Sebastião I
The new King was very balanced.
The first measure that D. Sebastião I did, were to help the population of Grao Para.
A colonial disaster made D. Sebastião I spend 50 Diplomatic Power to save 200 persons.
Cape was made a Town (colonization began with Maria I).
Maranhão in Brazil become a Town and the colonization of Benguela (in Angola) began.
The King, seeing that region to far from the motherland, and believing that a company could take more trade power, created the South Africa Company (SAC).
In the foreign relations, following the policy of his mother, he arranges a royal marriage with Austria, but went even further, with other weddings with Naples, England and later Aragon.
Is prestige was low (32) comparing to former Kings (except is mother, that was zero) but was improving.
D. Sebastião I improved the relations with Castile (+20) and gain 40 Military Power by imported iron from his neighbour at the cost of -1 Mercantilism.
Internal problems were quickly resolved.
Nobles Demand Recompensation because they fell that the state has lived off the contribution of the nobles for a long period of the time. Now the country was doing well, so the nobility were eager to get their cut of the cake.
They did the same to Queen Maria I, that paid them 163,08 ducats.
D. Sebastião wouldn’t do the same mistakes.
He not only did not pay, as he arrested the nobles who demanded such amounts.
Stability took a hit dropping (-2), but the King spend much administrative power (232AP) to restore the previous situation (+1).
Filipe Vasconcelos, a master recruiter (+2) was hired to improve the lack of manpower (+10%).
The Kingdom only had 4.322 men.
In the colony of Brazil, tariffs on Naval supplies and fish were raised 1% each and José Coutinho was reappointed for Viceroy (2-5-2) but the Kind recall is colonists that were sent to Grao Para. People were decrease there.
D. Sebastião I was thirsty for showing is military skills and fight the Muslims.
Maybe by the teachings of his devout mother, perhaps to fall into the good graces of the Papal State, he instructed the Pope to call a crusade against the Mamluks.
The King also support the mercantilist factions to gain 2,5 Mercantilism.
Few time later, the Papal State starts to trust the new King. Kongo is now a Christian State.
Although the King wanted to start a crusade against the Muslims he revoke the embargo on Algiers.
Castile was winning, and he tried to get some benefits of that war, buy selling to the Algiers.
“Economy above Religion” or “Gold is heavier than Iron (referring to the iron nails of Christ cross)” – two sentences that the King normally spoke.
Even so when much loans had to be paid.
Algiers seeking some goodwill from the King asked for Military Access, that was rejected.
No gold would come from that, and Castile is still a Christian State.
The loan of 90 ducats were paid in 12-03-1539.
Aniku convert to Christianity in the end of 1539 and Ndongo in the early 1542.
From Castile, news that the war against Algiers spread and there were now troops in Macedonia.
To continue to please the Papal State, the King order to burn priest and his books.
After 3 years of colonizing Benguela (in Angol), savages burn it to the ground.
The King sends is troops to raise all savages and after, attempt to colonize again.
Wave of Obscurantism was a typical response to different kinds of problems; obscurantism was a frequent behaviour in most nations at least until the Age of Enlightenment arose in the most advanced western nations of the European continent.
The King decided not to ignore (prestige -33) but believing that Knowledge is power, prefer to embrace it risking Global revolts (+2).
The Kingdom was stable (+3), and the probability of revolts were no more than 5% according to is counsellors.
To appease possible revolts; the Theologian Duarte da Costa (+2) was hired, decreasing national revolts by -3.
Once again, Portugal was the tip of the sword in Military Technology.
In 28-06-1543 another loan of 94,50 ducats (plus 4,50 in interest) were paid.
Santa Amaro and São Vicente (in Brazil) becomes towns.
Castile was still winning in Ottomans lands.
If it weren’t for the debt, it would be a good time to join them, and conquer Jerusalem, the Holy City.
Diplomatic Technology is improved as well.
In 27-04-1544 the another loan of 91,50 ducats (plus 1,50 in interest) were paid.
Lately the King was looking for painters or artists to try to adequately capture the glory of him. As it happens a painter offered his services to him but he had to decline (losing -5 prestige).
The cost were to much (-100,70 ducats) to the vaults (+65 ducats)
Little Karoo, next to Cape Town starts to be colonize and in the year of 1545 Aragon were occupying Melilla from Tunisia. They want to take it back, what was once theirs and lost for some rebels.
In 10-03-1545 the last loan of 106,20 ducats (plus 16,20 in interest) were paid.
Across the border, Madrid were taken by some Castilian Noble Rebels (16.000 men), and in Leon Peasants (6.000 man) are sieging the city.
But they were doing nice in Ottomans lands.
Wars in the World
On the 31 of January of 1546, the ally Austria asks for assistance.