King Manuel I the Fortunate, 1495 – 1521
10/25/1495 AD inherited

Manuel would prove a worthy successor to his cousin John II for his support of Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic Ocean and development of Portuguese commerce. During his reign, the following achievements were realized:

• 1498 – The discovery of a maritime route to India by Vasco da Gama.
• 1500 – The discovery of Brazil by Pedro Álvares Cabral.
• 1501 – The discovery of Labrador by Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real.
• 1503 – The construction of the first feitoria in Brazil by Fernão de Loronha and of a fort in the allied Kingdom of Cochin in India by Afonso de Albuquerque.
• 1505 – The construction of forts at Kilwa, Sofala, Angediva, and Cannanore by Francisco de Almeida as the first viceroy of India.
• 1506 – The capture of Essaouira in Morocco by Diogo de Azambuja.
• 1507 – The capture of Socotra by Tristão da Cunha and Oman by Afonso de Albuquerque.
• 1508 – The capture of Safi in Morocco by Diogo de Azambuja.
• 1510 – The capture of Goa in India by Afonso de Albuquerque.
• 1511 – The capture of Malacca in Malaysia by Afonso de Albuquerque.
• 1513 – The capture of Azamor in Morocco by Dom Jaime Duke of Braganza.
• 1515 – The capture of Ormus in the Persian Gulf by Afonso de Albuquerque.

The capture of Malacca in modern-day Malaysia in 1511 was the result of a plan by Manuel I to thwart the Muslim trade in the Indian Ocean by capturing Aden, blocking trade through Alexandria, capturing Ormuz to block trade through the Persian Gulf and Beirut, and capturing Malacca to control trade with China.[4]

All these events made Portugal wealthy from foreign trade as it formally established a vast overseas empire. Manuel used the wealth to build a number of royal buildings (in the "Manueline" style) and to attract scientists and artists to his court.

Commercial treaties and diplomatic alliances were forged with the Ming dynasty of China and the Persian Safavid dynasty. Pope Leo X received a monumental embassy from Portugal during his reign designed to draw attention to Portugal's newly acquired riches to all of Europe.

He was also the first monarch to bear the title: By the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the Algarves, this side and beyond the Sea in Africa, Lord of Guinea and the Conquest, Navigation and Commerce in Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India (Portuguese: Pela Graça de Deus, Rei de Portugal e dos Algarves, d'Aquém e d'Além-Mar em África, Senhor da Guiné e da Conquista, Navegação e Comércio da Etiópia, Arábia, Pérsia e Índia).

Lisbon

Lattitude: 38.7222° N
Longitude: 9.1393° W
Region: Europe

Modern Day Portugal

Events in 1495 MORE