The Portuguese Empire was established from the 15th century and eventually stretched from the Americas to Japan. Very often a string of coastal trading centres with defensive fortifications, there were larger territorial colonies like Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. White Europeans dominated trade, politics, and society, but there was also a significant mixing of races, and in many places, people of mixed ancestry rose to positions of wealth and power in the colonies.
More about: Portuguese EmpireDefinition
Timeline
-
1420The Portuguese colonize the Madeira archipelago.
-
1439The Portuguese colonize the Azores archipelago.
-
1462The Portuguese colonize the Cape Verde archipelago.
-
1486The Portuguese colonize the islands of São Tomé and Principe.
-
7 Jun 1494Portugal and Spain sign the Treaty of Tordesillas which divides the world into two spheres of influence.
-
8 Jul 1497 - Aug 1499The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sails around the Cape of Good Hope and on to India and back.
-
24 Apr 1498 - 18 May 1498Vasco da Gama crosses the Indian Ocean for the first time by sailing from Malindi to Calicut, India.
-
1500The Portuguese mariner Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil.
-
1502 - 1503Vasco da Gama sails a 15-ship fleet from Portugal to Calicut, India.
-
1502The Portuguese establish the first trading station (feitoria) in Brazil north of Rio de Janeiro.
-
1503The Portuguese colonize Cochin in western India.
-
1505 - 1961The Estado da India is in existence, that part of the Portuguese Empire from East Africa to Japan.
-
1505The Portuguese begin to attack cities and build forts along the Swahili Coast in order to control trade.
-
1506The Portuguese coloinze Mozambique Island.
-
1510 - 1961Goa on the west coast of india is a Portuguese colony.
-
1510Afonso de Albuquerque conquers Goa in India for Portugal.
-
1511Afonso de Albuquerque captures Malacca in Malaysia for Portugal.
-
1511 - 1641Malacca in Malaysia is a Portuguese colony.
-
1515Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf is colonized by the Portuguese.
-
1518The Portuguese establish a fort at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
-
1519 - 1522Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigates the globe for the first time.
-
1519The Portuguese establish a fort at Kollam in India.
-
1521The Portuguese establish a fort at Chaul in India.
-
Apr 1524Vasco da Gama sails om his third voyage from Portugal to India.
-
1530Portuguese Goa replaces Cochin as the capital of the Estado da India.
-
1532The first Portuguese settlement in Brazil is founded at São Vicente.
-
1533A papal bull establishes the archdiocese of the Estado da India.
-
1533 - 1539The first sugar plantations are established in Portuguese Brazil at Pernambuco, Sâo Vicente and Rio.
-
1543Three Portuguese mariners accidentally land in Japan, the first Europeans to do so.
-
1546The Portuguese establish a formidable fortress on Mozambique Island.
-
1549Brazil is made a Crown colony of the Portuguese empire.
-
1560Portuguese Goa has it first archbishop appointed.
-
1567The French colony of France Antarctique in Guanabara Bay, Brazil is taken over by the Portuguese.
-
1571 - 1639The Portuguese control the port of Nagasaki in Japan.
-
c. 1571The Japanese daimyo Omura Sumitada grants the Portuguese control of Nagasaki.
-
1571Foundation of the colony of Portuguese Angola.
-
1572The Portuguese Crown establishes a viceroy in Portuguese Brazil.
-
1575The Crown appoints a governor of Portuguese Angola.
-
1576Luanda on the coast of Portuguese Angola is founded. It will be the capital and a major hub of the Atlantic slave trade.
-
1596The Dutch arrive in Southeast Asia and challenge the Portuguese and their empire.
-
1603Dutch forces attack Portuguese Goa.
-
1604A Council of State is established at Portuguese Goa.
-
1610Dutch forces once again attack Portuguese Goa.
-
1616The Dutch attack Portuguese Malacca for the first time.
-
1621The Portuguese, with help from the Jaga, force the king of Ndongo to flee his kingdom in Portuguese Angola.
-
1622The Persians, with English assistance, take control of Hormuz from the Portuguese.
-
1624The Dutch capture Salvador in Portuguese Brazil.
-
1629The Dutch attack Portuguese Malacca for a second time.
-
1630The Dutch capture Olinda and Recife in Portuguese Brazil.
-
1632The Dutch capture Pernambuco in Portuguese Brazil.
-
c. 1633The Portuguese conquer the southern African kingdom of Mutapa.
-
Dec 1637 - Apr 1638The Shimabara Rebellion in Japan, which the shogunate blames on Christians, leading to an expulsion of all Europeans.
-
1638 - 1644Dutch forces attempt to blockade Portuguese Goa.
-
1640 - 1668Spain is at war with Portugal.
-
1641The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Malacca.
-
1641A Dutch force takes over Luanda, capital of Portuguese Angola.
-
1648A military froce from Portuguese Brazil recaptures Luanda, the capital of Portuguese Angola, from Dutch control.
-
1654Portuguese Brazil regains control of those parts of the colony taken over by the Dutch.
-
1656 - 1663Dutch forces attempt to blockade Portuguese Goa for a second time. The blockade ends with a peace treaty.
-
1656The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Colombo.
-
1663The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Cochin.
-
1663A peace treaty is agreed between Portugal and the Netherlands regarding Portuguese Brazil.
-
1665An alliance of Angolan tribes and the Portuguese defeat the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbwila.
-
1670A Portuguese force is defeated by the Kingdom of Kongo at Soyo.
-
1676The first bishop is appointed at Luanda, capital of Portuguese Angola.
-
1683A peace treaty is agreed between the Portuguese and the Matamba kingdom in Portuguese Angola. This ends the Angolan Wars.
-
1711French forces briefly take over Rio de Janeiro in Portuguese Brazil.
-
1755Amerindians in Portuguese Brazil are recognised as full and free subjects of the Portuguese Crown.
-
1763Rio de Janeiro is made sole capital of Portuguese Brazil.
-
1799 - 1815Portuguese Goa is occupied by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
-
1808Fearing for its safety, the Portuguese monarchy relocates to Portuguese Brazil.
-
1822Brazil declares independence form Portugal.
-
1853Brazil porhibits the importation of slaves, ending the slave trade from Portuguese Angola.
-
1902 - 1915A series of rebellions within Portuguese Angola are put down.
-
1951Angola becomes an Overseas Province of Portugal.
-
1961Portuguese Goa is invaded by the Indian military.
-
1975Angola gains independence from Portugal.
-
1999Portuguese Macao is handed over to China.