António Coelho Guerreiro

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António Coelho Guerreiro (* around 1650 in Alentejo , Portugal , † in Goa , Portuguese India ) was the first Portuguese governor to serve on the island of Timor . He was in office from 1702 to 1705.

Life

The first Portuguese governor of Timor, António de Mesquita Pimentel , was ousted by Domingos da Costa in 1697 . His successor André Coelho Vieira was captured by Costa in Larantuka in 1698 and sent back to Macau. Costa was a member of the family clan of the Costas, who exercised the real control over the Portuguese possessions in Timor, Solor and the other Lesser Sunda Islands in addition to the Hornays , even if they described themselves as a subject of the Portuguese crown. Both clans belonged to the Topasse , a Portuguese-Indonesian mixed population from the region.

Officially, the region was subordinate to the Portuguese viceroy in Goa . This now sent Guerreiro as the new governor to Timor. He should take over the administration of the Portuguese possessions. The main task was to break through Chinese control over the sandalwood trade and stop Dutch expansion. He should also oppose the rebellious Costas. The Goa guidelines were very detailed regarding the powers and duties of the new governor. In this way, abuse of office and unreasonable brutality should be avoided. The worries were justified, because Guerreiro had already attracted attention with a certain lust for murder.

Guerreiro had previously worked in Brazil , as colonial secretary in Angola (from 1688) and later as state secretary in Goa (from 1698). In May 1701 he left Goa to travel first to Macau , where he arrived in June. On January 2, 1702, Guerreiro left Macau with fewer than 100 soldiers to enforce his authority. In addition, equipment and a large supply of rice to avoid food shortages in Lifau , where he wanted to reside. He received support from Portuguese traders who provided him with two ships from Macau and men for military operations, and above all from the highly respected Bishop Manuel de Santo António , who mediated the negotiations with the Topasse. First Guerreiro traveled via Larantuka to Solor, the main Portuguese base in the region, but Domingos da Costa prevented him from landing. Finally Guerreiro was able to secure the support of Lourenço Lopes , the brother-in-law of Domingos da Costa and his representative on Timor, so that Guerreiro was able to establish himself in Lifau from February 20, 1702.

Although Guerreiro succeeded in ensuring peace and order in Lifau, but during his three-year tenure he was almost constantly besieged by Domingos da Costa. Guerreiro built up a colonial administration, had fortresses built in Lifau and Batugade and awarded the local rulers ( Liurai ) the military rank of coronel (colonel). A tradition that was continued in Timor until the end of the Portuguese colonial era in 1975. Guerreiro reported abundantly about the riches of Timor, but at the end of 1704 he left Lifau disillusioned after he could no longer fight for rule on his own. Other sources cite differences of opinion with the viceroy as the reason for the resignation. For his return to Goa, Guerreiro even had to ask the Dutch for support. Nevertheless, Guerreiro seems to have been successful enough in Timor to later receive the post of capitão-general of Zambezia . But he later put it down and probably returned to Goa, where he eventually died.

The first Lifau card comes from Guerreiro.

Publications

  • О Livro de Rezào, 1698–1707

supporting documents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d A. JR Russell-Wood: The Portuguese empire, 1415-1808, 1998, ISBN 0-8018-5955-7
  2. ↑ a b Chronologie de l'histoire du Timor (1512–1945) suivie des événements récents (1975–1999) (French; PDF; 887 kB)
  3. ^ A b Artur Teodoro de Matos: D. Frei Manuel de Santo António: missionário e primeiro bispo residente em Timor. Elementos para a sua biografia (1660-1733) ( Memento from May 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (Portuguese)
  4. ↑ a b c Artur Teodoro de Matos: Tradição e inovação na administração das ilhas de Solor e Timor: 1650–1750 ( Memento from June 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Leonel Vicente: António Coelho Guerreiro. In: carreiradaindia.wordpress.com. August 23, 2007. Retrieved August 13, 2015 (Portuguese).
  6. ↑ James J. Fox: The Paradox of Powerlessness: Timor in historical perspective, Australian National University ( Memento of July 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 70 kB)
  7. ↑ History of Timor p. 32

See also

predecessor Office successor
André Coelho Vieira Governor of Portuguese Timor
February 20, 1702–1705 		Manuel de Santo António
personal data
SURNAME Guerreiro, António Coelho
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Portuguese colonial official
DATE OF BIRTH around 1650
PLACE OF BIRTH Alentejo , Portugal
DATE OF DEATH after 1705
Place of death Goa , Portuguese India