Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/340

* PORTXTGAL. 286 PORTUGAL. tillan succession disputes (1474-76) and was severely defeated at Toio in the latter year. Alfonso was succeeded by his son John II. (1481- 95), during whose reign Pope Alexander VI. issued his famous bull of demarcation (May 4,, 1493), giving to Portugal all discoveries east of a meridian one hundred leagues west of the Azores and Cape Verde Islands, a decision which was modified by the Treaty of Tordesillas (June 7, 1494) between Portugal and Spain, by which the line of demarcation was moved to a dis- tance 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands. This arrangement presently gave Portugal the important territory of Brazil in the Western Hemisphere. John's successor was his cousin Emmanuel (1495-1521), the son of a younger brother of Alfonso V. His reign was notable for the voyage of Vasco da Gama around the Cape of Good Hope to India (1497-98), opening the period of Portuguese activity in the East, and for the discovery and first settlement of Brazil, which remained for over three centuries an ap- panage of the Portuguese crown. In 1510 Albu- querque (q.v.) captured Goa, which became the seat of Portuguese power in the East. Within a few years this great commander extended the Portuguese conquests to JIalacca and the Sunda Islands. The Portuguese also established them- selves at various points on the east coast of Africa and penetrated into Abyssinia and the Congo country. The reign of Emmanuel's son. John III. (1521-57), saw Portugal at the height of its prestige. It ranked as one of the most powerful European monarchies, while Lisbon was one of the most important commercial cities of the Continent. While Portugal's rise had been rapid, its decline was more sudden still. The numerous wealthy and industrious Jews, whose able financial management had done much to establish Portuguese commerce, ■were expelled from the country, while social tyranny and oppression in the colonies as well as at home depressed the energy' and crippled the resources of the nation. The death of King John in 1557 made his grandson Sebastian, then a child of three years, King. Drawn by his ambition for new conquests and by the restlessness of the iloors into an African campaign in 1578, the young King met a total defeat and death at Kasr el-Kebir (Alcazar Quivir). This was the beginning of the loss of the Moorish dominions of Portugal. Of the few places remaining in Portuguese control after this unfortunate campaign, Ceuta was garrisoned by Spain in 1580 and ceded to that eountry in 16(58; Saffi Avas ceded to the iloors in 1641 : Tan- gier to England in 1062 : several other places to the Moors in 10S9; and the last, Mazagan. in 1770. The death of Sebastian left but one representative of the old Burgundian line. Sebastian's aged grand- imcle, the Cardinal Henry, whose brief reign 1 1578- 80) plunged the country still further into misfor- tunes. His death gave rise to bitter disputes over the succession between several connections of the Portuguese royal house. Of the claimants Philip II. of Spain, whose mother was a daughter of the late King Emmanuel, possessed the power and the opportunity to seize the coveted posses- sion, which he promptly did. two battles sufficing for its conquest by the Duke of Alva. The an- nexation of Portugal to the Spanish monarchy subjected it to the deadly hlight of Philip's state- ly and imposing tyranny; its resources were weakened by the heavj' expenses incident to the ruinous wars of Spain; and the Dutch seized most of the Portuguese possessions in the East Indies. In the reign of Philip IV. matters were brought to a crisis by the course of his minister Olivarez. and in 1U40 a successful conspiracy of the higher nobility freed Portugal from connec- tion with .Spain. This was accomplished under the leadership of John, Duke of Braganza, the descendant of an illegitimate son of John I. The Duke ascended the throne, and the rule of the present reigning House of Braganza began in the person of John IV. (1640-56). War with Sjuiin was terminated in 1668, when in the Treaty of Lisbon the independence of Portugal was formally recognized. The succeeding history of Portugal ofl'ers little that is of interest. From its high rank as a commcri-ial power the country sank into a position of practical dependence ujion Eng- land, with which Portugal became closely allied by the Methuen Treatyin 1703. John iv. was succeeded by two of his sons, Alfonso VI. (1656- 67) and Pedro II. (1067-1706). To the lajter's son, John V. ( 1706-50), .succeeded his son. .Joseph (17.50-77). In this reign the genius and resolu- tion of the Minister Pombal (q.v.) infused tempo- rary vigor into the administration and checked for a time the downward tendency of the national credit. Pombal carried on a relentless war against the nobles and the clergj-. and as a result of his efl'orts the Jesuits were expelled from the country in 1759. The year 1755 was notable for an earthquake which nearly destroyed Lisbon (q.v.). There was a speedy relapse into reaction upon the accession of .Joseph's daughter Maria and her husband. Pedro III., who was also her uncle. The latter died in 1786 and three j'ears later, owing to the mental condition of the" Queen, the government was put in the care of a regency under the Crown Prince .John. Prince .lohn gave evi- dence of ability and patriotism. Being unable to maintain himself in Portugal against Xapoleon. who by the Treaty of Fontaincbleau had agreed with Spain upon the partition of Portugal, he left the country in Xovember, 1807, with his family and transferred his Ciovernmcnt to Brazil, while a French army under Junot occupied Lisbon. The ' campaigns of the English and Portuguese forces ' under .Sir Arthur Wellesley freed Portugal of its French invaders (see PENiNsri,.R W.r). and in 1810. upon the death of his mother. Prince .John succeeded to the crowns of Portugal and Brazil as John ^'I. He continued to reside, however, at the Brazilian capital until 1821. Portugal had for several generations been un- der an absolute form of government, the control- ling springs of which were the Court and the priesthood. The transfer of the seat of govern- ment to Brazil was a humiliation to the Portu- guese, and arbused a spirit of discontent which made them especially susceptible to the revolu- tionary influences then alive in Europe. In 1820 the army Hook the lead in a revolution designed to bring in a constitutional government. King John returned to Portugal, leaving his son Dom Pedro as Regent in Brazil, with instruc- tions to retain that country for the House of Braganza, even at the cost of separation from Portugal. The revolutionists at home insisted upon subordinating Brazil in the new arrange- ments and produced a revolt in the latter coun- try. This movement Dom Pedro, loval to the