators in [[Lisbon">right|250px|thumb|Monument to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese Navigators in [[Lisbon,
Portugal">250px|thumb|Monument to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese Navigators in [[Lisbon">right|250px|thumb|Monument to the Age of Discovery and Portuguese Navigators in [[Lisbon,
Portugal
In the wake of
World War II, other European nations began abandoning their colonies either voluntarily or involuntarily. Portugal refused to enter this process voluntarily, and was the last nation to retain its major colonies. In
1961,
Goa and the rest of
Portuguese India were occupied and annexed by India. In Portuguese Africa a decade-long war broke out with various resistance groups, in great part a consequence of the "
proxy war" between the
United States and the
Soviet Union during the
Cold War.
In fact, it was the Cold War that destroyed the Portuguese empire, as the USA and USSR tried to increase their
sphere of influence spheres of influence. The cost of the unsuccessful war against the various guerilla movements overseas eventually led to collapse of the
António de Oliveira Salazar Salazar regime in
1974 (the "
Carnation Revolution"). One of the first acts of the democratic government which then came into power was to end the wars and negotiate Portuguese withdrawal from its African colonies. In both
Mozambique and
Angola a civil war promptly broke out, with incoming
communist governments formed by the former rebels (and backed by the
Soviet Union,
Cuba, and other communist countries) fighting against insurgent groups supported by nations like
Zaire,
South Africa, and the
United States.
East Timor also became independent at this time, but was promptly invaded by neighbouring
Indonesia, which occupied it until
1999.
The Portuguese overseas empire finally came to an end when Portugal handed
Macau over to
China in 1999 under the terms of a negotiated agreement similar to the one under which the
United Kingdom handed over
Hong Kong.
The seven former colonies of Portugal that are now independent nations, together with Portugal, are members of the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
Territories of the Portuguese empire
in Africa
*
Angola/Portuguese West Africa - colony (1575-1589); crown colony (1589-1951); overseas province (1951-1975). Independence in 1975.
*
Arguin/Arguim - (1455-1633)
*
Cabinda (province) Cabinda - protectorate (1883-1887);
Congo district (1887-1921);
intendant intendancy subordinate to
Maquela (1921-1922); dependency of
Zaire district (1922-1930); Intendacy of Zaire and Cabinda (1930-1932); intendancy under
Angola (1932-1934); dependancy under Angola (1934-1945); restored as District (1946-1975). Controlled by Frente Nacional para a Libertação de Angola (
National Liberation Front of Angola) as part of independent Angola in 1975. Declared Cabinda a Republic in 1975, but not recognized by Portugal nor Angola.
*
Cape Verde Cabo Verde/Cape Verde - settlements (1462-1495); dominion of crown colonies (1495-1587); crown colony (1587-1951); overseas province (1951-1974);
autonomous republic (1974-1975). Independence in 1975.
*
Ceuta - possession (1415-1640). Became Spanish colony in 1640.
*
Fernando Póo (island) Fernando Póo and
Annobón - colonies (1474-1778). Ceded to Spain in 1778.
*
Gold Coast (British colony) Portuguese Gold Coast - (1482-1642), ceded to Dutch Gold Coast in 1642
*
Guinea-Bissau Guiné Portuguesa/Portuguese Guinea - colony (1879-1951); overseas province (1951-1974). Unilateral independence declared in 1973, recognized by Portugal in 1974.
**
Cacheu - captaincy (1640-1879). United with Bissau in 1879.
**
Bissau - settlement under Cacheu (1687-1696); captaincy (1696-1707); abandoned (1707-1753); separate colony under Cape Verde (1753-1879). United with Cacheu in 1879.
*
Mombassa - occupation (1593-1638); colony subordinate to Goa (1638-1698; 1728-1729). Under
Oman Omani sovereignty in 1729.
*
Morocco enclave enclaves
** Aguz/
Essaouira Souira Guedima (1506-1525)
**
Alcacer Ceguer/El Qsar es Seghir (1458-1550)
**
Arzila/
Asilah (1471-1550; 1577-1589). Restored to Morocco in 1589.
**
Azamor/Azemmour (1513-1541). City restored to Morocco in 1541.
**
Mazagan/El Jadida (1485-1550); possession (1506-1769). Incorporation into Morocco in 1769.
** Safim/
Safi, Morocco Safi (1488-1541)
** Santa Cruz do Cabo de Gué/
Agadir (1505-1541)
*
Moçambique (Mozambique/Portuguese East Africa) - possession (1498-1501); subordinate to Goa (1501-1569); captaincy-general (1569-1609); colony subordinate to Goa (1609-1752); colony (1752-1951); overseas province (1951-1974); local administration (1974-1975). Independence in 1975.
*
São João Baptista de Ajudá - fort subordinate to Brazil (1721-1730); subordinate to São Tomé e PrÃncipe (1865-1869). Annexed by
Dahomey in 1961.
*
São Tomé and PrÃncipe São Tomé e PrÃncipe - crown colony (1753-1951); overseas province (1951-1971); local administration (1971-1975). Independence in 1975.
**
São Tomé - Possession (1470-1485); colony (1485-1522); crown colony (1522-1641); administration under
Netherlands Dutch occupation (1641-1648). French occupation in 1648.
**
PrÃncipe - colony (1500-1573). United with São Tomé in 1573.
*
Tangier - possession (1471-1662). Ceded to
England in 1662.
*
Zanzibar - possession (1503-1698). Became part of
Oman in 1698.
in the Americas & North Atlantic
*
Azores - colonies (1427-1766); captaincy-general (1766-1831); overseas district (1831-1976). Made an autonomous region in 1976.
*
Brazil - possession known as Ilha de Santa Cruz, later Terra de Vera Cruz (1500-1530); colony (1530- 1714); vice-kingdom (1714-1815);
monarchy kingdom under United Kingdom of Portugal (1815-1822), independence in 1822.
*
French Guiana - occupation (1809-1817). Restored to
France in 1817.
*
Madeira - possession (1418-1420); colony (1420-1580); crown colony (1580-1834); overseas district (1834-1976). Made an autonomous region in 1976.
*
Nova Colônia do Sacramento - colony in present Uruguay (1680; 1683-1705; 1715-1777). Ceded to
Spain in 1777.
in Asia
*
Ceylon - colony (1597-1658). Dutch took control in 1656,
Jaffna taken in 1658.
*
Hormuz/Ormuz - possession subordinate to Goa (1515-1622). Incorporated into
Persian Empire Persia in 1622.
*
Macau/Macao - settlement (1553-1557), leased territory subordinated to Goa (1557-1844); overseas province (1844-1883); combined overseas province with Timor-Leste under Goa (1883-1951); overseas province (1951-1975); overseas territory (1975-1999). Returned to China (with sovereignty transferred to the
People's Republic of China) as a
special administrative region in 1999.
**
Coloane - occupation in 1864
**
Taipa - occupation in 1851
**
Ilha Verde - incorporated in 1890
**
Hengqin Lapa and Montanha Islands - occupation (1938-1941). Taken by
Japan and restored to
China.
*
Malacca - settlement (1511-1641); lost to the Dutch
*
Molucca Moluccas
** Amboina/
Ambon Island Ambon - settlement (1576-1605)
**
Ternate - settlement (1522-1575)
**
Tidore - colony (1578-1605). Seized by
Netherlands Dutch in 1605.
*
Muscat, Oman Muscat - possession (1515-1650)
*
Portuguese India Ã?ndia Portuguesa/Portuguese India - overseas province (1946-1962). Annexed by India in 1962 and recognised by Portugal in 1974.
** Baçaim/
Vasai - possession (1535-1739)
**
Cannanore - possession (1502-1663)
**
Kochi, India Cochin - possession (1500–1663)
**
Cranganore - possession (1536-1662)
**
Daman and Diu Damão/Daman - acquisition in 1559. Became part of overseas province in 1946.
**
Daman and Diu Diu - acquisition in 1535. Became part of overseas province in 1946.
**
Dadra - acquisition in 1779. Occupied by India in 1954.
**
Goa - colony (1510-1946). Became part of overseas province in 1946.
**
Dadra_and_Nagar_Haveli Nagar Haveli - acquisition in 1779. Occupied by India in 1954.
**
Quilon - possession (1502-1661)
**
São Tomé de Meliapore - settlement (1523-1662; 1687-1749)
*
Socotra - possession (1506-1511). Became part of Mahri
Sultanate of Qishn and Suqutra
*
Timor-Leste (East-Timor) - colony subordinate to Portuguese India (1642-1844); subordinate to Macau (1844-1896); separate colony (1896-1951); overseas territory (1951-1975); republic and unilateral indepedence proclaimed, annexed by Indonesia (1975-1999,
United Nation UN recognition as Portuguese territory). UN administration from 1999 until independence in 2002.
See also
*
Portugal
*
History of Portugal
*
Timeline of Portuguese history
Sources, References & External links
-
Portuguese Empire Timeline
-
Japanese Screen Painting of the Portuguese in the Indies(Enlarge)
-
Dutch Portuguese Colonial HistoryDutch Portuguese Colonial History: history of the Portuguese and the Dutch in Ceylon, India, Malacca, Bengal, Formosa, Africa, Brazil. Language Heritage, lists of remains, maps.
-
Current and Former Colonies and Possessions of Portugual from World Statesmen
-
The Portuguese and the East (in Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Thai) with English introduction.
-
WorldStatesmen
{{Colonial Empires}}
Category:Colonialism
Category:History of Portugal
Category:Empires
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de:Portugiesische Kolonien
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fr:Empire colonial portugais
it:Impero portoghese
nl:Portugese koloniën
ja:�ルトガル海上�国
pt:Império Português
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see
Portuguese Empire
*** Shopping-Tip: Portuguese empire
