1 00:00:10,214 --> 00:00:13,666 This is a map of the world's shipping lanes 2 00:00:14,339 --> 00:00:17,081 showcasing the intricate network of maritime routes 3 00:00:17,111 --> 00:00:19,797 that connect our modern world through global trade. 4 00:00:19,847 --> 00:00:23,655 Although some of these routes were established in more recent times 5 00:00:23,865 --> 00:00:26,319 such as the Suez and Panama canals, 6 00:00:26,509 --> 00:00:30,270 most of these oceanic highways were chartered long ago 7 00:00:30,330 --> 00:00:33,779 in an age where there was no reliable way of navigation 8 00:00:33,799 --> 00:00:36,678 other than local knowledge and some rudimentary maps. 9 00:00:38,108 --> 00:00:41,158 However, just over 500 years ago 10 00:00:41,188 --> 00:00:43,573 at the beginning of the 16th century 11 00:00:43,654 --> 00:00:46,921 these international trade routes did not even exist. 12 00:00:47,991 --> 00:00:51,439 Only due to the emergence of the small Iberian nation of Portugal 13 00:00:51,499 --> 00:00:53,688 as a maritime superpower, 14 00:00:53,751 --> 00:00:56,716 were these connections to other parts of the world 15 00:00:56,736 --> 00:01:00,631 made possible through their daring voyages and navigational prowess. 16 00:01:00,778 --> 00:01:04,194 Portugal quickly established an empire for itself, 17 00:01:04,427 --> 00:01:07,931 stretching from Africa, to Asia and South America. 18 00:01:08,961 --> 00:01:12,187 These maritime exploits not only fueled Portugal's wealth. 19 00:01:12,237 --> 00:01:14,205 an astonishing rise to power, 20 00:01:14,205 --> 00:01:18,307 but also laid the foundation for the interconnected global economy 21 00:01:18,376 --> 00:01:19,881 that we benefit from today. 22 00:01:20,381 --> 00:01:24,801 But how did this relatively obscure nation on the edge of Europe emerged 23 00:01:24,864 --> 00:01:27,704 to forge an Empire that would shape the course of History 24 00:01:27,704 --> 00:01:29,393 for centuries to come? 25 00:01:29,700 --> 00:01:32,628 This is the History of the Portuguese Empire. 26 00:01:36,948 --> 00:01:40,911 All of our videos are available to watch ad free over on our substack page. 27 00:01:42,063 --> 00:01:44,616 you can also read along to the original scripts 28 00:01:44,626 --> 00:01:47,607 as well as listen to the audio generation as podcasts 29 00:01:47,607 --> 00:01:50,206 by following the link in the video description below 30 00:01:50,206 --> 00:01:51,829 and subscribing with your email. 31 00:01:51,999 --> 00:01:53,255 Thank you. 32 00:01:53,885 --> 00:01:56,833 The kingdom of Portugal emerged out of the series of events 33 00:01:56,833 --> 00:01:59,363 known to History as the Reconquista 34 00:01:59,413 --> 00:02:02,208 which was the the gradual reconquest of Christian lands 35 00:02:02,208 --> 00:02:04,843 on the Iberian Peninsula from the Muslim Moors 36 00:02:04,873 --> 00:02:08,144 who had invaded the territory far back in the 8th century, 37 00:02:08,504 --> 00:02:11,078 having established itself as a sovereign kingdom 38 00:02:11,108 --> 00:02:12,765 by the middle of the 12th century, 39 00:02:12,785 --> 00:02:16,388 the Portuguese went on to push out the remaining Moors to the South 40 00:02:16,428 --> 00:02:20,021 by capturing the territory of the Algarve in 1249, 41 00:02:20,121 --> 00:02:22,867 effectively setting out the borders of their kingdom 42 00:02:22,877 --> 00:02:25,565 along the same lines to which they exist today. 43 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,186 With their own territory secured from external threats 44 00:02:28,216 --> 00:02:31,749 and the possibility of further expansion on the Iberian Peninsula ruled out 45 00:02:31,759 --> 00:02:33,881 on account of their friendly relations 46 00:02:33,891 --> 00:02:36,914 with the neighboring Christian kingdom of Castile to the east. 47 00:02:36,914 --> 00:02:39,287 Portugal turned its attention towards the sea 48 00:02:39,397 --> 00:02:41,885 and the possibility of exerting its own influence 49 00:02:41,971 --> 00:02:45,667 upon both it and the lands that lay beyond in North Africa. 50 00:02:46,595 --> 00:02:50,656 The year 1415 marked a pivotal moment in Portuguese expansion 51 00:02:50,997 --> 00:02:54,722 for a decision was made to orchestrate an attack on the city of Ceuta, 52 00:02:54,813 --> 00:02:57,331 which was held by the Marinid Sultanate. 53 00:02:57,921 --> 00:02:59,847 Although many at the time considered this 54 00:02:59,847 --> 00:03:02,246 nothing more than a continuation of the hostilities 55 00:03:02,286 --> 00:03:03,915 between Christians and Muslims, 56 00:03:03,955 --> 00:03:06,891 in reality it paved the way for the Portuguese 57 00:03:06,941 --> 00:03:09,714 to expand their dominions and economic interests 58 00:03:09,766 --> 00:03:12,038 beyond the Iberian Peninsula 59 00:03:12,068 --> 00:03:14,629 and marked the beginning of the Portuguese Empire. 60 00:03:15,849 --> 00:03:17,870 Despite capturing the city, 61 00:03:17,870 --> 00:03:21,265 the Portuguese were not able to advance further into North Africa 62 00:03:21,379 --> 00:03:22,960 as they had initially planned, 63 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,615 owing to determined resistance by local Muslim forces. 64 00:03:25,915 --> 00:03:28,803 Nevertheless they continued to guarnison Ceuta 65 00:03:28,843 --> 00:03:30,857 and used its harbor as a base 66 00:03:30,917 --> 00:03:33,094 to explore the Atlantic coastline of Africa. 67 00:03:33,824 --> 00:03:36,197 This policy of maritime exploration 68 00:03:36,237 --> 00:03:38,384 was championed by a prominent figure 69 00:03:38,404 --> 00:03:40,637 in the early days of the Portuguese Empire´: 70 00:03:40,677 --> 00:03:42,399 Prince Henry, the Navigator. 71 00:03:42,769 --> 00:03:46,297 He was curious to know how far the Muslim territories in Africa 72 00:03:46,370 --> 00:03:47,845 extended Southward, 73 00:03:47,865 --> 00:03:51,373 and whether it would be possible to reach Asia by an easterly sea route. 74 00:03:52,177 --> 00:03:56,461 Consequently, scores of Portuguese ships began to set off into the Atlantic Ocean 75 00:03:56,501 --> 00:03:58,768 and around the coast of North Africa 76 00:03:58,848 --> 00:04:03,215 probing further and further into what were at the time uncharted waters. 77 00:04:03,782 --> 00:04:06,113 The islands of Madeira and the Azores 78 00:04:06,113 --> 00:04:10,045 were first cited in 1419 and 1427, respectively, 79 00:04:10,098 --> 00:04:12,344 and were subsequently incorporated 80 00:04:12,364 --> 00:04:15,171 as the latest additions to the expanding Portuguese Empire. 81 00:04:15,971 --> 00:04:17,767 One of the first natural barriers 82 00:04:17,767 --> 00:04:20,227 the Portuguese encountered on their explorations 83 00:04:20,244 --> 00:04:22,029 was Cape Bojador. 84 00:04:22,031 --> 00:04:25,099 The violent waters that surround it had claimed many vessels 85 00:04:25,099 --> 00:04:27,104 that had previously tried to pass through 86 00:04:27,114 --> 00:04:29,781 and it was widely deemed to be a point of no return. 87 00:04:30,031 --> 00:04:32,105 That was until 1434, 88 00:04:32,135 --> 00:04:35,537 when Gil Eanes successfully found the navigable passage 89 00:04:35,637 --> 00:04:37,043 around the cape 90 00:04:37,053 --> 00:04:38,926 and opened up further exploration South 91 00:04:38,969 --> 00:04:40,907 towards subsaharan Africa. 92 00:04:41,137 --> 00:04:43,190 No sooner had this feat been achieved 93 00:04:43,256 --> 00:04:45,921 that the merchants of Lisbon began to search 94 00:04:45,921 --> 00:04:48,355 for newer and more exotic markets 95 00:04:48,355 --> 00:04:49,801 to which they could trade to. 96 00:04:49,981 --> 00:04:54,208 gold, ivory, pepper, cotton and sugar, all from Africa, 97 00:04:54,248 --> 00:04:56,085 soon became more commonplace 98 00:04:56,105 --> 00:04:58,363 amongst the trading stools of Lisbon 99 00:04:58,363 --> 00:05:00,698 as did the practice of selling African slaves 100 00:05:00,868 --> 00:05:05,089 which began the long and dark history of the transatlantic slave trade 101 00:05:05,109 --> 00:05:08,539 that would continue for the next 400 years 102 00:05:09,285 --> 00:05:11,870 Over the subsequent decades of the 15th century, 103 00:05:11,870 --> 00:05:14,207 the Portuguese ventured further and further South 104 00:05:14,277 --> 00:05:16,006 down the coast of Africa. 105 00:05:16,006 --> 00:05:18,745 reaching the Cape Verde Islands in 1456 106 00:05:18,855 --> 00:05:21,825 and the Gulf of Guinea by the 1460s. 107 00:05:22,215 --> 00:05:25,469 As they explored, they left behind a series of "padrões", 108 00:05:25,469 --> 00:05:29,152 stone crosses engraved with the Portuguese coat of arms, 109 00:05:29,212 --> 00:05:31,523 marking out their territorial claims 110 00:05:31,543 --> 00:05:34,154 which were followed up with the construction of forts 111 00:05:34,164 --> 00:05:35,589 and trading posts. 112 00:05:35,629 --> 00:05:39,312 From these bases they engaged profitably in the gold and slave trades 113 00:05:39,342 --> 00:05:41,693 which they held a virtual monopoly on 114 00:05:41,733 --> 00:05:43,709 for well over a century. 115 00:05:43,989 --> 00:05:46,852 The real prize for the portuguese merchants however 116 00:05:46,852 --> 00:05:50,502 was a supposed, but as yet unconfirmed, sea route to Asia . 117 00:05:51,268 --> 00:05:53,901 They hoped that the discovery of such a route 118 00:05:53,921 --> 00:05:57,211 would allow them direct access to the spice markets of the Indies 119 00:05:57,268 --> 00:06:00,800 and bypass the expensive arab and venetian merchants 120 00:06:00,871 --> 00:06:04,118 who controlled the overland trade routes through the Middle East 121 00:06:04,148 --> 00:06:06,341 and across the Mediterranean into Europe. 122 00:06:06,351 --> 00:06:10,308 Then, in 1488 news reached the ears of the Portuguese authorities 123 00:06:10,358 --> 00:06:14,251 that Bartholomew Dias had rounded the southern tip of Africa 124 00:06:14,271 --> 00:06:15,921 and reached the Indian Ocean, 125 00:06:15,921 --> 00:06:19,328 proving that such an easterly passage did indeed exist. 126 00:06:20,138 --> 00:06:24,627 However, this revelation would soon be eclipsed in magnitude, 127 00:06:24,687 --> 00:06:26,221 just four years later, 128 00:06:26,221 --> 00:06:29,582 when Christopher Columbus sailed westwards across the Atlantic Ocean 129 00:06:29,634 --> 00:06:32,110 in search of his own theoretical route to the Indies 130 00:06:32,110 --> 00:06:36,403 and in the process inadvertently discovered an entirely New World. 131 00:06:37,473 --> 00:06:39,578 The discovery of the Americas 132 00:06:39,578 --> 00:06:41,904 which Columbus claimed in the name of Spain 133 00:06:41,914 --> 00:06:44,205 and initially believed to be part of Eastern Asia 134 00:06:44,215 --> 00:06:47,144 quickly created a problem for the two Iberian Nations. 135 00:06:47,144 --> 00:06:50,645 Not knowing where one set of recently discovered lands ended 136 00:06:50,665 --> 00:06:52,645 and another began, 137 00:06:52,685 --> 00:06:56,190 they consequently agreed to divide the world in two spheres of influence, 138 00:06:56,190 --> 00:06:59,586 between themselves, marked by a north/south line of Meridian 139 00:06:59,667 --> 00:07:01,021 roughly halfway 140 00:07:01,096 --> 00:07:03,580 between the Cape Verde Islands controlled by Portugal 141 00:07:03,610 --> 00:07:06,492 and the Caribbean Islands of the Americas 142 00:07:06,492 --> 00:07:09,566 which Columbus had recently discovered and claimed for Spain. 143 00:07:09,798 --> 00:07:13,918 The Treaty of Tordesilhas ratified this agreement in 1494 144 00:07:13,958 --> 00:07:16,808 and effectively carved the world in two. 145 00:07:17,048 --> 00:07:20,528 with the lands to the East of this line to be claimed solely by Portugal 146 00:07:20,608 --> 00:07:23,353 and the lands to the West claimed solely by Spain. 147 00:07:24,413 --> 00:07:27,676 With the dispute settled, Portugal could finally begin to undertake 148 00:07:27,686 --> 00:07:31,497 its long-standing ambition of charting a sea route to Asia 149 00:07:31,547 --> 00:07:34,383 and so, on the 8th of July 1497, 150 00:07:34,393 --> 00:07:37,651 the explorer Vasco de Gama left Lisbon 151 00:07:37,676 --> 00:07:41,244 with a fleet of four ships and a crew of 170 men 152 00:07:41,334 --> 00:07:44,278 bound for the Indian Ocean in search of Asia. 153 00:07:45,288 --> 00:07:48,301 After a voyage of some 10 months Vasco da Gama's expedition 154 00:07:48,341 --> 00:07:51,223 finally made landfall on the Malibar coast of India 155 00:07:51,242 --> 00:07:53,313 in May 1498 156 00:07:53,343 --> 00:07:56,923 and subsequently met with the Zamorin, or king of Calicut 157 00:07:57,163 --> 00:07:59,354 to establish the trade relations 158 00:07:59,354 --> 00:08:01,279 that they they had long hoped for. 159 00:08:01,489 --> 00:08:04,496 Whilst the Portuguese's arrival was greeted with hospitality, 160 00:08:04,586 --> 00:08:07,193 the local indian traders found little value 161 00:08:07,193 --> 00:08:09,178 in the trinkets and commodities 162 00:08:09,178 --> 00:08:11,537 the Europeans had brought with them to exchange 163 00:08:11,577 --> 00:08:15,092 and so, da Gama's expedition largely left empty-handed. 164 00:08:15,824 --> 00:08:19,221 Their return journey back to Portugal took an agonizing amount of time 165 00:08:19,231 --> 00:08:21,979 owing to the monsoon conditions they had to face up at sea 166 00:08:22,085 --> 00:08:25,812 which took an immense toll on both the crew and the ships 167 00:08:26,272 --> 00:08:31,317 Nevertheless the survivors arrived back in Lisbon during the summer of 1499 168 00:08:31,694 --> 00:08:33,895 and were given a hero's welcome. 169 00:08:33,945 --> 00:08:36,746 Despite the meager quantities of spices and other goods 170 00:08:36,776 --> 00:08:38,802 they had brought back. 171 00:08:38,942 --> 00:08:41,824 Although the expedition itself may not have been profitable, 172 00:08:41,914 --> 00:08:45,128 it demonstrated that maritime trade to Asia was possible 173 00:08:45,241 --> 00:08:47,199 and had huge potential . 174 00:08:48,339 --> 00:08:51,353 The second expedition to India set sail in 1500 175 00:08:51,383 --> 00:08:54,033 under the command of Pedro Alvares Cabral. 176 00:08:54,175 --> 00:08:56,698 Although while traversing 177 00:08:56,766 --> 00:08:58,891 across the Atlantic Ocean sailed too far West 178 00:08:58,921 --> 00:09:02,197 and unexpectedly, reached the coast of what is now Brazi. 179 00:09:02,284 --> 00:09:04,719 Although this discovery may have been unintentional 180 00:09:04,815 --> 00:09:06,891 some speculation suggests 181 00:09:06,891 --> 00:09:09,929 the Portuguese may have already been aware of Brazil's existence 182 00:09:09,929 --> 00:09:12,768 and secretly knew that this part of South America 183 00:09:12,808 --> 00:09:17,122 fell within their designated territory according to the Treaty of Tordesilhas. 184 00:09:17,902 --> 00:09:21,584 Cabral recommended to the Portuguese King, Manuel I, 185 00:09:21,734 --> 00:09:23,411 that the land be settled 186 00:09:23,411 --> 00:09:27,174 and two follow-up voyages were sent in 1501 and 1503. 187 00:09:27,984 --> 00:09:30,725 The land was found to be abundant in brazilwood 188 00:09:30,725 --> 00:09:33,066 from which it later inherited its name 189 00:09:33,066 --> 00:09:36,441 but the failure to find gold or silver meant that for the time being 190 00:09:36,741 --> 00:09:39,689 the Portuguese instead decided to concentrate their efforts 191 00:09:39,749 --> 00:09:41,833 on the invaluable trade out of India. 192 00:09:42,823 --> 00:09:45,635 As the first decade of the 16th century progressed, 193 00:09:45,655 --> 00:09:48,721 the Portuguese ventured further into other parts of Asia 194 00:09:48,771 --> 00:09:51,344 such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia, 195 00:09:51,374 --> 00:09:54,100 where they discovered the sources of cinnamon and nutmeg. 196 00:09:54,650 --> 00:09:58,528 So valuable were these commodities that Alfonso de Albuquerque. 197 00:09:58,528 --> 00:10:01,152 the first appointed Vice-Roy of Portuguese India 198 00:10:01,202 --> 00:10:04,877 ordered the construction of trading posts and fortifications 199 00:10:04,927 --> 00:10:07,671 along the 14,000 miles long route, 200 00:10:07,671 --> 00:10:10,107 stretching from Portugal to the East Indies. 201 00:10:10,164 --> 00:10:13,620 These served as basis of operations for conducting trade 202 00:10:13,631 --> 00:10:16,484 and ensured the safeguarding of their valuable cargos 203 00:10:16,556 --> 00:10:19,617 that were to be transported on the long arduous journey 204 00:10:19,627 --> 00:10:21,968 back to the markets of Europe. 205 00:10:22,028 --> 00:10:24,803 Shortly thereafter, the Portuguese trading network 206 00:10:24,823 --> 00:10:27,909 stretched to cover an area surrounding the coastlines of Africa, 207 00:10:27,949 --> 00:10:32,693 Arabia, India, Indonesia and even as far as China and Japan. 208 00:10:34,283 --> 00:10:37,075 Although the Portuguese were primarily motivated 209 00:10:37,135 --> 00:10:39,576 to establish trade relations through peaceful means 210 00:10:39,591 --> 00:10:43,897 their arrival into Asia was often met with a fair degree of suspicion 211 00:10:43,937 --> 00:10:46,264 from local merchants who saw them 212 00:10:46,294 --> 00:10:49,318 as nothing more than foreign interlopers on their territory. 213 00:10:49,868 --> 00:10:51,995 Consequently as tensions grew, 214 00:10:52,055 --> 00:10:54,654 the Portuguese took to enforcing their trading activity 215 00:10:54,684 --> 00:10:56,643 with the use of force 216 00:10:56,876 --> 00:10:59,740 Throughout the 16th century numerous conflicts broke out 217 00:10:59,770 --> 00:11:01,737 across the wider indopacific region, 218 00:11:01,757 --> 00:11:03,702 as the Portuguese engaged in warfare 219 00:11:03,702 --> 00:11:06,629 against the numerous sultanates and empires of Asia. 220 00:11:07,319 --> 00:11:09,463 Often possessing superior military technology 221 00:11:09,523 --> 00:11:11,048 over their adversaries, 222 00:11:11,048 --> 00:11:14,982 the Portuguese were largely successful at defending their commercial enterprises 223 00:11:15,042 --> 00:11:18,489 as well as going on the offensive to capture strategic targets 224 00:11:18,489 --> 00:11:21,133 that they wish to take for themselves. 225 00:11:21,213 --> 00:11:23,808 However, it was not just trade and conquest 226 00:11:23,865 --> 00:11:26,447 that advanced the realms of the Portuguese Empire. 227 00:11:26,506 --> 00:11:29,041 Religion also had its part to play 228 00:11:29,251 --> 00:11:33,199 Accompanying the officials, merchants, mariners and soldiers, 229 00:11:33,239 --> 00:11:35,323 on board the ships leaving Lisbon 230 00:11:35,418 --> 00:11:38,707 were small numbers of priests and missionaries 231 00:11:38,747 --> 00:11:40,919 typically belonging to the Jesuit order. 232 00:11:41,089 --> 00:11:43,404 They had been ordered by the Portuguese monarchy 233 00:11:43,444 --> 00:11:45,145 to spread the Catholic faith 234 00:11:45,165 --> 00:11:47,446 amongst the native peoples of Asia and Africa 235 00:11:47,496 --> 00:11:49,632 who they had come into contact with. 236 00:11:49,642 --> 00:11:52,085 this policy had mixed successes 237 00:11:52,085 --> 00:11:54,959 for, though their efforts help towards establishing relations 238 00:11:55,049 --> 00:11:58,817 and new settlements, such as the port of Nagasaki in Japan, in 1571, 239 00:11:58,949 --> 00:12:01,649 Elsewhere the priests and missionaries 240 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:04,566 spread the word of God through violence and coercion. 241 00:12:04,839 --> 00:12:07,334 In the case of the Goa, Inquisition for example, 242 00:12:07,354 --> 00:12:11,231 they heavily persecuted the Hindu population of Portuguese India 243 00:12:11,314 --> 00:12:13,913 in a bid to convert them to Christianity. 244 00:12:14,461 --> 00:12:16,796 The early period of the Portuguese Empire 245 00:12:16,846 --> 00:12:20,069 was concentrated on developing trade across Asia and Africa, 246 00:12:20,279 --> 00:12:25,318 which were much more lucrative and easily accessible compared to Brazil. 247 00:12:25,375 --> 00:12:28,011 attitudes towards this quickly changed. 248 00:12:28,093 --> 00:12:31,506 However, when other European explorers, particularly the French, 249 00:12:31,506 --> 00:12:34,264 began to develop interests of their own in the territory 250 00:12:34,264 --> 00:12:37,863 and established a trading post there, in 1531, 251 00:12:38,243 --> 00:12:39,657 the Portuguese response, 252 00:12:39,657 --> 00:12:43,639 as decreed by King John III on the 28th of September 1532 253 00:12:43,919 --> 00:12:46,863 was to deter further French incursions to the region 254 00:12:46,893 --> 00:12:50,025 by initiating a large-scale colonization program 255 00:12:50,055 --> 00:12:54,516 that would see the land divided up and ruled by 15 separate captaincies 256 00:12:54,956 --> 00:12:57,276 with instructions to build settlements, 257 00:12:57,316 --> 00:12:59,516 grant allotments and administer Justice. 258 00:12:59,636 --> 00:13:02,531 Each Captain was responsible for developing and absorbing 259 00:13:02,551 --> 00:13:04,607 the costs of colonization, 260 00:13:04,607 --> 00:13:07,585 although they were not allowed to own the land outright. 261 00:13:07,635 --> 00:13:09,631 Despite their best efforts, however, 262 00:13:09,651 --> 00:13:13,687 only two of the captaincies reached any stage of significant development, 263 00:13:13,697 --> 00:13:16,175 owing principally to their dedication 264 00:13:16,175 --> 00:13:18,959 in growing the highly profitable crop of sugar cane. 265 00:13:19,189 --> 00:13:21,893 This required an enormous amount of labor to produce 266 00:13:21,903 --> 00:13:25,526 and over time it became exclusively reliant on enslaved Africans 267 00:13:25,645 --> 00:13:27,236 to work in its fields. 268 00:13:27,306 --> 00:13:29,967 Such was the scale and importance of the sugar industry 269 00:13:30,017 --> 00:13:32,476 that of the estimated 4 million Africans 270 00:13:32,556 --> 00:13:34,569 who were sold into slavery in the Americas 271 00:13:34,589 --> 00:13:36,635 between the 16th and 19th centuries, 272 00:13:36,655 --> 00:13:39,343 up to 40% ended up in Brazil. 273 00:13:39,940 --> 00:13:42,199 The Portuguese presence in South Americ 274 00:13:42,199 --> 00:13:44,797 began to slowly develop, as time passed, 275 00:13:44,827 --> 00:13:48,178 with the cities of Bahia, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, 276 00:13:48,251 --> 00:13:50,847 all being founded in the mid-6th century. 277 00:13:51,647 --> 00:13:55,651 However, a significant change in the progress of the Portuguese Empire 278 00:13:55,671 --> 00:13:58,733 occurred in 1580, when a succession crisis 279 00:13:58,843 --> 00:14:02,179 triggered by the untimely death of King Sebastian, two years earlier, 280 00:14:02,429 --> 00:14:07,212 saw Philip II of Spain invade Portugal and take the throne for himself. 281 00:14:08,420 --> 00:14:12,311 With that, the two crowns and overseas empires of Spain and Portugal 282 00:14:12,421 --> 00:14:15,276 were united under the Iberian Union 283 00:14:15,366 --> 00:14:18,929 although they would continue to be ruled separately and distinctly 284 00:14:18,979 --> 00:14:20,785 from one another. 285 00:14:20,950 --> 00:14:23,596 During this time, however, in the late 16th century, 286 00:14:23,798 --> 00:14:28,067 Spain was at war with England, France and the Netherlands 287 00:14:28,107 --> 00:14:30,747 and as a result of the union with its Iberian neighbor, 288 00:14:30,777 --> 00:14:33,767 Portugal quickly found itself embroiled in the wider conflict 289 00:14:33,767 --> 00:14:35,324 with European rivals 290 00:14:35,344 --> 00:14:38,860 who were all competing to establish overseas empires of their own. 291 00:14:38,953 --> 00:14:42,839 The Dutch, in particular, posed the most comprehensive threat to Portugal 292 00:14:42,918 --> 00:14:44,130 at this time, 293 00:14:44,130 --> 00:14:46,156 for they had just gained their independence 294 00:14:46,156 --> 00:14:48,829 from the Spanish Habsbourg monarchy in 1581 295 00:14:48,839 --> 00:14:51,147 and being adept merchants and maritime explorers 296 00:14:51,165 --> 00:14:55,208 were keen to participate in the lucrative trade to Asia for themselves. 297 00:14:55,378 --> 00:14:57,671 These ambitions were also shared by the English 298 00:14:57,851 --> 00:15:00,738 and both soon learned of the navigational routes 299 00:15:00,805 --> 00:15:02,725 established by the Portuguese 300 00:15:02,735 --> 00:15:04,790 that would take them to the spice markets 301 00:15:04,790 --> 00:15:06,507 of India and Indonesia. 302 00:15:06,517 --> 00:15:09,051 So much so, by the turn of the 17th century, 303 00:15:09,141 --> 00:15:13,485 Dutch and English mercantile interests had been established in Asian ports 304 00:15:13,535 --> 00:15:17,532 such as Surat, Madras, Bantam and Sri Lanka 305 00:15:17,572 --> 00:15:20,502 much to the dislike of the Portuguese traders in the region. 306 00:15:21,633 --> 00:15:24,068 Not only did this posed a commercial threat 307 00:15:24,067 --> 00:15:25,339 to the Portuguese Empire 308 00:15:25,339 --> 00:15:28,366 with other European merchants now competing for the same trade 309 00:15:28,386 --> 00:15:30,520 but it also led to colonial conflict 310 00:15:30,630 --> 00:15:34,157 as the Dutch began to attack Portuguese trading posts and colonies.. 311 00:15:35,037 --> 00:15:39,830 The Dutch-Portuguese War which was fought from 1598 to 1663 312 00:15:39,970 --> 00:15:42,672 saw battles rage across the globe 313 00:15:42,722 --> 00:15:45,512 wherever the colonial interests of the two European powers 314 00:15:45,542 --> 00:15:46,973 came into contact. 315 00:15:47,303 --> 00:15:50,403 Although the Portuguese were able to successfully repel the Dutch, 316 00:15:50,523 --> 00:15:54,383 some areas such as the Second Battle of Guararapes in northeastern Brazil, 317 00:15:55,375 --> 00:15:57,492 many of their territories in Asia, 318 00:15:57,552 --> 00:16:00,869 such as Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Gold Coast of Africa 319 00:16:00,889 --> 00:16:02,201 were lost. 320 00:16:02,486 --> 00:16:04,310 The wider fallout from this conflict 321 00:16:04,390 --> 00:16:07,177 also resulted in further losses for the Portuguese Empire 322 00:16:07,187 --> 00:16:09,785 around the Persian Gulf and in Japan, 323 00:16:09,785 --> 00:16:13,824 where local rulers sought to capitalize on the weakened position of the Portuguese 324 00:16:13,874 --> 00:16:17,132 and expel them from their respective regions. 325 00:16:17,212 --> 00:16:20,843 The loss of these colonial territories spurred the Portuguese to end 326 00:16:20,904 --> 00:16:23,094 the personal union with the Spanish monarchy, 327 00:16:23,124 --> 00:16:26,601 believing they had largely been abandoned by their Iberian neighbor 328 00:16:26,654 --> 00:16:29,124 who had prioritized their own colonial interests 329 00:16:29,174 --> 00:16:31,414 at the expense of Portugal's. 330 00:16:31,684 --> 00:16:35,749 The resulting Portuguese Restoration War which broke out in 1640 331 00:16:35,802 --> 00:16:38,137 saw John the 4th proclaimed as king 332 00:16:38,257 --> 00:16:41,088 and the establishment of the Overseas Council 333 00:16:41,108 --> 00:16:43,868 which was to govern all aspects of the Portuguese Empire 334 00:16:43,868 --> 00:16:45,641 from that point onward. 335 00:16:45,711 --> 00:16:49,256 However, as the second half of the 17th century progressed, 336 00:16:49,306 --> 00:16:52,214 Portugal's colonial might continue to decline 337 00:16:52,214 --> 00:16:55,756 and other European nations began to fill the power vacuum 338 00:16:55,768 --> 00:16:57,933 which had had once occupied 339 00:16:57,983 --> 00:17:00,759 with the English becoming the most dominant power in India 340 00:17:00,861 --> 00:17:04,030 and the Dutch cementing their control over what is now Indonesia. 341 00:17:04,999 --> 00:17:07,645 This, for the most part, left only Brazil 342 00:17:07,645 --> 00:17:10,980 as the remaining territory of significance within the Empire 343 00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:14,126 and consequently became viewed with increasing importance. 344 00:17:14,996 --> 00:17:18,548 The interest in developing Brazil was quickly helped in 1693 345 00:17:18,548 --> 00:17:21,617 by the discoveries of gold and later diamonds 346 00:17:21,697 --> 00:17:23,529 in the Minas Gerais region, 347 00:17:23,529 --> 00:17:25,350 which led to a gold rush 348 00:17:25,350 --> 00:17:28,000 and a large influx of migrants to the territory. 349 00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:31,353 within four decades, the population of Minas Gerais 350 00:17:31,393 --> 00:17:35,621 had reached somewhere between 200,000 and 250,000 people 351 00:17:35,688 --> 00:17:39,062 as migrants from Portugal arrived as prospectors 352 00:17:39,072 --> 00:17:41,873 and African slaves were brought in to work in the mines. 353 00:17:42,668 --> 00:17:46,209 The Gold Rush considerably increased the revenue of the Portuguese Crown 354 00:17:46,258 --> 00:17:48,499 and, by the middle of the 18th century, 355 00:17:48,539 --> 00:17:51,925 it constituted for some 46% of the exports from Brazil, 356 00:17:51,925 --> 00:17:56,242 although the sugar industry remained the primary source of wealth. 357 00:17:57,642 --> 00:17:59,879 Although the Portuguese Empire had regained 358 00:17:59,899 --> 00:18:02,524 some of its former prestige and wealth by this time, 359 00:18:02,534 --> 00:18:04,213 a devastating earthquake, 360 00:18:04,243 --> 00:18:06,902 which struck the capital of Lisbon in 1755 361 00:18:06,952 --> 00:18:09,166 marked what would ultimately become 362 00:18:09,166 --> 00:18:12,048 the beginning of the end for Portuguese colonial ambitions- 363 00:18:12,458 --> 00:18:16,364 The natural disaster not only put a huge financial strain on the Empire, 364 00:18:16,664 --> 00:18:20,147 but the loss of life, estimated to be somewhere in the region 365 00:18:20,147 --> 00:18:22,299 of 40 to 60,000 people, 366 00:18:22,329 --> 00:18:25,304 also significantly diminished the ability of the Portuguese 367 00:18:25,334 --> 00:18:27,282 to fully recover. 368 00:18:27,512 --> 00:18:29,686 As the 18th century progressed, 369 00:18:29,706 --> 00:18:33,217 a wave of Revolution began to sweep across the wider Atlantic region, 370 00:18:33,363 --> 00:18:36,341 first starting in North America with the 13 colonies 371 00:18:36,361 --> 00:18:39,330 declaring their independence from Britain in 1775, 372 00:18:39,330 --> 00:18:43,380 which in turn inspired the French Revolution of 1789. 373 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,925 The Portuguese Empire soon began to experience this phenomenon for itself 374 00:18:48,017 --> 00:18:52,380 with the air of dissension finding its way to their largest colony of Brazil. 375 00:18:54,173 --> 00:18:57,663 Despite being initially confined to localized slave revolts 376 00:18:57,663 --> 00:18:59,342 that were quickly suppressed 377 00:18:59,342 --> 00:19:02,442 there was a growing sentiment within the South American territory 378 00:19:02,442 --> 00:19:04,312 that it should embark on its own journey 379 00:19:04,312 --> 00:19:07,572 towards self-determination outside of colonial rule. 380 00:19:07,902 --> 00:19:11,272 The year 1808 would mark a significant step in this direction 381 00:19:11,322 --> 00:19:15,607 when the Portuguese royal family led by the prince regent John VI 382 00:19:15,787 --> 00:19:17,567 decided to flee Lisbon 383 00:19:17,587 --> 00:19:20,261 in response to Napoleon Bonaparte invasion of Portugal 384 00:19:20,301 --> 00:19:22,778 and relocate the Royal Court to Brazil . 385 00:19:23,008 --> 00:19:25,121 Seven years later, in 1815, 386 00:19:25,171 --> 00:19:28,658 Brazil itself was elevated to the state of a kingdom 387 00:19:28,688 --> 00:19:32,651 within the wider United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, 388 00:19:32,651 --> 00:19:34,779 and witnessed to the unprecedented honor 389 00:19:34,779 --> 00:19:36,908 of having the capital moved from Lisbon 390 00:19:36,908 --> 00:19:38,941 to its own city of Rio de Janeiro. 391 00:19:39,031 --> 00:19:42,093 This further emboldened sentiment within Brazil for independence 392 00:19:42,113 --> 00:19:45,174 and within a year of the royal family returning to Portugal, 393 00:19:45,244 --> 00:19:48,689 the fourth son of John VI, Don Pedro I, 394 00:19:48,729 --> 00:19:50,762 who had remained behind in Rio, 395 00:19:50,782 --> 00:19:53,584 saw the chance to capitalize upon the opportunity 396 00:19:53,584 --> 00:19:55,732 to declare himself as emperor 397 00:19:55,742 --> 00:19:58,698 of a newly independent Empire of Brazil in 1822. 398 00:19:59,988 --> 00:20:03,006 This left the Portuguese Empire a shadow of its former self 399 00:20:03,016 --> 00:20:05,615 now comprising only of a few outposts in Asia 400 00:20:05,645 --> 00:20:09,334 and the territories of Angola and Mozambique, in Africa. 401 00:20:09,644 --> 00:20:11,984 For the remainder of the 19th century, 402 00:20:12,056 --> 00:20:15,732 the efforts of the Portuguese to retain what little remain of their empire 403 00:20:15,802 --> 00:20:17,985 were focused on southern Africa 404 00:20:18,025 --> 00:20:20,686 and a proposal was soon made to connect the two colonies 405 00:20:20,686 --> 00:20:23,126 on either side of the continent with one another 406 00:20:23,136 --> 00:20:25,023 by expanding across the hinterland. 407 00:20:25,233 --> 00:20:28,101 This project known as the "Pink Map" 408 00:20:28,131 --> 00:20:30,569 was highly unpalatable to the British 409 00:20:30,569 --> 00:20:33,513 who had become the world's most powerful Empire by this point 410 00:20:33,593 --> 00:20:35,930 for it directly affronted their own policy 411 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,318 for a connected system of colonies across Africa 412 00:20:38,318 --> 00:20:40,938 that was to stretch from Cairo to Cape Town. 413 00:20:40,958 --> 00:20:44,007 The British delivered an ultimatum to the Portuguese in 1890 414 00:20:44,087 --> 00:20:46,094 to end the "Pink Map" policy, 415 00:20:46,144 --> 00:20:48,125 which subsequently brought any hint 416 00:20:48,125 --> 00:20:51,089 of reviving Portuguese colonial ambition to an end. 417 00:20:51,149 --> 00:20:54,306 Having been humiliated on the world stage in such a manner, 418 00:20:54,326 --> 00:20:55,578 exposed the weakness 419 00:20:55,578 --> 00:20:57,510 of the Portuguese government in monarchy 420 00:20:57,530 --> 00:21:01,381 which played into the hands of a growing Republican movement within the country. 421 00:21:01,391 --> 00:21:03,877 Sensing an opportunity to further their cause, 422 00:21:03,897 --> 00:21:05,800 on the 1st of February 1908, 423 00:21:05,850 --> 00:21:09,596 King Carlos and Prince Louis Philipe were assassinated in Lisbon 424 00:21:09,636 --> 00:21:11,984 by two revolutionary Republican activists. 425 00:21:12,394 --> 00:21:15,393 Although King Manuel II immediately succeeded the throne, 426 00:21:15,493 --> 00:21:19,366 he too had to flee the country just 2 years later in 1910, 427 00:21:19,426 --> 00:21:22,168 when the monarchy and government were overthrown entirely 428 00:21:22,199 --> 00:21:25,130 and Portugal was declared a Republic. 429 00:21:25,330 --> 00:21:28,186 The continuing weakening position of the Portuguese Empire 430 00:21:28,306 --> 00:21:32,489 was exploited further by the outbreak of the I World War in 1914. 431 00:21:32,949 --> 00:21:34,990 The German Empire planned to expand 432 00:21:34,990 --> 00:21:37,211 its own dominions and influence in Africa 433 00:21:37,211 --> 00:21:39,691 at the expense of the neighboring Portuguese colonies 434 00:21:39,691 --> 00:21:41,321 of Angola and Mozambique. 435 00:21:41,341 --> 00:21:44,251 As there was only sporadic skirmishing in the region at first, 436 00:21:44,336 --> 00:21:48,448 Portugal did not formerly declare war against Germany until 1916 437 00:21:48,498 --> 00:21:51,034 but from that point on much of the war effort 438 00:21:51,034 --> 00:21:54,172 was fought in supplying the Allies fighting in France 439 00:21:54,354 --> 00:21:56,645 and neglected to defend its African colonies 440 00:21:56,675 --> 00:21:58,637 from further German attacks. 441 00:21:58,649 --> 00:22:02,221 As the war came to an end, in 1918, with the Treaty of Versailles, however, 442 00:22:02,471 --> 00:22:06,198 Portugal was able to regain control of all its lost territory. 443 00:22:06,897 --> 00:22:10,205 The interwar years bore witness to another coup in Portugal, 444 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,836 this time replacing the unstable Republican government 445 00:22:12,856 --> 00:22:17,369 with a more right-wing regime called the "Estado Novo" in 1933. 446 00:22:18,118 --> 00:22:20,799 The new administration chose to remain neutral 447 00:22:20,829 --> 00:22:22,311 during the II World War 448 00:22:22,311 --> 00:22:25,512 and instead preserve what remained of its overseas Empire. 449 00:22:25,932 --> 00:22:29,247 By the war's conclusion however there was a growing shift in attitudes 450 00:22:29,317 --> 00:22:31,400 towards European imperialism 451 00:22:31,410 --> 00:22:35,042 and calls for decolonization began to grow louder around the world. 452 00:22:35,312 --> 00:22:37,018 The efforts of Britain and France 453 00:22:37,018 --> 00:22:39,858 in granting independence of the colonies under their control 454 00:22:39,868 --> 00:22:42,210 put great pressure on Portugal to do the same, 455 00:22:42,210 --> 00:22:44,644 although it remained reluctant to do so. 456 00:22:45,084 --> 00:22:48,141 The establishment of Indian independence from Britain in 1947 457 00:22:48,181 --> 00:22:50,609 created a flash point on this issue. 458 00:22:50,609 --> 00:22:53,433 As the Portuguese enclaves of Goa, Damon and Diu 459 00:22:53,533 --> 00:22:56,360 were not permitted to join the newly independent state, 460 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,264 the Indian army was eventually ordered into the territories, in 1961. 461 00:23:00,809 --> 00:23:04,531 But Portugal, under the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, 462 00:23:04,653 --> 00:23:08,166 continually refused to acknowledge their incorporation into India. 463 00:23:09,515 --> 00:23:12,803 Further reluctance to grant independence of their colonies in Africa 464 00:23:12,816 --> 00:23:15,282 resulted in the Portuguese Colonial War 465 00:23:15,382 --> 00:23:17,855 which was fought from 1961 to 1974. 466 00:23:17,875 --> 00:23:20,671 Many African Independence Movements 467 00:23:20,701 --> 00:23:22,934 received support from the Soviet Union 468 00:23:22,984 --> 00:23:25,362 as part of the wider Cold War during this time 469 00:23:25,362 --> 00:23:29,001 and as a result guerilla warfare soon became widespread 470 00:23:29,051 --> 00:23:31,632 across Portugal's African colonies. 471 00:23:31,702 --> 00:23:34,650 The growing cost and unpopularity of the war at home, however, 472 00:23:34,660 --> 00:23:38,741 saw another military coup carried out against the Estado Novo regime 473 00:23:38,833 --> 00:23:41,405 in what became known as the "Carnation Revolution" 474 00:23:41,425 --> 00:23:44,011 on the 25th of April 1974. 475 00:23:44,471 --> 00:23:47,547 The new government quickly ended the hostilities overseas 476 00:23:47,547 --> 00:23:49,578 and began withdrawing its troops 477 00:23:49,588 --> 00:23:52,829 to start the process of recognizing the independence of its colonies. 478 00:23:53,079 --> 00:23:56,784 Angola and Mozambique declared an independence in 1975 479 00:23:56,794 --> 00:23:58,582 as did East Timor. 480 00:23:58,592 --> 00:24:02,926 And the Portuguese government also finally recognized its former colonies in India 481 00:24:02,966 --> 00:24:05,208 as now being part of the Indian State. 482 00:24:05,538 --> 00:24:08,089 The final piece of the Portuguese overseas territory 483 00:24:08,129 --> 00:24:11,624 to undergo a transfer of sovereignty was that of Macau, 484 00:24:13,762 --> 00:24:16,402 which was handed over to the People's Republic of China 485 00:24:16,402 --> 00:24:18,781 on the 20th of December 1999 486 00:24:18,821 --> 00:24:22,055 and officially marked the end of the Portuguese. 487 00:24:22,835 --> 00:24:27,202 With that, one of the longest lived maritime and commercial empires in History 488 00:24:27,252 --> 00:24:28,871 came to an end. 489 00:24:28,901 --> 00:24:31,340 Although the territories of the Azores and Madeira 490 00:24:31,380 --> 00:24:34,005 are now governed as autonomous regions of Portugal, 491 00:24:34,045 --> 00:24:36,663 the legacy of the Portuguese Empire lives on, 492 00:24:36,691 --> 00:24:39,145 with the Portuguese language continuing to be spoken 493 00:24:39,227 --> 00:24:42,268 by some 250 million people around the world 494 00:24:42,428 --> 00:24:44,224 and, perhaps most importantly, 495 00:24:44,234 --> 00:24:47,559 the sea roots that were established by those early maritime explorers 496 00:24:47,609 --> 00:24:51,572 continue to carry the world's trade over 5 centuries on.