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Alfons VI, King of Aragon and Sicily, King of Portugal

7) Alfons VI (1518-1541)

Alfons, the 24 year old son of Ferran II had not expected to become King quite so early (even given his family history). Nevertheless he soon proved himself entirely capable for his new role.

Clever, brave, wise and just Alfons VI would have made a fine King in any era. As it was he would preside over one of most startling periods in Aragonese history.

The Two Kingdoms

The death of Prince Manuel of Portugal in December 1518 had unexpectedly made Alfons VI heir to the Portuguese throne. When the Portuguese King died on 11 January 1519 young Alfons suddenly found himself King of Portugal as well as Aragon. It was hastily arranged that Portugal should be ruled as the junior partner in a "Personal Union" - that is to say Alfon's status as "King of Portugal" was entirely separate from his role as "King of Aragon". As Alfons VI chose to keep his court in Barcelona the government of Portugal was more or less left as was in the hands of his Portuguese ministers and a Viceroy.

Though Alfons contact with his second kingdom was limited by practicality he nevertheless strove to keep the two countries close - to the extent of signing the secret Treaty of Lisbon in 1522 (but see below.)

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Cuba, Bahamas and Bermuda, 1541

Colonists of the Caribbean

To the disappointment of Aragon by the time Aragonese interest had turned to the Caribbean towards the end of the second decade of the 16th century several European powers had already become involved in the area; Spain, England and Mecklenburg. Still the large, peaceful and potentially prosperous island of Cuba had not yet been settled so it became the main target of enterprising Aragonese colonists. Settlements sprang up at Guantanamo (1519), Moron (1520) and Havana (1521).

After many attempts another colony sprang up in the Bahamas (1531).

However despite its advantages Cuba did not last long as the Aragon's prime colony. Within a very short space of time Aragonese focus had largely switched to a very different location.

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South Africa, 1541

Round the Cape

In 1522 Alfons V signed the Treaty of Lisbon in which both of his domains pledged not to interfere with the others colonisation. By chance that year had seen Aragonese cartographers print the very first maps of southernmost Africa - though as yet very little remand known. Nevertheless Alfons VI saw something in this far flung place and on 21 October 1523 a small settlement was founded at Little Karroo.

The colonisation of Cape Verde (4 April 1524) allowed a more substantial expedition to be sent under conquistador Pere d'Urgell, who landed in Little Karoo on 11 July 1524. He soon discovered rich potential in South Africa - though a couple of areas (notably Transkei) proved to be heavily populated by hostile natives a wide swathe of land was more inviting, being inhabited by small numbers of friendly natives. Settlements sprang up at Cape (1525), Roggeveld and Karoo (both 1526) and Little Namaqualand (1528).

South Africa had many advantages for Aragon that more than offset its distance. Firstly and most importantly it was completely untouched by other European powers, greatly lessening the possibility of colonial conflict. The land itself was rich with considerable resources - gold and ivory for instance. It also made exploration of the other side of Africa and trade with the Indies much more feasible.

Soon the importance of South Africa far eclipsed the Caribbean and colonists began to move in greater numbers. Capetown became the first true city in the Aragonese colonial empire on 1 September 1536 - and the rest of South Africa was not far behind.

Politics as usual

While all excitement lay elsewhere it would be a mistake to say nothing was happening at home. In this period Liguria (1526) and Nice (1528) came to be regarded as core parts of Aragon. In 1531 Alfons VI adopted the Landsknecht system of infantry for his armies.

Most important was the foundation of the National Bank of Aragon in 1527. Colonisation had brought substantial wealth to Aragon but also the need to guard against inflation.

Heir to Two Crowns

After over twenty years on the throne(s) Alfons VI passed away 30 August 1541. He had decisively changed the course of Aragonese history and would be much mourned - especially in the colonies which owed their existence to him.

His eldest son Joan had some very big shoes to fill. Indeed his task - though also his opportunities - were greater even than expected. The "Personal Union" did not survive Alfon's VI; Joan II had the Portuguese Empire merged with the Crown of Aragon and set to rule both kingdoms as one.

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coz1: I think I have other problems now... :D Thanks too.

stnylan: Yeah - though I've hardly looked at the Med recently. :)

Patrick O'Harte: There you go. ;)

crusaderknight: Hopefully now - 20 years isn't too bad. :)

J. Passepartout: Hah... yeah. :D

Kurt_Steiner: Well I've started crossing those seas - or two. :)

Terraferma: Well I hope Alfons VI has been of some help. :)
 
How much bb did you get from that inheritance?
 
Inheriting Portugal, now that should give you some interesting possibilities, also that colonial empire is looking very god, controlling South-Africa is a very good idea and now you can push further east towards India and the land beyond. But maybe you will need to keep some control in Europe also, who knows when the Italians will strike again...
 
Sorry about that, the last save (where I inherited Portugal in 1539) did not take; I 've just played now and luckily inherited in 1541 under Joan II Phew. :)

The BB is 15.95! :eek:
 
Wonderful! Not only to America, but also Africa.

And Portugal... Excellent... Very well done!
 
the founding of a bank, colonies in Africa and the carribean, and the inheritance of Portugal. Now all you need is a few more colonies in the Americas and a successful war and your almost golden :cool:
 
J. Passepartout said:
Too bad Castile is in between your territories.

South Africa is the best place to colonise.

The solution: To do it as I've done in my CK AAR. Conquer it. So easy, so simple :D :D
 
Nasty BB - though once you have worked it down it will hopefully be worth it.
 
Well that's a new one. I don't normally see PU's end in inheritance. Is this good or bad, one wonders? I suppose it helps vs. Castile, but you've mentioned you've been playing nice with them. How much colonization had Portugal done by that point?

And nice work in both Cuba and South Africa. Wealth aplenty!
 
I guess the inheritance is good, as it couldn't hurt you. Have the Aztecs fallen yet?
 
Congrats on the inheritance of Portugal and on your colonial success! Here's to Joan II! Long live the king!
 
Very impressive, Ross :) I recently acquired the game myself, only to discover that my graphics card isn't quite up to par to be able to run it ( :mad: :mad: :mad: ), but while I'm waiting to get a new one I'll at least have one of your AARs to keep me company.

I'm not going to suggest your next move myself (yet--I'm still waiting for that "Grand Idea Which I Fixate On For The Rest of The AAR" to come for this AAR ;) ), just don't lose half the kingdom in a pointless war with some minor neighbor who has powerful (equally powerful, that is) friends :D
 
God, Ross, what do you keep doing to your rulers? This last guy is the only one who's lasted a generation!

Portugal, eh? I hope it doesn't make the game too easy for you. :(

I agree though, what's done is done so you might as well get your borders to link up and take out Castile!
 

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Joan II, King of Aragon, Portugal and Sicily

8) Joan II (1541-1564)

The new King of Aragon and Portugal had some hard decisions to make upon coming to the throne. The Portuguese Inheritance may have given Aragon a great deal of wealthy and populous land - aside from Portugal proper the Portuguese realm had included large colonial holding, mostly in Brazil, some true cities in their own right - but it came with a price. For one thing it was enormously unpopular abroad - especially amongst the major European colonisers like Castile and England.

It was partially to lessen the jealousy of foreign courts that one of Joan's first acts was to release some of the older Aragonese territories in the Mediterranean. Morea and Tunisia (Gabes and Gafsa) were not wealthy provinces; nor had they ever come around to the Catholic faith. Better to sacrifice these backwaters on the altar of international perception than Italy or the Portuguese Inheritance, or so felt King Joan II.

Nevertheless, however sound the withdrawal of Aragon from old territories, no matter how practical struck a sour note amongst many of the great and good in Aragon. In some ways the entire of Joan's reign would (metaphorically) be an attempt to regain lost ground.

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The new Aragonese East India Company

The East Indies

The early years of Joan's reign saw the colonisation of islands in the Indian Ocean including Mauritius, Bourbon (both 1544) and Diego Garcia (1546). The Aragonese sought an eastern route to the fabled wealth of India and China. South Africa, Aragon's most heavily colonised territory (the South American territories had a higher population but at this point were mostly composed of Portuguese settlers) was very useful stepping point for this exploration as it strove eastward. Eventually the Indies themselves were reached with Tidore (1546), Flores (1548), Halmahera (1549), Buru, Timor and Ceram (all 1550) becoming home to tiny Aragonese settlements.

In 1551 the Aragonese East India Company was granted a Royal Charter to trade and colonise in the Indies. Almost at once dispute arose as to whether the newly discovered southern continent (see below) fell under their control.

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Australia, 1565

The quest for Terra Australis

The spice trade was not the only thing drawing the Aragonese explorers onwards. For years rumours and theories about a magnificent undiscovered continent to the South (Terra Australis). If Aragon could find this land it might turn out to be a prize as great as South Africa - a true New World in the sense of no European competition.

Jeroni Domènec, the explorer who had already done much to open the Indies was the first (known) European to sight the unknown coast as early as 1546. It was not until 30 June 1549 that (the appropriately named) Ausias Piquer and his soldiers set foot on 'Australia' in Gubbi Gubbi.

Australia, as the conquistador and his compatriots discovered over the following three years was vast. To the West they eventually ran into an endless and uncrossable desert: a disappointment. To the South however they passed through subtropical forest to temperate grassland. The natives seemed friendly (mostly) though to the Aragonese their habits and culture seemed surpassingly strange. But then everything about this land was strange from the curious trees to the bizarre beasts (including a giant bipedal hare that carried its young in some form of pouch and a hairy, egg laying creature that seemed half-mammal, half bird). There was an odd beauty to the place for all its dangers.

Australia might not have been the great bounteous land hoped for but the territory Piquer had discovered had rich potential in a way. Anxious to people the continent lest Castile or England seize the chance Aragonese colonists began to trickle in. By 1565 small Aragonese communities existed across all Known Australia (including Tasmania and Werdiga, discovered in later expeditions). The desert, high mountains and harsh Northern coasts remained as hostile as ever but all elsewhere the Aragonese standard flew over small settlements in this the most mysterious continent.

In 1551 a brief attempt had been made to land in the two large islands - each greater than Sicily - to the East of Australia. Beaten back by the natives Piquer had decided it was not worth it - their secrets would have to wait for another day.

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South America, 1565

South America

South America had been to Portugal as South Africa had been to Aragon save even more so as it had started earlier. The substantial Portuguese settlements included major towns like Rio de Janeiro, where tensions between the old Portuguese colonists and their new Catalan speaking rulers often threatened to spill over. Largely peace was maintained - by the locally raised Army of Brazil if needed. South America in the late 1550's had more troops than the rest of the Aragonese Empire combined, albeit as much for winning new land as else.

Colonisation was surprisingly slow in starting in South America, perhaps from an unwillingness to raise tensions amongst the existing Portuguese. However from 1557 onwards the idea of colonial ventures came into fashion and settlers began to arrive in South America. The frontier expanded... until in 1565 it brushed against the borders of a strange and little known if powerful people: the Incas.

A King Passes

Joan II died on 2 September 1565 at the age of 47. In his twenty-four year long reign he had seen the discovery and colonisation of one continent and the strengthening of his grip on another. He had avoided war with the other Great Powers and preserved a unity between his Aragonese and Portuguese crowns.

Yet he never quite forgave himself for letting Morea and Tunisia go.
 
Lord E: Yes good point... Italy is too rich to let go too.

Kurt_Steiner: Thank you. :)

J. Passepartout: It is indeed! No competition.

Terraferma: Heh, I'll look into it.

stnylan: Yeah. :)

coz1: Potugal had a few islands, a enclave in Mauritania and a large chunk of land in Brazil - which I've roughly doubled (in phsyical size not population). :)

GeneralHannibal: Neither them nor the Incas have fallen.

Patrick O'Harte: Heh... maybe.

crusaderknight: Well - by my standards - he did! ;)

Specialist290: Always a pleasure. :) I hope I can inspire you to an idea!

Cliffracer RIP: Catalan Australia. ;)

SirDaniel: Thanks. :)

CatKnight: Maybe I've shaken the curse? ;)