Martim Afonso de Sousa
Martim Afonso de Sousa (* around 1500 in Vila Viçosa , Portugal ; † July 21, 1564 or 1571 in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese navigator, colonizer and governor of Brazil and the possessions in India .
biography
On behalf of King Johann III. From 1530 to 1533 he led a fleet of five ships and a crew of 500 to Brazil . There he succeeded in defeating and driving away French pirates and timber traders in Pernambuco . He then traveled with his fleet further south and founded on January 22, 1532 in what is now the state of São Paulo the city of São Vicente , the first European settlement in Brazil. In 1533, after his return home, Martim Afonso de Sousa received the captaincy of São Vicente (near São Paulo ), one of the twelve districts into which Brazil was divided, in recognition of his service for life .
In 1534 he was sent to India with several ships and intervened in the wars between the rulers of Cochin and Calicut . There, too, he was successful and was able to defend and expand the Portuguese possessions. From 1542 to 1545 he was governor of the Indian possessions, but shortly afterwards he returned to Portugal and became a member of the State Council . In 1542 he was sent to India again, stayed there for three years and, according to the general judgment, headed a corrupt and ineffective administration.
Web links
- Martim Afonso de Sousa - biography (Portuguese)
- Martim Afonso de Sousa - biography (Portuguese)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sousa, Martim Afonso de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Portuguese navigator and colonizer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1500 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vila Viçosa , Portugal |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 21, 1564 or 1571 |
| Place of death | Lisbon |