Okawoa said:VERY nice AARI like the maps alot and its fresh to see a ExploAARation.
Yeah, we request an update noddy
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Yeah, we request an update noddy
Chapter 4: Reign of King João II: 1481 - 1495
Part 1: The creation of an empire
Part 1: The creation of an empire
João was crowned King João II in August 1481. He was already a fully grown man, who had served in the Portuguese army in North Africa. Although he was desperately sad to see his father pass away, he did not allow it to affect his character, since João was very much his own man. Extremely intelligent, he portrayed great ability to lead and make decisions. He was especially noted for his disrespect of the aristocracy. Thus throughout his time in power, the choices made were on the majority solely from his fruition.
Portrait of João II
One of the immediate decisions to be made was how to conduct his nation's presence in the war with France. He decided it would be best to provide naval assistance to Spain in the war, since no claims were held against France nor was anything tempting to pursue. However it was possible France may attempt to steal the colony of The Azores, since they had knowledge of its existence. Only one notable naval battle took place over the course of the 2 years that the war lasted, in the Cantabrian sea. The Portuguese navy was successful in defeating the weaker French navy and thus, this ended any threat France may impose upon Portugal. The war ended soon after this battle, in 1483 and France agreed to pay war indemnities to both Portugal and Spain.
Europe midway through João II's reign
João took a great interest in exploration and colonisation, having been extremely influenced by Henry's writings. Thus it is appropriate to discuss what was achieved under his rule. He instructed Diogo Cão to proceed on an expedition across the Atlantic to continue the Portuguese discovers of the new land mass that was now being called 'America'. Cão was provided with the necessary patronage to commit to three seperate expeditions which provided Portugal with greater knowledge of the new world.
In those three expeditions, between 1482 and 1485, Cão was able to chart to extreme precision the coast of the new continent from the northernmost known province of Parnaiba to as far south as Niteroi. His inexhaustive work certainly provided Portugal and João the means to ensure Portugal's ability to monopolise this territory for its own ends. With such knowledge of the geography of the region, João would now be able to encourage adventurous people at home, who till now were awaiting further evidence of charted maps before commiting, to embark upon settling and trade missions to the region.
The explorations of Diogo Cão in America
Between 1482 - 1486, a colony was established at Pernambuc while trade missions were successfully established in all the other known provinces in this continuous stretch of land. These provinces offered great trade prospects for merchants back in Lisbon, since many of the lands offered perfect conditions for growing sugar cane. Furthermore, tobacco was discovered to be growing plentiful and once it was discovered from the natives what the plant offered, it became obvious that tobacco would become popular back in Portugal and indeed across Europe. Thus, there was plenty of money to be made from these new lands, which were now becoming popular destinations for adventurers and opportunists alike.
Portugal's colonial empire created by King João II
Cão was given patronage to attempt a fourth voyage, which saw him sail due south from Pernambuc and then sail due east in the direction of Africa, but with the intention of traversing and exploring further what lay undiscovered in the ocean. However, in a rough storm in May 1486, he was killed after he was struck by the beam of the mast. The ship's doctor tried all he could to revive the ship's captain, but alas the blow was too heavy and so Cão was lost. His ships, damaged and leaderless, limped back to Pernambuc and soon the news spread to Lisbon and the King that his most beloved explorer had died. Cão was mourned appropriately by the King, but he did not allow mourning to replace the duty of ruling the country.
It was indeed the death of Cão that resulted in the King making a deicision that was to change the destiny of Portugal. At the beginning of 1487 a new man was comissioned to continue explorations, a man by the name of 'Diaz'. However, it seemed João had grown satisfied with gains made in the Americas and so Diaz was given instructions to continue off where his predecessors had gone and tried before him; to try and find a route by sea to India.
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Chapter 4: Reign of King João II: 1481 - 1495
Part 2: El Cabo da Boa Esperança
Part 2: El Cabo da Boa Esperança
King João II had now set his desires elsewhere from the Americas, yet it did not prevent him from comissioning another expedition to the region. An explorer by the name of Pêro da Covilhã was hired to explore inland from Pernambuc and to try and ascertain how far the continent stretched westwards. Pêro, a knight, experienced in court politics and quite a skillled linguist accepted the mission and took with him a sizeable contingent for the journey.
Setting sail from Lisbon early in 1487, Pêro's expedition consisting of 100 men arrived in Pernambuc in July 1487. Once they had prepared their equipment they set off, westwards on 1st August, tracing their path along the São Francisco river. One of the first changes many observed was the change in the flora from that which was prevalent along the coast. No more were there any Brazilwood trees, but instead there were many cactii and various type of palm trees. After almost two months travelling west, the river began on a course southwards, thus Pêro became certain he had charted the new province of Iguatu. Further journeys westwards seemed dangerous and pointless, since it was currently the dry season and without a guaranteed source of water, it would put the whole expedition at risk. In addition, it was clear that the terrain was very poor, almost desert-like, due to the extreme heat of the sun, and any ventures that the expedition had carried out during the two months, away from the river led to the discovery that the flora had even shed its leaves, to reduce transpiration for the lack of water. Encountering many Tupi tribespeople, it became clear they had already christened these lands Caatinga – land of the white forests.
Over the course of the next few months, it became clear that the Caatinga continued and sweeped southwards as Pêro led his expedition along the banks of the São Francisco River. By January they reached the source of the river in Minas Gerais, where the terrain reached it's highest altitude thus far. Again, Pêro was satisfied that westward travel would be in vain, without adequate water supply and so instead he decided it would be best for his men to head towards the coast.
From Minas Gerais, they were able to move due south to the trade post in Itaimas, where Pêro and his men gladly replenished their supplies and took necessary rest before heading west again. The land they now entered was notably flatter grassland savannah, more suitable for crop farming, which surely would please the King and allow growth for the new colonies. These lands were in fact the permiter of the Cerrado savannahs, land that stretched inland and made up much of Brazil's topology. Again, once satisfied he had mapped the province of Araxa, he moved south to Curtiba, until the ocean came into view. Following the coast for a number of days, the band of men again headed west into Cangucu.
It was now mid-June, the dry season was approaching again and supplies were running low, so Pêro decided to head south until the ocean came into view once more, upon which he sent a group of his expedition by ship to Pernambuc in order to arrange for suitable transport for them to disembark from their expedition, which had by now reached the mouth of the River Plate. One last voyage west, saw the expedition discover a distinctly different tribespeople to the Tupi, by the name of Guaraní. They lived among the forests of the Araucaria, which were extremely tall decidious trees.The terrain was also distinctly high-altitude and seemed to be home to a populus Guaraní people. Mapping Artigas was enough to put Pêro's mind at ease, that he had explored more land than had already been discovered so far, thus proving Brazil was a big continent and stretched even further west. By the 11th December 1488, the expedition arrived back in Pernambuc and news was soon dispatched to the King of the success of Pêro's expedition.
The journey of Pêro da Covilhã's expedition
Whilst Pêro was busy in the beginnings of his expedition King João II had already commissioned another sea voyage to Bartolomeu Diaz. Due to the growing power of the Ottoman Empire, especially their navy which now posed a threat to the dominant Venetian navy, it became clear that the sole spice trade route was destined to remain in the hands of the Ottomans for the long-term. Thus a route by sea was now extremely lucrative. Furthermore, Spain was now offering itself as a genuine maritime competitor to Portugal, and since it owned the Canary Islands, it was also in a position from which it could perhaps launch expeditions in search of a route to India. These factors led King João II to choose Diaz, who had already experienced voyages along the African coast in the past.
Setting sail from Luanda on the 1st November, with three caravels he went south along the coast. A storm temporarily sent his ships off course thankfully causing no damage, as they were sent westwards by the winds, but after a few days, Diaz was able to come in contact with the coast again. At the end of January, the coast ceased to continue southwards and instead began to curve eastwards. To the south lay ocean, as far as the eye could see. On 1st February, Diaz claimed this the 'Cabo da Boa Esperança' and was now certain that he had reached the end of Africa. He wasn't to be disappointed, as he continued on his voyage eastwards, discovering the Coast of Ciskei in March 1488. By mid-April the coastline took another turn of direction, in a north-easternely direction. This put to bed any doubts any of his men had about whether or not they had reached the end of Africa. They were now on the other side of the continent! Sailing for another three months, Diaz reached as far as the Mozambique Channel, before turning around and heading for Luanda. After 13 months of travel, the expedition arrived back in Luanda, late November. The news of Diaz' discoveries were quickly dispatched to the King.
Delighted with the achievements of Diaz, he promised him two more expeditions. The second expedition saw Diaz reach as far as the Coast of Pepper, while the final expedition led Diaz and his men to the horn of Africa and thus a clear sea-route to India. Diaz had over the course of the three expeditions made contact with two African nations; Zulu and Zanji, as well as discovering that Oman controlled trade between Zanji, East Africa and Arabia. Diaz was able to take detailed descriptions of their ships, and defences at their trade base in Zanzibar, which in the future would prove valuable information. Diaz was of the opinion that even though Oman controlled the trade in this region, they were in a position where no other power was competing, and it was possible any trade-war would see their inferior technology lose out. Diaz arrived back from his third expedition at the end of August 1490, hoping he would now be given another patronage to make contact with India.
Bartolomeu Diaz' three voyages during João II's reign
Alas, he was not to receive another voyage during the reign of King João II, for Portugal was now experiencing an internal struggle. João was beginning to feel the strains of ruling what was now a colonial empire that stretched across the Atlantic Ocean. Growing competition between Spain and Portugal was also proving problematic in the court of João II. His only son Afonso was married to Queen Isabella of Spain's eldest daughter. This was in itself not a problem, since royal marriages between monarchies were ways of bringing courts closer together. The problem lay with the fact that Spain's only heir to the throne, Juan was not very healthy, suffering from breathing difficulties ever since his birth. If he were to die, then Afonso of Portugal would become heir to the throne.
This was a great issue for the King and Queen of Spain, who did all they could to annul the wedding. In 1491 the wedding was annulled, but only due to the death of Afonso, after falling from his horse, while riding. His death greeted João with great shock and he was convinced his death was influenced by the Spanish monarchs. However with no evidence, and considering they were still allies relations had to be retained, however frosty they would become. Without an heir to the Portuguese throne, João now became obsessed with attempts to legitimise his illegitimate son, Jorge, Duke of Coimbra. Risking revolt with the nobility, João tried every trick in the book, but it was all in vain. Throughout this period of instability, the King spent next to no time concentrating on the empire, outside of Portugal and thus no further exploration or colonial efforts were made. However, even through this period of turmoil, the nation did increase its naval technology (level 6) as well as ability to trade and conduct doing so in monopolies (level 3).
In July 1495, João II collapsed in his private study room. The strain of finding an heir and the long hours had been too much for him, leading him to suffer a stroke. He regained his strength after a few days but lost the use of his legs, and his speech became impaired, leaving him only able to whisper. During the course of the last few months of his life, arrangements were made for his first cousin and also his brother-in-law Manuel to become heir to the throne and shortly before King João's death, he was granted legal heir to the throne of Portugal. King João II died on October 25th 1495, having lost consciousness a few days prior. He had inherited a strong maritime nation and had turned them into a colonial empire, over the course of his relatively short reign. Under his reign a sea route around Africa was discovered, which would become the greatest asset to the Portuguese empire for the next century.
GrimPagan said:<_<
I am unsure if this is merely a very lazy bugger or thread necromancy.
Fine.... you'll just have to wait for another two years for the next update.
But yeah, I let this one go stale for a long time. I lost the love for it because I had played about 30-40 years without updating the AAR, and it was too daunting a task to sift through 30-40 years. But I kept it in my signature, to remind me to someday update it and I've finally caught up with where I was, and I've even been able to play around 7 years of the game as well!
Now that I have updated, I'm gonna enjoy it again, because I've always wanted to finish a GC as Portugal, but since I committed to doing this Portuguese GC as an AAR, I have disciplined myself not to continue it OR to start another one.
Wow, thats quite a homogenous Europe, its pretty clear Portugal's fate lies overseas!
The exploratory expedition maps are a nice touch, I wish I had the effort to do it myself
Excellent stuff, I hope we don't have to wait for years for the next update
The exploratory expedition maps are a nice touch, I wish I had the effort to do it myself
Excellent stuff, I hope we don't have to wait for years for the next update
I was amazed myself when I saw the starting date of the AAR and the date on the last update. Still, great work, really great work. I know for sure I'll be around the forums for awhile, so do take your time
Chapter 5: Reign of King Manuel I: 1495 - 1521
Part 1: Opening up the Spice Trade by sea
Part 1: Opening up the Spice Trade by sea
Manuel I rose to the throne a week before João II succumbed to his ill health. Having secured the legal line of inheritance for his cousin and brother-in-law Manuel, João abdicated from the throne. His reasoning was that during this period of instability, he had created for himself many enemies amongst the nobility, and it was still possible that some could contest his choice of Manuel. Therefore, the crown passed on before his death, although that was not too long in the waiting.
Manuel's acension to the throne was well received by both the people of the nation and more importantly the nobility. By December 1495, the nation had become fully stable once again. Losing the support of the nobility was detriment to the end of João II's reign. Without their support he was unable to continue with the work required of the growing colonial empire Portugal now had, as well as exploration. Regaining the support of the rich families of the Cortes would provide Manuel I with many new courageous sons, willing to rush to the call of their great nation, in the name of God.
A portrait of King Manuel I of Portugal
In the new year, and with available funds Manuel I decided to increase the trade flow from Brazil. A band of colonists were gathered, and sent to Bahia, Pernambuc, whilst the trade posts in both Diamentina and Niteroi were increased to level 2. All arrived and were established in late April 1496. Manuel I upon hearing of these successes decided to continue increasing trade in Brazil, of which sugar was most productive and valuable.
In foreign affairs, notable events took place during the early part of Manuel's reign. Burgundy joined the Spanish-Aragonese-Portuguese alliance in mid-1496. This greatly increased the influence of the Spain upon both Burgundy and also France and the lowlands. It was a matter out of the hands of Manuel I, who was noticeably reluctant to be apart of such an alliance. But knowing that this was a strong alliance, and that continued peace between Portugal and its Iberian brothers meant greater prosperity he had no choice but to accept their inclusion. However, the result was war.
Burgundy were hardly a peaceful state, having been involved in many volatile wars, most recently against Poland which had ended in a stalemate. In December 1496, they turned their attention to their eastern border and declared war upon Strassburg, who were allied to Wales and Scotland. Both sides called upon their allies, and Portugal did not disappoint. In the new year another surprising move took place. England sought to and did join the alliance with Spain, Portugal, Aragon and Burgundy and thus entered the war against Wales and Scotland. This greatly pleased Manuel I, knowing that Portugal's alliance a century ago with England, had helped them grow powerful. Furthermore and most importantly presently, it meant that the Welsh and Scottish would have to focus their forces on England, rather than against Portugal, which was a possibility.
Alas, Manuel I was in no mood to carry his people and nation through a lengthened war, which hardly involved them and so he sought with his allies allowance to exit the war. They agreed that Portugal should be pardoned from this war, having duly respected their alliance and so Manuel I offered a status quo with Strasburg in February, who accepted without haste. The war would eventually end in August 1499, when Strasburg finally admitted defeat. The forces of Spain, Burgundy and Aragon had completely overwhelmed the small Strasburg army, and Strasburg was forced to give up Bern to Spain, while becoming a vassal to Burgundy.
Portugal were now at peace again and free to continue growing their empire. Having sent out another two trade missions to Diamentina and Niteroi in January, this greatly pleased Manuel I and further news of their success in April and May 1497 only encouraged more attempts to improve trade from Brazil. Further trade missions were sent in June, but this time only the one to Diamentina was successful in arriving in October, increasing the trade post to level 4. Elsewhere, the expansion of the trade post in Niteroi was met with resistance from the natives and they responded further by burning down the trade post completely in November. This was a setback which resulted in a lot of lost revenue and a trade post was only re-established in August 1498, following a failed attempt.
Another notable event took place during March 1498. France, having been at war with England for some time, finally came to a status quo. This allowed France to conduct a diplomatic annexation of Éire and as a result gave France full control of the island. Furthmore, it also was successful in offering vassalage to its neighbour Savoy. Both moves saw France's power grow immensely. On March 15th, in what could only be seen as a move pre-meditated by its coming under the wing of France, Savoy declared war upon Burgundy. Again Burgundy called upon its allies to come to its aid, and all including Portugal did not delay in returning the call. Portugal was reluctantly involved in a war again, but this time with two relatively strong naval powers.
The Portuguese fleet was as a result mobilised and sent to guard the Gibraltar strait, in case the French Mediterranean navy attempt to break out into the Atlantic sea. It was no surprise then, that the French fleet, consisting of 7 ships eventually made their way towards the strait, in December. The Portuguese fleet was much too strong for the French and victory was achieved in only a few hours, early the next day. This blow to the French war effort actually was enough to dash whatever plans they had for war, and in January 1499 France signed a peace with the alliance. This left Savoy in the war on its own against the alliance. The war remains locked between both sides, with only superior numbers of the alliance suggesting they hold the upper hand. However, Manuel I has sent many diplomats to Savoy looking for a status quo, which have all been rejected – Portugal has thus far remained uninvolved.
The journey of Vasco da Gama
The greatest story to be told during the first few years of Manuel's reign was the voyage of Vasco da Gama. He came into the services of Manuel I soon after his acension to the throne, and in the spring of 1497 Manuel I called upon him to undertake an expedition to India. Thanks to the efforts of Bartolomeu Diaz on his three voyages, a route had been opened around Africa to India and so he was given permission to accompany da Gama on this voyage in order to provide experience and assistance in the route around Africa.
Vasco da Gama set sail on July 8 1497 with a fleet consisting of four ships and a crew of 170 men. Leaving the port of Lisbon he sailed toward the Cape Verdes. Upon coming within 100 miles of the islands, he then changed course for Brazil. After another 200 miles or so he then sailed south-easternly and took a route which was unknown to seafaring men from Portugal. However da Gama was aware that this route would allow his fleet to take advantage of the strong trade winds that blew in the south Atlantic ocean. In just two months the fleet had sailed all the way to the southern tip of Africa, which greatly reduced the estimated time that would be needed to complete the voyage. However, during the journey across the ocean, da Gama's supply ship had been irreparably damageed and so upon landing in Karoo in January 1498, it was decided that the ship would have to be abandoned.
After a fortnight's rest and re-distributing the supplies between the three remaining ships, da Gama set off again. Sailing up the coast of Africa remained a slow and difficult challenge, for they encountered a lot of stormy weather, which put them off course on occasions. Eventually, by November 1498, with their supplies almost exhausted, they reached the the port of Tanga in East Africa. They received a warm welcome by the friendly leader of the port town, who graciously offered them new supplies in trade. This was a welcome stop for da Gama, who had found the trip up the African coast difficult and who had also lost many men to sickness and scurvy.
After regaining their strength, they set off again. Upon reaching the Horn of Africa, da Gama decided to continue towards the Arabian peninsula and to continue hugging the coastline which provided shelter. This as a result of course meant their journey would remain at a snail's pace.
Regardless of the slow progress made, da Gama's expedition came in contact with the nation of Delhi upon discovering Indus in March, and then the people of Gujarat, upon discovering Kutch in April 1499. He had now come in contact with the northern Indian continent and continued to sail south. By June he discovered the port of Mangalore, belonging to the Hindu nation Vijayanagar. Confident that he could convince the Indian nation to allow da Gama take shelter in their port, he sent emissaries along with gifts. However even with the gifts, the people of Vijayanagar were unwilling to provide assistance.
As a result da Gama was forced to sail south in an attempt to seek a port in which to take shelter, for his fleet which was now suffering from the inset of attrition once again. Reaching Kerala in July, da Gama's fleet encountered an extremely destructive storm. During the storm, he lost another ship, the carrack of his brother's ship Paulo da Gama which also had been the ship which Bartolomeu Diaz had been on, whilst the caravel in his fleet was forced to run aground. He now was forced to leave some of his crew behind in Kerala and once again sailed north in a desperate attempt to secure access to the Vijayanagar port of Mangalore. Upon arriving, da Gama sent more gifts and thankfully for his crew, they accepted and allowed them to stay in port. Da Gama met with the King Narasa Nayaka, and presented him with a letter from Manuel I. Greeting the Portuguese with great warmth encouraged da Gama and he would return to Portugal with an enthusiastic message for King Manuel I. However, he wouldn't arrive home till late 1500, since he only began the return leg of his journey in September 1499.
His voyage and discoveries would herald a new beginning for the Portuguese in maritime affairs. They had now opened up a route by sea to India, one which they could completely monopolise. This would as a result become an extremely lucrative asset for the empire and would offer many riches for them to exploit. By securing the interests of trade, Portugal could also begin to contemplate establishing a network of trade posts and bases for their empire, whereby they could retain control by force of their trade network.
Vasco da Gama handing the letter from King Manuel I to King Narasa Nayaka
In November 1499, Manuel I came into a disagreement with Jewish traders. The disagreement lay over their role in society and the power they held with trade coming from Brazil Manuel I had up till now stayed out of the affairs of Jewish merchants, but under pressure from his Spanish neighbour, who seemed to be gaining the favour of the Pope. Thus Manuel I decided to make an effort to impress the Pope that Portugal was still interested in spreading the word of Christianity.
The result however was almost disastrous for the Portuguese nation. In an attempt to please both sides, Manuel I failed. His offer to the Jewish merchants – who he promised would be allowed to remain in their roles if they agreed to a peaceful conversion – was completely rejected and rebuked. As a result, Manuel I forced them to leave Lisbon. In doing so, he drove away many of Portugal's talented merchants. Ironically and to the frustration of Manuel, many of these merchants moved to Sevilla, Andalusia where a new Centre of Trade opened on 1st January 1500. The turn of the century had brought a new challenge to the Portuguese empire. Up till now, Lisbon had been the centre for all trade on the Iberian peninsula, and as a result had made the city extremely prosperous. Now with a rival centre of trade in Sevilla, Portugal would see its trade revenue halved – unless it took the initiative and send its merchants to monopolise trade there. However, this might prove a dangerous decision, since it could endanger relations between Portugal and Spain, and also Spain would remain in control of overseeing the trade, should it wish to halt the Portuguese monopoly.
Europe at the turn of the century
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Nice AAR! I really like your maps. Tutorial please .
Also, where have all the minors gone? Austria?
Interesting game
.Also, where have all the minors gone? Austria?
Interesting game
basharious said:Nice AAR! I really like your maps. Tutorial please
Also, where have all the minors gone? Austria?
Interesting game
All I've done is use photoshop, cutting and pasting in some of the EU2 interface images.
Then I used the paths feature to create the route of the explorers. Then using other features such as blending, custom fonts and images from the internet, I've put together everything.
It has taken me years of practice and trial and error to build up my knowledge of photoshop, which is probably quite limited. I suppose it would take a few weeks to be able to grasp all the basics and become quite skilled at the use of photoshop however. Of course, how much time you spend depends on what you want to get out of it. What I seek from photoshop, is to provie images to the few hobbies I have, thus I don't need to spend that much time.
Anyway to answer your questions;
The minors were all eaten up early on by the likes of Austria, Poland, Bohemia & Burgundy. The likes of Austria (now deceased) and currently Poland are suffering from their greed and high BB. Poland seems to get regular gang bangs now.
If you look back at my maps of Europe, you will see in 1433 Austria was quite huge, especially for that early in the game, but by 1460 it only owned Vienna and a piece of Switzerland. Again it was all down to BB.
Portugal have stayed out of wars as much as possible in Europe, because the Portuguese understand that constant warring cannot help a nation last through the centuries, but only help those who have the resources to war regularly - and Portugal are certainly do not possess such resources.
This was actually the first aar i EVER read (in 2005) and it made me buy EUII and have hours of fun, this is truly a pearl.
Keep going and dont let us wait for 2 years again
Keep going and dont let us wait for 2 years again
th3freakie said:The nice piccies are gone
Fixed some of them. Will upload the others that have magically disappeared later on.
This AAR is not dead yet btw! I just have to find the time and motivation to update it.
Fine.... you'll just have to wait for another two years for the next update.
*Ahem*