John III was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 13 December 1521 to 11 June 1557. His reign was one of cultural supremacy for Portugal, strengthening its prospects in the Far East, and making it as one of the strongest empires. However, on an internal domain, agriculture failed to a great extent during his rule.
Background
Born to King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon on June 7, 1502, John III was welcomed into the palace with the presentation of Gil Vicente's Visitation Play or the Monologue of the Cowherd in the Queen's chamber.
From twelve years of age itself, he started helping his father in administrative duties of the state, and at the teenage age of nineteen, he was sworn as the King of Portugal. Though he was to marry his first cousin Eleanor of Austria, she married his father Manuel. This incident made him deeply melancholic, rendering his intense tendency towards religious prospects in future.
Education
John III was educated by the then notable scholars, some of whom were astrologer Tomás de Torres, Diogo de Ortiz who was the Bishop of Viseu, as well as Luís Teixeira Lobo, one of the initial Portuguese Renaissance humanists. There were others as rector of the University of Siena (1476) as well as Professor of Law at Ferrara (1502).
Career
On 19 December 1521, John was crowned king in the Church of São Domingos in Lisbon, beginning a his reign of thirty-six years from 1521 to June 11, 1557. During this, he proved himself to be an able administrator, who had helped in expanding the Portuguese territory in the eastern realms of the world. The most important factor was that the spice trade was always one of the topmost aspects of trading for Portugal and gained a huge momentum.
His reign was the time when the empire is said to be at its apogee. It saw the initial beginning of the conquest of Brazil, which was further extended towards Asia. Though in the internal domain, he was burdened the courtesy to certain court related troubles, however, it was ably handled by John III.
A very important moment of his career was an expansion of trade to China and Japan; that resulted in his loss of Muslim territories in Africa such as Alcácer Ceguer, Safim, Azamor, and Arzila. In the course of this, he achieved political victory in Maluku Islands.
His dominion was one of high influence of culture, art and literature. He was known to support causes of humanism and had a major hand in the support of missionaries who went to spread the knowledge of Christianity to the New World.
John III improved his relations with Spain by marrying Catherine, and giving his sister in marriage to Charles V, and his daughter Maria, in marriage to Philip II of Spain. His relations with Macau improved to a great extent, and this resulted in Portuguese control of all trade routes to that area.
Thus, John III was truly an administrator who helped in ensuring that Portugal reached great heights of success in terms of foreign relations as well as improved in terms of culture. Though there were certain internal disputes, on the whole, it was an empire to reckon with.
When John III died of apoplexy in 1557, his only heir was his three-year-old grandson, Sebastian. Today, John III's body rests in the Monastery of Jerónimos in Lisbon.
As one of the greatest kings of Portugal, John III, was specifically known for his immense contribution towards trade affairs of Portugal by increasing his possessions in the New World by means of colonizing Brazil. It was under his reign that Portuguese established their connections with China and Japan, and increased trade associations up to India.
Religion
His broken alliance to Eleanor of Austria, can be seen as a reason for his excessive inclination towards religious prospects towards the end of his reign. It was courtesy to this fact that he gained the name of John the Pious. Initially he was seen favoring teaching of Erasmus, however, later he imposed religious orthodoxy.
Politics
John's primary aim was to increase his possessions in the Far East, and gain substantial control over the Ottoman Empire. A man of not much taste, he was simply interested in expanding his rule over the greater part of the world.
Views
The Inquisition was introduced into Portugal in 1536. As in Spain, the Inquisition was placed under the authority of the king. The activities of the Inquisition extended to book censorship, repression and trial for divination, witchcraft and bigamy, as well as the prosecution of sexual crimes, especially sodomy. Originally created to punish religious deviance, the Inquisition came to have influence in almost every aspect of Portuguese society: politics, culture and social customs. It did serve to spare Portugal the civil upheavals of religious warfare of the sort that occurred in France and elsewhere in Europe during the 16th century.
Personality
A man who was coroneted the king at the age of nineteen, John's reigning years were marked by a high standard of activity in political terms, both in internal as well as external domain. He carried on with the tradition of absolutism in politics that was the culture of his ancestors, and carried on with restructuring of the administration and judiciary of the state.
Though he had inherited an empire that was seeing troubled times, yet it was his sheer diplomacy, and strong administrative qualities that made him as one of the greatest monarchs of his time. Credit goes to him for making peace with Spain through marital relations, establish commercial relations with Britain and finally making a stronghold of Portugal in Papal States as well.
Connections
John III was married to Catherine of Austria, with whom he had nine children. His only grandson Sebastian who survived, reigned in future.
Father:
Manuel I of Portugal
He was King of Portugal and the Algarves.
Mother:
Maria of Aragon
She was a Spanish infanta, and queen consort of Portugal as the second spouse of Portuguese King Manuel I.
Spouse:
Catherine of Austria
She was Queen of Portugal as wife of King John III, and regent during the minority of her grandson, King Sebastian, from 1557 until 1562.
Son:
Prince Afonso
He was the Prince of Portugal but died in the same year he was born, in 1526.
Daughter:
Maria Manuela
She was Princess of Asturias and Duchess of Milan as the first wife of the future Philip II of Spain, and Princess of Portugal as heir presumptive to the Portuguese throne between 1527 and 1535.
Daughter:
Infanta Isabel
Daughter:
Infanta Beatriz
Son:
Manuel
In 1535, his father officially designated him as Prince of Portugal, taking the place of his eldest sister Infanta Maria Manuela. However, after his premature death at six years old, his younger brother Infante Filipe became the next Prince of Portugal.
Son:
Philip
In 1537, he succeeded his brother Prince Manuel as Prince of Portugal, after his premature death. However, after his own premature death, two years later, after reaching six years old, his younger brother Infante João Manuel became the next Prince of Portugal.
Son:
Infante Dinis
Son:
João Manuel
He was a Portuguese infante (prince), the eighth son of King John III of Portugal by his wife Catherine of Austria, daughter of Philip I of Castile and Joanna of Castile. As the heir to the throne he was styled Prince of Portugal.
The Portugal Story: Three Centuries of Exploration and Discovery
This selective history of Portugal reflects the author’s fascination with his own Portuguese/Madeiran heritage. The work tracks the nation’s rise and fall as a world power, drawing from the author’s travels and archival research.
