Cessa o Nevoeiro: O Surgir do Quinto Império - A Portuguese Timeline

[kasumigenx]

I think the Portuguese would likely claim Luzon or at least a part of it(the part not occupied by the Bruneians) if the Portuguese stay independent due to its claims to Majapahit due to its alliance with its last ruler and would sponsor revolts there until they get it with Dutch help, so it is better to butterfly the conquest of Northern half of Luzon by the Spanish in an independent Portugal TL so they can play off the Dutch, Portuguese and the Spanish a bit.

 

[Mister Mister]

About Luzon/Phillipines, i oftenly see in Portuguese TLs that Portuguese Luzon/Phillipines are mentioned as important thing. Why is that? Why are they more important than say, taking/keeping Moluccas or islands around Timor?

 

[kasumigenx]

About Luzon/Phillipines, i oftenly see in Portuguese TLs that Portuguese Luzon/Phillipines are mentioned as important thing. Why is that? Why are they more important than say, taking/keeping Moluccas or islands around Timor?

Because Spain is illegally colonizing the Philippines in the treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragossa, I think it is better if Spain is kept from occupying the Northern Half of Luzon in a scenario of an independent Portugal because their overlord from Majapahit already made an alliance with the Portuguese prior to the Spanish coming - I think the Spanish could legitimize their hold in the lands that used to be a part of the Bruneian Empire and the Visayas, I think a situation of the surviving Duarte would already butterfly the situation that made the Spanish occupy the Northern half of Luzon which is the Battle of Bangkusay.

Second, yes the Portuguese could keep Celebes, Mollucas, and Timor better.

 

[RedAquilla]

I think the Portuguese would likely claim Luzon or at least a part of it(the part not occupied by the Bruneians) if the Portuguese stay independent due to its claims to Majapahit due to its alliance with its last ruler and would sponsor revolts there until they get it with Dutch help, so it is better to butterfly the conquest of Northern half of Luzon by the Spanish in an independent Portugal TL so they can play off the Dutch, Portuguese and the Spanish a bit.

About Luzon/Phillipines, i oftenly see in Portuguese TLs that Portuguese Luzon/Phillipines are mentioned as important thing. Why is that? Why are they more important than say, taking/keeping Moluccas or islands around Timor?

Because Spain is illegally colonizing the Philippines in the treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragossa, I think it is better if Spain is kept from occupying the Northern Half of Luzon in a scenario of an independent Portugal because their overlord from Majapahit already made an alliance with the Portuguese prior to the Spanish coming - I think the Spanish could legitimize their hold in the lands that used to be a part of the Bruneian Empire and the Visayas, I think a situation of the surviving Duarte would already butterfly the situation that made the Spanish occupy the Northern half of Luzon which is the Battle of Bangkusay.

Second, yes the Portuguese could keep Celebes, Mollucas, and Timor better.

I personally think that Portugal would not lay claim to Luzon, it's messing too deep in the interests of Spain despite the Spanish not having the legal rights to do it. If the Portuguese would lay claim to anything in the Philippines it would be Mindanao since it's more to the south and it took longer for the Spanish to conquer it. Also it wouldn't be in Duarte's reign because the finances and means don't allow it.

Holding a colony that revolted so much against the Spanish in OTL and is quite big in size would seriously harm the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean, their numbers are already small and the territory to be defended is huge already, right now what they can do is make a few feitorias here and there or take small-sized islands not conquering huge chunks of land.

The Portuguese also violated the Treaty of Tordesilhas quite often in Brazil and in my opinion, it's more profitable to do this then claiming Luzon. Also, Portugal is trying to stop and succeeding to have a war against Spain so if they claim Luzon tensions may rise too much...but this is just my opinion on the matter. The Celebes, Molucas and Timor are different subjects, they are more accessible, they are less populated and less rebellious but it depends on the situation.

 

[Lusitania]

also the most important port for the Portuguese is Malacca for it provides midway point for the Portuguese between Macau / East Indies and Goa.

 

[kasumigenx]

I personally think that Portugal would not lay claim to Luzon, it's messing too deep in the interests of Spain despite the Spanish not having the legal rights to do it. If the Portuguese would lay claim to anything in the Philippines it would be Mindanao since it's more to the south and it took longer for the Spanish to conquer it. Also it wouldn't be in Duarte's reign because the finances and means don't allow it.

Holding a colony that revolted so much against the Spanish in OTL and is quite big in size would seriously harm the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean, their numbers are already small and the territory to be defended is huge already, right now what they can do is make a few feitorias here and there or take small-sized islands not conquering huge chunks of land.

The Portuguese also violated the Treaty of Tordesilhas quite often in Brazil and in my opinion, it's more profitable to do this then claiming Luzon. Also, Portugal is trying to stop and succeeding to have a war against Spain so if they claim Luzon tensions may rise too much...but this is just my opinion on the matter. The Celebes, Molucas and Timor are different subjects, they are more accessible, they are less populated and less rebellious but it depends on the situation.

I think the POD would actually butterfly the Spanish conquest of the Northern Half of Luzon and I don't think Luzon would revolt against the Portuguese because they would prefer the Portuguese style of colonization which is sparing the pagans while Christianizing the Muslims or making clients, they did that IOTL with East Timor which remained majority Pagan during the Portuguese rule, that is my opinion as well.

I think ITTL the Spanish might expand to Borneo instead and succeed there.

You can write your timeline in your own way because it is your own TL.

 

[RedAquilla]

The Empire in Asia
O Império na Ázia​

During the reign of Duarte II, the Estado da Índia [State of India] continued to produce the largest share of revenue of the Portuguese Crown even if Brazil’s share was increasing with each passing year. Despite this, the Portuguese situation in the Indian Ocean was not exactly the best…After the installation of the Goan Inquisition in the year 1560, problems with the local populations of the most varied religious denominations arose, a fact that was clearly evident in the Guerra da Liga das Índias 1570-1574 [War of the League of the Indies] where many Indian countries showed their discontentment towards the Portuguese, their religious policies and their demanding taxes, by laying siege to many possessions with very large armies. Amongst these possessions were Goa and Malaca, two focal points of the Portuguese Asian trade, which were harassed more than once during the length of the conflict and were for the first time, at risk of being lost. Although Portugal won against much larger forces, thanks to the soldiers’ tenacity and stubbornness, it suffered considerable losses and in Asia, every soldier was worth gold. The danger of a new war was lingering and if it did come to be, its outcome might not be as positive.

Another serious problem for the Estado da Índia was its very extensive territory, about 70 000 000km2 (about 28 000 000 sq mi) of ocean to patrol, which was administered and defended from Goa by a small number of people, by the 1580s, it was close to 5 000 soldiers, 10 ships and 40 galleys. Obviously, this raised logistical problems and often prevented an adequate and effective response to the various threats that were to emerge at a specific point in time.

On April 1580, Duarte II sent Matias de Albuquerque to be Vise-Rei da Índia [Viceroy of India]. This was a man with immense experience in Asian warfare and who had shown himself loyal to the new King by supporting him in his ascension. He was to replace Count Luíz de Ataíde who the King called back to Lisboa to see where his loyalties lay. It was likely that Duarte intended to send the Count back to Goa at some point as the man was very capable but he died in Goa a month before Albuquerque left Lisboa and news of it only arrived in Lisboa in the next year. After the appointment of Albuquerque, the Conselho do Ultramar [Council of Overseas] as a whole began to have a saying on appointing the new Vise-Reis, Governadores [Governors] and Capitães-Jerais [Captain-General].

Vise-Rei e Governador da Índia, Matias de Albuquerque​

One of the major changes that Duarte’s reign brought to the Estado da Índia was the implementation of the Ordenansas System. This created a better recruitment system for the local Militias which increased not only their number but quality. Italians, Spanish and Dutch were also more often employed in the Exérsito do Estado da Índia [Army of State of India] which was an unofficial entity at this point as it was not officially created by the King. A fourth line of recruitment, exclusive to the Overseas possessions was also introduced in the last years of Duarte’s reign and the beginning of his son’s which incorporated Indians, Blacks, Chinese, Malay, Japanese and at times Arabs and Persians who after ten years of service to Portugal would acquire most of the rights of non-White Catholics although this measure was controversial especially right when it was implemented not only because of religious reasons but also because the serving time was deemed too big and unappealing.

Amongst his first directives, Matias de Albuquerque dispatched a fleet of about 22 medium-sized ships under the command of Fernão Teles de Meneses to patrol the Indian coast from Goa to Malabar and hunt down any pirates that they came across. This was seen as crucial because, since the near complete collapse of the Empire of Vijaianagara or also known to the Portuguese as the Kingdom of Bisnaga following its defeat against the Sultanados do Decão [Deccan Sultanates] in the Battle of Talicota of 1565, the waters and shores were growing increasingly more dangerous with individuals resorting to the lives of pirates. This fomented the local shipyards in Goa and Cochim which the Corporasão das Armadas da Índia [Corporation of the Indian Armadas] sponsored.

The collapse of the Empire of Vijaianagara left Portugal without its major ally in region and thus in a weaker position in the great schemes of things, so to counter the Sultanados do Decão, which disliked Portugal's presence, Diogo Lopes Coutinho was dispatched by Albuquerque to serve as a diplomat at the court of Emperor Aquebar o Grande [Akbar the Great] of the Império Mogol [Mughal Empire] and negotiate a non-aggression treaty as well agreeing to come in support of each other if the Sultanados do Decão attacked.

In reality, the Mogol Empire did not need Portugal’s support at all as they already dominated the entire north of the Indian Subcontinent but to Portugal, a non-aggression treaty with them was crucial to maintain their privileged position in the region and would provide safety for they would not need to worry about such as dangerous opponent. The achieved results were very encouraging since the Grão-Mogol [Emperor] was not interested in taking the Portuguese possessions if Portugal did not harm his interests. Aquebar also allowed the Jezuítas to come to his court in Agra and a diplomatic channel was therefore maintained between the two countries henceforth. As the years went by and the relations got better, especially when the Mogois were granted special authorizations that allowed them to travel unmolested to Meca and Medina in the Haje [Hajj] provided they sailed with green and white flags which were the symbol of their country. This restrained the ambitions of the Sultanados do Decão as Aquebar was planning a campaign against them and their southern flanks could be attacked by Portugal.

The Grão-Mogol Aquebar o Grande [Akbar the Great]​

In the Ilhas Molucas [Spice Islands], the Portuguese situation was also not the best. They left one of their few allies in the region, the Kingdom of Sunda on the island of Java to be conquered by Muslims; they killed the previous Sultan of Ternate and the current one called a Jiade [Jihad] against Portugal, expelling them from the island of Ternate in humiliating defeat and setting his eyes to kicking them further away; they also had to face the hostilities of the Sultanate of Jór [Johor] who was eager to recover Malaca and the Sultanate of Achém [Aceh] who was a nominal vassal of the Império Otomano [Ottoman Empire].

To overcome this situation, diplomats were sent to several countries in the region, but especially to the Sultanate of Tidore which competed with Ternate for supremacy in the region and the Kingdom of Gouá [Gowa] who leased Macásar [Makassar] to Portugal decades earlier. Both countries accepted alliances and Portugal’s position improved as they were able to counter Ternate’s growing power. The Conselho do Ultramar ordered Vise-Rei Duarte de Menezes to submit the island of Solor, at the time manned by friars, to the jurisdiction of the Crown and to increase commercial activity in the islands of Timor and Ambão [Ambon]. Despite these measures, the Molucas being farther away from Goa were left a bit to themselves as they had been and as they remained until João IV’s reign.

Diplomats were also sent to the Far East, to the Mingue Dynasty in China and to Toiótomi Hideióxi [Toyotomi Hideyoshi]'s Japão [Japan]. The port of Macau, in China, the only port authorized by the Central Government for the practice of international commerce, received from Duarte de Menezes the status of a city in 1583 and its Senado [Senate] was constituted for the first time that same year. In the Persian Gulf, the Portuguese fortresses were being repaired as the money allowed them to be in order to face the Otomanos and Safávida Dynasty of Pérsia if needed.

Despite the attempts to improve relations with neighbouring countries and promote commerce in a more pragmatic stance, little was done to calm the religious tension in the Estado da Índia. The Jezuítas and other religious orders that were increasingly fundamentalist remained as they were albeit with a little more control exerted over them. A good example of this were the Jezuítas in Aquebar’s court where they often preached anti-Islamic speeches, deeply enraging the local imams. The Inquisition of Goa was also gaining a reputation for being more rigorous than its counterpart in Lisboa and increasingly conducted judgments against pagan practices which affected the bulk of the population in the controlled territories, the King who was months away from Goa and could not do much to prevent the processes from continuing but an anti-Inquisition faction led by the Queen and the merchants emerged by the late eighties and early nineties and it began pressuring the King to abolish the institution altogether. In short, however, the problem of religious intolerance was not resolved.

Summing up, Duarte II’s policies towards both Asia and Africa were focused on keeping everything the country had and promoting peaceful relationships with the neighbours in hopes it would protect the scattered and perhaps overstretched Portuguese Empire. All Governors and Vise-Reis in this period were energetic, astute and were able to work well given their circumstances and for that, they were well rewarded by the King: Duarte de Menezes who had been a staunch supporter of the King had been made Count of Tarouca like his great-grandfather João de Menezes. He aspired to receive the counties of Viana and was promised that his case would be analyzed, however, this did not happen because Menezes died not long after he was relieved of his position and the King decided to not grant his son with the titles but confirmed him as Count of Tarouca. Matias de Albuquerque who ruled for two quite large periods was made Count of Montarjil and Manuel de Souza Coutinho was made Count of Baião, the former in 1588 and the latter in 1591.

Vise-Reis e Governadores-Jerais da Índia [Viceroys and Governors-Generals of India]​	Term​
Matias de Albuquerque​	1580-1584​
Duarte de Menezes (Count of Tarouca)​	1584-1588​
Manuel de Souza Coutinho​	1588-1591​
Matias de Albuquerque (Count of Montarjil)​	1591-1597​

 

[Guilherme Loureiro]

Another serious problem for the State of India was its very extensive territory, about 70 000 000km2 (about 28 000 000 sq mi), which was administered and defended from Goa by a small number of people, about 5 000 soldiers, 10 ships and 40 galleys.

Three zeroes too many here. 70 million square kilometres is almost the size of Asia and Africa together.

 

[RedAquilla]

Three zeroes too many here. 70 million square kilometres is almost the size of Asia and Africa together.

The area of operations of the State of India is the Indian Ocean and whenever I search for its area, 70 million square kilometers always appear. However I did not explain it properly in the post so I'm going to fix it, thank you.

 

[Guilherme Loureiro]

The area of operations of the State of India is the Indian Ocean and whenever I search for its area, 70 million square kilometers always appear. However I did not explain it properly in the post so I'm going to fix it, thank you.

Ah, I get it now.

 

[Gintoki Sakata]

I think the Portuguese would likely claim Luzon or at least a part of it(the part not occupied by the Bruneians) if the Portuguese stay independent due to its claims to Majapahit due to its alliance with its last ruler and would sponsor revolts there until they get it with Dutch help, so it is better to butterfly the conquest of Northern half of Luzon by the Spanish in an independent Portugal TL so they can play off the Dutch, Portuguese and the Spanish a bit.

Because Spain is illegally colonizing the Philippines in the treaty of Tordesillas and the Treaty of Zaragossa, I think it is better if Spain is kept from occupying the Northern Half of Luzon in a scenario of an independent Portugal because their overlord from Majapahit already made an alliance with the Portuguese prior to the Spanish coming - I think the Spanish could legitimize their hold in the lands that used to be a part of the Bruneian Empire and the Visayas, I think a situation of the surviving Duarte would already butterfly the situation that made the Spanish occupy the Northern half of Luzon which is the Battle of Bangkusay.

Second, yes the Portuguese could keep Celebes, Mollucas, and Timor better.

I personally think that Portugal would not lay claim to Luzon, it's messing too deep in the interests of Spain despite the Spanish not having the legal rights to do it. If the Portuguese would lay claim to anything in the Philippines it would be Mindanao since it's more to the south and it took longer for the Spanish to conquer it. Also it wouldn't be in Duarte's reign because the finances and means don't allow it.

Holding a colony that revolted so much against the Spanish in OTL and is quite big in size would seriously harm the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean, their numbers are already small and the territory to be defended is huge already, right now what they can do is make a few feitorias here and there or take small-sized islands not conquering huge chunks of land.

The Portuguese also violated the Treaty of Tordesilhas quite often in Brazil and in my opinion, it's more profitable to do this then claiming Luzon. Also, Portugal is trying to stop and succeeding to have a war against Spain so if they claim Luzon tensions may rise too much...but this is just my opinion on the matter. The Celebes, Molucas and Timor are different subjects, they are more accessible, they are less populated and less rebellious but it depends on the situation.

Maybe if the Portuguese managed to maintain a strong foothold in Asia as well as developing Metropolitan Portugal by building tall within 75 to 100 years in this TL, the Portuguese can grab Northern Luzon if the Spanish Empire reaches its twilight by the end of the Thirty Years' War around the Maniago or Malong revolts in around 1660. With Portugal now beginning to establish a foothold in South Africa, it will provide a good population base and enough manpower for its Asian, as well as African ventures.

Also with the Portuguese initiating relations with Japan under Hideyoshi, assuming no San Felipe incident in 1596, I hope Japan maintains some of its Catholic population in TTL, mostly around Hizen province/Nagasaki. I also think Portuguese Formosa and Ryukyu Islands could possibly be a certainty for this TL, the latter possible once the Ming Empire collapses.

Like what kasumigenx said earlier, feel free to write your timeline whatever you like, as I am excited for more chapters in store.

 

[Lusitania]

The issue for the Spanish was that Philippines primary purpose at beginning was to provide the Spanish with a base to trade with China. They took the silver from Peru and traded it to buy Chinese goods to sell in Europe.

 

[kasumigenx]

Maybe if the Portuguese managed to maintain a strong foothold in Asia as well as developing Metropolitan Portugal by building tall within 75 to 100 years in this TL, the Portuguese can grab Northern Luzon if the Spanish Empire reaches its twilight by the end of the Thirty Years' War around the Maniago or Malong revolts in around 1660. With Portugal now beginning to establish a foothold in South Africa, it will provide a good population base and enough manpower for its Asian, as well as African ventures.

Also with the Portuguese initiating relations with Japan under Hideyoshi, assuming no San Felipe incident in 1596, I hope Japan maintains some of its Catholic population in TTL, mostly around Hizen province/Nagasaki. I also think Portuguese Formosa and Ryukyu Islands could possibly be a certainty for this TL, the latter possible once the Ming Empire collapses.

Like what kasumigenx said earlier, feel free to write your timeline whatever you like, as I am excited for more chapters in store.

Actually, the factors that caused the Spanish to occupy Northern Luzon would be butterflied by the POD that was my point, in a 1570s POD, I think the Portuguese and Dutch are likely to help the Muslims expel the Spanish in Northern Luzon like what Celebes did to the Spanish IOTL and leave it uncolonized, the Muslims there tried Japanese help IOTL but failed.

But I think the person who wrote this TL can write the TL the way he wants it to be.

 

[Lusitania]

There are two major issues that as Portuguese approach 1600 that will be forefront.
1) the lack of Portuguese fleet should of prevented Spain from launching the Spanish Armada, but maybe they still due and are clobbered even more leaving Portuguese in better position to help Spanish rebuild in return maybe Portuguese get all lands between Amazon and Rio de la plata (idea)
2) Dutch - do they still become independent from Spain? Yes do not see anything the fact Portugal existing independent would prevent them from being independent. Now what happens if say the Dutch spies who stole Portuguese charts to Indian Ocean was found and hanged? Dutch might challenge Spanish in Caribbean and they forced to put more emphasis on New Holland without Portuguese charts.
3) how do the Portuguese get financing and also write wrong? Do they offer non Catholics and Jews equal rights in Brazil? That could be done to increase the amount of finance. (Remember many Jews living outside Portugal at that time considered themselves as Portuguese living in exile.

 

[kasumigenx]

2) Dutch - do they still become independent from Spain? Yes do not see anything the fact Portugal existing independent would prevent them from being independent. Now what happens if say the Dutch spies who stole Portuguese charts to Indian Ocean was found and hanged? Dutch might challenge Spanish in Caribbean and they forced to put more emphasis on New Holland without Portuguese charts.

They could make the Muslim states their protectorates like IOTL.

 

[RedAquilla]

Portuguese-Sinhalese War (1580-1595 Phase)
Guerra Luzo-Singaleza (Faze de 1580-1595) ​

In 1581, Rajasinha I de Sitabaca/Sitauáca [Sitawaka] ascended to the throne of his country and in the following year, he invaded and conquered the Kingdom of Cândia [Kandy] without much opposition. With this action, he controlled nearly the entire island of Seilão [Ceylon] with the exception of the Kingdom of Jafana to the north and the Portuguese possessions to the southwest. In consequence of this invasion, the only daughter of the last King of Cândia, named Cusumasana Devi came under the protection of the Portuguese in Colombo and was baptized as Catarina do Cândia, being educated in the Portuguese fashion.

Portuguese intrigue made its way to Rajasinha’s court and numerous nobles were executed for alleged treason between 1583 and 1587. The King also turned against the Buddhist clergy who he thought was collaborating with the Portuguese and destroyed several temples of this creed and converted to Hinduism in the process, which while more prevalent than Catholicism and Islam, was a minority religion on the island. Rajasinha also redoubled his efforts to expel the Portuguese from the island and in 1587 he began gathering a powerful army of about 50 000 soldiers, numerous war elephants, cavalry and even several cannons manufactured locally and with them, he laid siege to Colombo, the most important Portuguese possession on the island.

King Rajasinha I of Sitabaca/Sitauábaca​

Siege of Colombo, 1587-1588
The Portuguese Commander who defended Colombo at the time was Captain-Major João Correia de Brito, who had at his disposal 300 Portuguese soldiers and about 700 Lascarins (that is indigenous fighting for the Portuguese), together with a civilian population of about 60 000 people. Having predicted the siege, Correia de Brito stocked the city with supplies and ammunition but he feared it was not enough so he managed to send one of the 6 stranded galleys due to the monsoon to Goa to warn the Vise-Rei and request assistance.

Having a good idea of Colombo’s defenses, Rajasinha began his siege with excavations around the walls and by draining the lagoon that served as a moat. Then he sent 65 galleys to block the fortress by sea and prevent it from being replenished in hopes of starving the population. He then assembled his entire army to demonstrate his strength with war cries though it was not enough to discourage Brito and his men, who made several night raids against the Sinhalese troops causing great confusion amongst them before returning to the safety of the walls.

On the night of August 3, Rajasinha ordered the first mass assault on Colombo in which thousands of Sinhalese soldiers attempted to climb the walls while elephant-backed sappers tried to destroy them. They were countered by the superior firepower of the Portuguese and while some Sinhalese managed to get inside the walls, they were promptly repelled by Portuguese counterattacks with 400 of them dying and 2 000 being wounded. In the following months, Rajasinha attempted three more similar attacks on Colombo, along with several attempts to blow the walls but the Portuguese for their part continued to carry out sorties against the Sinhalese positions with much more success than the Sinhalese’s attempts of taking the city.

The end of the monsoons, around September, brought the much-needed reinforcements from Goa, on February 18, a fleet of 18 galleys commanded by Vise-Rei Manuel de Souza Coutinho himself arrived and sacked the coasts of Sitabaca, being received in Colombo with a general salvo and many cheers. There were now 2 000 Portuguese soldiers in addition to the Lascarins and civilian defenders which convinced Rajasinha that he had little chance of taking over the city so he lifted the siege that had lasted for 8 months and caused him to lose 5 000 men, with much dismay.

Serco de Colombo [The Siege of Colombo]​

Portuguese Control over Jafana, Sitabaca and Cândia (1591-1593):
As a result of the Portuguese victory, the population of the Kingdom of Cândia revolted against Rajasinha’s rule, however, the heiress to their throne was Catarina do Cândia who at the time was in Colombo under Portuguese authority, so the rebels knew not what to do except ousting their current ruler. After their morale and confidence improved with their victory, a Portuguese expedition deposed and killed the King of Jafana, Puviraja Pandarão [Puviraja Pandaram] in 1591 and installed his son Etirimana Sincão [Ethirimana Cinkam] as a client King, of Portugal, bringing Jafana to the area of Portuguese influence.

With yet another success, the Portuguese decided to intervene in Cândia by placing Iámasinga Bandara [Yamasinghe Bandara], who had been baptized Dom Duarte, in honour of the Portuguese King, on the throne as a client King. However, the new King died mysteriously shortly after his coronation likely at the hands of a faction that opposed the Portuguese which after Duarte do Cândia’s death elected Vimaladarmasúriá [Vimaladharmasūriya] as King. This King who had also initially converted to Catholicism, being baptized as Dom João, abjured his newfound creed and returned to Buddhism when the crown made its way to his head.

In 1593, Rajasinha made one final push to recover Cândia but died of illness whilst fighting which caused a succession war. One of the pretenders to Sitabaca defected to the Portuguese and allowed them to take full control over that kingdom. Despite the impressive successes of Sitabaca, much of its stability depended on a smooth succession of power as well as a competent ruler leading it, so the abrupt ending of this kingdom could be explained that way for Rajasinha was the sole reason behind Sitabaca’s might.

But the end of Sitabaca’s hegemony over the island was everything the Portuguese needed to establish full control of the island and only the unstable Cândia stood in their way. The Captain of Colombo’s fort, Fransisco da Silva proposed that young Catarina do Cândia be made a client Queen and the first Capitão-Jeral de Seilão [Captain-General of Ceylon], Pedro Lopes de Souza, though it was a sound plan and proposed it to Vise-Rei Matias de Albuquerque who in turn discussed it with his Council. The Council and the Vise-Rei were very much in favour of the plan and gave it the green light, appointing Lopes de Souza as the Commander, even if he was not the most suitable for the task. Lopes de Souza himself was reluctant to accept but was convinced when he proposed his own marriage to Catarina, a proposal accepted by the Vise-Rei and his Council, albeit only when the kingdom was fully pacified.

The campaign started with the Portuguese Army being poorly equipped and with many experienced commanders refusing to provide support because they felt wronged by Souza’s appointment as their overall commander. Nevertheless, Souza led a force of around 20 000 soldiers (1 000 Portuguese soldiers, 15 400 Lascarins, 47 elephants and some mercenaries) into the heartlands of Cândia, the largest one until that date. It is estimated that Cândia had only 10 000 men defending but had the terrain advantage as the region was very mountainous and difficult to access. The Portuguese invaded a passage near the village of Balana, the entry point to Cândia and suffered heavy losses due to guerilla warfare but made the Sinhalese forces retreat further inland and allow them to pass.

Queen Catarina do Cândia arrives in Cândia​

The Portuguese forces reached the city of Cândia, the capital, where twelve-year-old Catarina was crowned Queen. At first, they were warmly welcomed but many soldiers took advantage of the situation to commit atrocities such as sacking and raping which obviously enraged the local population. Defections to Vimaladarmasúriá increased even further when rumours about the Queen being set to marry a Portuguese began spreading. Pedro Lopes de Souza for some odd reason gave up on his ambition to marry Catarina and offered her hand to Fransisco da Silva, the mastermind behind the whole campaign but he refused and left for Manar in the Kingdom of Jafana. The commander of the Lascarins, Jaiávira Bandara Mudali [Jayavira Bandara Mudali] asked for Catarina’s hand but Souza refused on grounds of not having enough authority to allow it and on the fact that Jaiávira was a commoner, leaving the Sinhalese very disappointed.

Vimaladarmasúriá’s forces began attacking small contingents of Portuguese soldiers searching for supplies while also cutting their supply and communications lines. A group of 3 000 Portuguese and Lascarins soldiers was surrounded and annihilated in the Uva region and rumours began circulating about Jaiávira’s plans to betray the Portuguese (a plan devised by the King of Cândia to create distrust between the Portuguese and the Lascarins), so Souza confronted his ally. The Sinhalese denied all the accusations made against him and went as far as to offer himself to be watched so his innocence could be proved with Sousa being inclined to accept the proposal but his men were not and took action, killing Jaiávira, their biggest ally. Jaiávira’s death led many Lascarins to leave the Portuguese in an extremely precarious situation while increasing the Kandian army to 20 000 soldiers.

Jaiávira's Assassination​

Isolated and without enough supplies, Souza decided to abandon Cândia and take refuge in Balana, in the northwest, bringing Catarina with him to keep her as a puppet in a better defendable area. In the first and second days of the march, there were no major occurrences, but when the Portuguese wanted to stay a whole day in the village of Ganoruá [Gannoruwa], Catarina and some soldiers protested heavily against it, arguing that it made no sense as they were being hunted down. The teenage Queen protested so much that a tired Souza agreed to continue their journey despite unrest with his soldiers. On the following day, the supplies ran out and the situation worsened as Vimaladarmasúriá’s forces were gaining distance. Lopes de Souza decided to send Catarina and his young son, Diogo, ahead towards Balana and then to Colombo so that she could warn the Captain-General there and reinforcements could be sent to help them reach a safe position.

With the Queen in apparent safety, Souza and his men did their best to delay the Kandians but confrontations between both parties became daily and constant. The Portuguese were malnourished, tired and outnumbered but continued to fight and went as far as to repel the enemies many times albeit with massive casualties in the process. As they approached Balana, their supplies were on the brink of fully running out and almost all of them were wounded. Fully desperate, the remaining Portuguese soldiers made their final push to the fortress of Balana but they were ambushed and massacred along the last kilometers near the village of Dantur. Only 23 made it to the fortress, the rest were either captured or killed, those who were unfortunate enough to be made prisoners, like Souza himself were tortured and mutilated as revenge for what they did in Cândia.

The Portuguese facing the Sinhalese to reach Balana [First Image]
Important locations of the Portuguese Campaign [Second Image]​

Days before all this occurred, Catarina and little Diogo’s party arrived at Balana where they took most of what they found namely food provisions and continued on their way to Colombo where the Captain-General, Jerónimo de Azevedo received them and promptly sent an army to Balana to reinforce the fortress and save the others. In the fortress his men found the malnourished and exhausted survivors being surrounded by all sides, holding on with their last bits of strength. Together they made a final push against the Kandians and succeeded in sending them away from the fortress which remained in Portuguese hands.

Knowing there were plenty of prisoners, Azevedo immediately entered negotiations with Vimaladarmasúriá to save them, managing to secure the freedom of most of them at the cost of depleting the small treasury of Portuguese Seilão. Overall, the expedition was an authentic fiasco and weaken the Portuguese power over the island, putting a stop to their ambitious plans to control it. Lopes de Souza was amongst the last men to be rescued but he was so injured for the torture he endure and so malnourished that he perished not long after reaching Balana.

While Catarina comforted little Diogo for the death of his father, both of them became great friends from that point on, Azevedo had to face many rebellions all over the territory he ruled once the news of the Portuguese defeat spread through the island but he managed to put an end to them with great distinction. The Kandians made countless attempts to take the Fort of Balana since it was a key point to their country but they failed thanks to the Captain-General’s efforts.

Vimaladarmasúriá I consolidated his government with his great victory and his religion despite Catarina continuing to lay claim to the throne even if she had little support amongst her people and was but a teen. After consulting Azevedo and Vise-Rei Matias de Albuquerque, Catarina understood that neither could do much so surprising everyone, she took a big gamble and embarked on a ship to Lisboa where she intended to meet the King of Portugal and ask for more means for her cause while also informing him that his domains in India were weak once someone decided to stand their ground.

The Empire in Asia at the End of the 16th Century
Only Effectively Controlled Possessions and Allies are Labelled​

My apologies with the map, there are some possessions that are too close to each other and it was quite hard to label them, specifically in Oman and by Cochin so if there is any doubt I'm free to explain it. Also thank you for all the comments and likes, they mean a lot.

 

[Torbald]

Ah shoot, I've always wanted to see a scenario where Dona Catarina secures her queenship. Oh well, gotta maintain realism... another good update though

 

[RedAquilla]

Ah shoot, I've always wanted to see a scenario where Dona Catarina secures her queenship. Oh well, gotta maintain realism... another good update though

Technically she secured her queenship in OTL but I do admit I wronged her...perhaps the King of Portugal will be more generous than me. Maybe you can make Dona Catarina Queen by her own right in your timeline once you get there.

 

[Lusitania]

Her throne may not be lost. She might still be able to. With more resources and continued Portuguese presence in the island if she not get child can.

 

[RedAquilla]

The Empire in America
O Império na América​

In Brazil, the Repartisões [Governorates] were reunited during the last years of King Sebastião’s reign and neither Duarte II nor the Conselho do Ultramar [Council of Overseas] saw a reason to divide Brazil again. The Governors’ policy had been and was to prioritize the conquest and settlement of the coast, especially in the northeast, the area with the highest concentration of enjenhos [sugar mills] and thus the richest; and fight off pirates, French privateers and adventurers as well as aggressive Amerindians who kept jeopardizing the lives of the Portuguese in the area.

The first Governor-General of Duarte II’s reign was Diogo Botelho, a low nobleman who supported him and his cousin António Prior of Crato, in other words, a Portuguese, fervently against Filipe II de Espanha’s claim. While some had reservations about Diogo because of his good relations with António, Duarte did not see it that way and trusted him fully. During his government, Botelho sought to pacify the Amerindians of the Captaincies further north, namely Pernambuco, Rio Grande and Paraíba which were deemed the most important ones as they were in the rich northeast where the sugar was produced. He also managed to expel the French adventurers from the region and encouraged, according to directives from the Conselho do Ultramar, the production of sugar in other captaincies where it was not very wide spread. By the end of his term, which ended in 1583, the situation in northeastern Brazil was of apparent peace.

Next came a nobleman of greater prestige, the Count of Vimiozo, Fransisco de Portugal. The Count had been a supporter and friend of the Prior of Crato but ended up submitting to Duarte after he was crowned in 1580 and was sent to Brazil to prove his loyalty to the new Monarch. Whilst in Brazil, he endeavoured to improve local agriculture with the introduction of other crops, namely cereals, to not only feed the colony’s population but Portugal’s too thus being the precursor of diversifying the economy of Brazil which was heavily dependent on sugar. Like his predecessors, Fransisco had to face the uprising of Amerindians in the northeast who ignited many fires and killed dozens of colonists, and he replied to the revolts by waging a brutal campaign against cannibal Amerindians.

The Count gave more importance to southeastern Brazil than many of his predecessors, seeking to impose his agricultural reforms in that region without much success besides in São Visente and even there it was quite limited. He created patrol groups to fight pirates and privateers and some of these groups ventured farther inland. One such group under António Jozé Lopes followed the course of the River São Fransisco up to 60 to 70 kilometres searching for its source and potential mineral wealth, trying to replicate earlier explorations such as the one of António Dias Adorno, Bastião Fernandes Tourinho and many others, but because plenty of the Bandeirantes got sick, they had to return with next to no profit.

River São Fransisco​

In 1586, Duarte of Bragansa, the second son of the late João I of Bragansa was appointed Governor-General of Brazil. He was only 17 years old but he was a nobleman of House of Bragansa, which made him the most prestigious person to set foot in Brazil until then. His appointment was aimed at maintaining good relations between the Crown and the most powerful ducal family in the country as well as serving as a preparation for the eventual appointment of the young Bragansa as Vise-Rei da Índia, then seen as the best position and most prestigious position of the Empire.

Duarte of Bragansa was not very happy to be sent to Brazil as he expected to be sent to India right away and he also showed clear inexperience in his position, showcasing narcissism and taking little consideration of advice given to him, preferring the cannibal Amerindians than tackling other problems that did not demand battles. He ended up creating a council of locals to take care of those such matters that he cared little about and his tenure saw the increase in corruption and stagnation of the colony.

Eventually, Duarte began acquiring experience and became more concerned with other administrative matters of the colony, disbanding the council he created at the beginning of his tenure and managing to make prosperity return in his last few months of tenure but even that did not save him from being dismissed by the King and the Conselho do Ultramar much to his indignation. One good thing about his term was that Duarte effectively pacified Brazil from Rio Grande to Salvador, defeating aggressive Amerindians and European pirates.

The Conselho do Ultramar proposed the Count of Vimiozo to re-assume the position of Governor of Brazil but he proposed his youngest brother Luíz de Portugal who was his heir. The King accepted and nominated Luíz to the position, a decision that was confirmed by the Conselho. Like his brother, Luíz tried to diversify the Brazilian economy and keep the favourable peace that Bragansa had achieved. In his term, there were plenty of expeditions to the interior the biggest one under Jozé António Custoias which went to find the source of the River São Fransisco, travelling hundreds of kilometres inland only to find out the river was much bigger than was anticipated and like many others, failed to find any mineral wealth of note.

After Luíz, came another Count, Fransisco de Souza, Count of Prado. Souza was the Governor that organized and sponsored the largest amount of expeditions to the interior of Brazil in search of mineral wealth. First, he sent Bento Masiel Parente and Diogo Martins Cão on two separate expeditions but after getting no results, he organized three large expeditions in 1596: Martins Cão began at the Serra dos Aimorez, Martim Correia de Sá began at coasts of the Parati and João Pereira de Souza Botafogo started in the town of São Paulo in the Captaincy of São Visente. Unfortunately, none of them found what they were searching for in high quantities.

Overall Brazil received more attention than in the reign of Sebastião I, having received two Counts and two younger sons of prominent families, one of which the powerful Bragansas to work as Governors, a clear improvement in its prestige. It was possible to realize that making administrative positions available to people with little experience (such as Duarte de Bragansa) was not an adequate solution for the interests of the country.

Advances and developments in Brazil were reduced when compared to other reigns such as that of King João III, but much of the territory was pacified and the French were definitively expelled from it. The number of enjenhos increased considerably in proportion to foreign investment. Cities like Salvador, Olinda and Resife acquired a new dynamism with the installation of merchant colonies and some credit agencies. The explorations were providing slow and steady results and much of the elite in Brazil was sure that mineral resources in quantities similar to the Potosí Mines were not too far away from being found.

Viceroys and Governors​	Term​
Diogo Botelho​	1580-1583​
Fransisco de Portugal (Count of Vimiozo)​	1583-1586​
Duarte de Bragansa​	1586-1589​
Luíz de Portugal​	1589-1592​
Fransisco de Souza (Count of Prado)​	1592-1595​

Brazil at the End of the 16th Century with it's Captaincies​

A smaller update but I didn't have much to go on about in Brazil in this particular timeframe. Hoping the next update is larger as it's going to be about the 90s and the International Scene too. Marriages of Princes likely coming soon. Thank you for the likes and comments and stay safe.