A Brief History of Portugal

Part 7 - The Return of Portuguese Rule

AS I PROMISED you last month, you gluttons for punishment, the answer to the little test I set right back at the beginning of this Masterclass on Portuguese History will be revealed at the end of this session - well almost!  Knowing already what a very intelligent lot of students you have turned out to be, I am sure that most of you will have guessed who I had in mind for the face that forms the outline map of Portugal.  But to carry on the intrigue for just one more month, I am giving you a picture of the person at the end.  Now, if he is still elusive to you, I had better admit the pose shown in the picture is not one you will see very often.  In fact, I couldn't find another picture of our subject in anything like this disguise, despite checking through dozens of web sites. In my view, the disguise is so good; I'm half inclined to set it up as a `sub' quiz!  No, on second thoughts it would be very rotten to do that, but let me just say that `everything is not as it seems'.

I think I'd better leave it at that until all is revealed next month; I promise. Good luck anyway!

Dom Philip III of Spain (II of Portugal): 1598-1621

The Spanish `light touch' governing of Portugal continued under Dom Philip II, whose day-to-day rule was carried out solely under a Viceroy, with no court to bother about, residing in Lisbon.  Because of the continuing surpluses of funds entering Portugal through beneficial trading terms, the taxes imposed on trade were held at a low level.  It even became a talking point amongst the ruling classes and merchants that being occupied by Spain wasn't turning out as onerous as it had been feared after all.  What with no court to attend, the gentry of Portugal were able to spend less time in Lisbon on state business and more time in their Country estates.

Dom Philip IV of Spain (III of Portugal): 1621-40

As soon as Dom Philip III took office, there was a dramatic change of conditions.  The new king found to his horror, that his predecessor had let Spain's involvement in a number of European wars needing a great deal of money to sustain.  As so often happens, once you look at one area of expenditure, something else crops up to make things infinitely worse.  In this case it was the silver mines of Peru, which had been a very nice `little earner', but were now suddenly found to be almost exhausted.

On top of all this, Dom Philip III had to contend with an increasing attack on Portuguese trading posts.  Just like a pack of cards, important trading posts and even countries, started to collapse out of Dom Philip III's control.  Firstly, in 1623, Ormuz was taken over by the English and, more importantly, the capital of Brazil was occupied by the Dutch shortly afterwards.  In fact, during just a fifteen year period (1623-38), over 500 Portuguese ships were either seized or sunk by the English, Dutch or French.  With all this activity, it was all Philip III could do but look after his interests in his homeland, Spain.  As an ever increasing tax `yoke' was imposed on Portugal, in an attempt to redress some of these losses, a revolt was sparked off in Alentejo during 1637.

To add to the mayhem, the Spanish Count Duke of Olivares decided to gain some extra `Brownie points' by coming up with a plan to reduce the Iberian states to provinces.  This caused even more unrest amongst the majority of people both in Catalonia and Portugal.  By this time, the Portuguese ruling classes had had enough and decided that they must act as soon as the right opportunity came up.

It was not until 1640, when the Portuguese received orders from their Spanish masters to stamp out a rebellion in Catalan, that they decided the time was right to act.  A fighting force of men and equipment, assembled by these self-same noble gentlemen, marched on the Royal Palace at Lisbon.  With no forewarning of their approach, they found little resistance and easily overcame the dozing Palace Guards.  Their next aim was to find the most hated Portuguese of the time, Miguel de Vasconcelos; a man who had collaborated with the Spaniards on every occasion he could.  He was located quite easily, stabbed to death, and his body thrown to the Portuguese crowd that had started to throng the streets when word spread of the insurrection.  Next on their list, was the Duchess of Mantua, acting as Viceroy answering to Spain.  Using `persuasion', the men were able to get out of her a signed order under which the Castilian garrison, housed in São Jorge Castle, would be left untouched.

HOUSE OF BRAGANZA

Dom João IV: 1640-56

It was about a fortnight after the Lisbon upsurge that João IV was persuaded to be crowned Dom João IV.  This lead to a surge of other countries wishing to be placed under the jurisdiction, once more, of Portugal.  Only Ceuta, an enclave in mainland Morocco, decided to remain loyal to Madrid and Spain.  One of the problems created by placing the Braganza's on the throne was that of protection from predators.  Portugal was part of the Habsburg Empire under Spanish rule, whose enemies included the armies of England, France and Holland.  After the yoke of Spain had been thrown off, Portugal made serious attempts to forge alliances with these enemies of Spain, but they were all rejected.

The Italians would not recognize the independence of Portugal, due to a strong affiliation with Spain.  But, devious as usual, France played one against the other; she accepted Spain still had the right of sovereignty over Portugal and, at the same time, allowed an army of five hundred officers and men to be assembled, under the Count of Schomberg, which entered Portugal and totally reorganised her forces.

In 1642 António de Sousa de Macedo (get your mouth round that if you have had a few glasses of Portuguese wine!), Portugal's ambassador in England, was able to persuade the English that they should recognize Portugal's new individual status.  Believing that the time was right, of course, a lot of others jumped on the bandwagon to harass the English, just at the start of their own Civil War.  This led in 1649 to the Prince's Rupert and Maurice, sons of Frederick V, who was married to Elizabeth, the sister of Charles I of England (I hope you are following all this, there may be questions asked later!) using the Tagus estuary as their base.  This enabled them to side with the Royalists in their naval war against the Parliamentarians.  Their aim was to interfere with the English merchant shipping fleet.  But, along came Cromwell who sent Admiral Blake to give these two little upstarts a bloody nose.  This he did quite convincingly, with the Royalists escaping in some disarray into the Mediterranean.

It was in 1654 that the Parliamentarians imposed the Treaty of Westminster on Portugal.  This treaty covered a number of objectives.  Firstly, the right for the British to trade with Portugal's colonies as they wished.  Secondly, that British subjects resident in Portugal should be allowed freedom of worship.  And finally, the freedom from arrest without compensation, a growing sore between the two nations.

Now here we are again, in danger of having the lights turned out on us if we don't quit now so, what option do we have?  But before we go, who's this `Geezer' below without a name tag?  See you next time I hope, when the name of this gentleman, whose side profile, in the writer's view, resembles the map of Portugal, will be revealed.

    David Devereux

     dfdev@btinternet.com

Why not now have a look at the Family Tree of Kings and Queens of Portugal?

return to A brief history of Portugal index

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