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Beginning in 1471, with the capture of Arzila on the Moroccan coast, the Kingdom of the Algarve had been a bi-continental title. The “Algarves” were a realm “from either side of the sea in Africa,” and constituted Portugal’s intimate relationship with the continent to its south - with nearly all Afro-Portuguese trade and exploration being funneled through Algarvian ports. Consequently, as Viceroy of the Kingdom of the Algarve, Martim Branco de Grândola was responsible not only for Portugal’s Moroccan possessions, but also for its ventures in the dark continent. Branco, while certainly more patient than his liege, was just as much of a workhorse: Branco directed the profits from the African gold and slave trade almost entirely to maritime infrastructural projects - building extensive quays and shipbuilding facilities and overall expanding the ports at Faro, Lagos, and Portimão, with similar projects undertaken in Tánger and Funchal - while also improving Southern Portugal's road network (overseeing a first-class royal highway from Lisboa to Lagos), fortifying and organizing the Ilhas de Cabo Verde [1], and restoring the legendary school of navigation reputed to have been founded by Henrique o Navegador, (this time with an actual physical campus at Faro). The total occupation of most of the Moroccan coast and of both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar allowed such initiatives to proceed with an unprecedented pace and security.
Beginning in 1444, the Portuguese had been in contact with the kingdom of the Jolof, centered on the Cabo Verde’s African coast [2]. What they found there was a quite advanced society with a developed noble and non-noble hierarchy and a system of occupational castes including metalworkers, tailors, jewellers, and griots (roughly equivalent to the European troubadour). By the time Miguel acceded to the throne of Portugal in early 1522, Portuguese involvement amongst the Jolof was limited to coastal slave forts and trading posts. However, Miguel took great interest in this un-evangelized realm of the Sub-Sahara, especially considering its potential as a rearguard against Islamic expansion in Africa and beyond. What piqued Miguel’s interest was that such a strategically located state had been in contact with the Islamic world for centuries (and had even seen some Islamic practices adopted by its nobility), yet Islam had thus far failed to fully permeate its society. Always moving with the utmost urgency, Miguel ordered Branco to coordinate a diplomatic mission to the “Buur-ba Jolof” [3], hoping to establish friendly relations, and possibly facilitate the Christianization of the region and forge a defensive alliance. Much to the chagrin of a good number of Portuguese maritime entrepreneurs, Miguel also forbade the seizing and purchasing of slaves from the Africans - although he would be convinced to limit this statute to just the Cabo Verde [4]. By early 1525, Branco had assembled a small troupe of Jolof translators and converts and Portuguese men-at-arms to meet with Bukaar Biye-Sungule (the Buur-ba Jolof) on the peninsula across from the Portuguese fort on the isle of Bezeguiche. This meeting produced mixed results: Bukaar was a man set in his ways, and, while he appreciated the wealth that trade with the Portuguese had brought into his realm, he also appreciated the steady trade that had long been established with the (very Muslim) Malian Empire - which was now in decline and constituted little threat to an Islamic-friendly Jolof kingdom. Luckily, Branco was a cunning planner, and had organized similar meetings in secret with the Buur-ba Jolof’s vassals, who occupied most of the coast and thus had the most to gain from cooperation with the Portuguese.


The kingdom of Jolof’s monarchical authority was not what it once was, and Bukaar, while respected (and reportedly able to field as many as 100,000 men) had ruled for 35 years and was getting on in age. Bukaar’s son, Birayma Dyeme-Kumba, was particularly restless to succeed his father, and reached out to the Portuguese at Bezeguiche in order to form a conspiracy: Prince Birayma would convert to Christianity in exchange for military and financial aid from the Portuguese, and, if successful in gaining his father’s crown, would accommodate the Portuguese presence, giving them a preferential status in trade and allowing their priests and instructors free rein in his kingdom. While Branco was unwilling to involve Portugal in another conflict while there was still fighting in the Maghreb, Miguel instructed him to proceed, but with caution as to the legitimacy of Birayma’s conversion. Just as Birayma and his noble co-conspirators were amassing their forces, Bukaar died in October of 1525, allowing Birayma a quick and clean succession. However, fearing insignificance now that their part in the conspiracy was pointless, a number of Birayma’s former allies formed an opposition to his reign, accusing him of insulting their gods and customs and selling their homeland to the Portuguese slavers. Limited just to the sub-kingdom of Cayor, Birayma found himself surrounded by enemies, and although he succeeded in driving them back over a two-year campaign, they had succeeded in making allies amongst the Magnates of the Malian Empire and its tributary states, who invaded Birayma’s realm and threatened to push him into the sea. Birayma made an urgent plea to Branco for assistance, invoking their brotherhood in Christ and calling upon the Blessed Mother and what few saints he knew. Branco was wary of Birayma’s intentions and was perfectly prepared to let him perish and be done with this whole expensive enterprise, but met with Birayma and his embassy on his caravel in the Bay of Bezeguiche regardless, to act as mediator between Birayma and a host of Malian representatives, who arrived a week later. What followed was a possibly apocryphal response from the Jolof prince, who pulled from a wicker basket the head of a Malian diplomat sent to him two weeks prior, tossed it in front of the shocked opposite party, and announced he would fight to the death for his inheritance and under the standard of the cross. When Branco recounted this chain of events to Miguel, the king was so pleasantly surprised that he ordered Branco to assemble a force to support Birayma and see to it that his adversaries were defeated. Branco amassed 140 mounted troops, 400 pikemen, 240 arquebusiers, 11 cannons, as well as 700 slave soldiers at Bezeguiche under a group of officers from Cabo Verde, and succeeded in getting them marched overland to Mbacké, where they joined with Birayma’s force of some 30,000 and did battle with a 48,000 strong Malian and opposition army - which was defeated handily thanks to Birayma’s zealotry, the Portuguese firearms and ordnance, and the disunity of their opponents, and defeated again at Tambacounda by the end of the year.



While Birayma would shift back into a less committal form of Christianity, he honored his agreement, and Portuguese missionaries found a new flock awaiting them in Senegambia - all the more ready to receive the Gospel after the ravages of the jihadis brought along in the Malian armies.


[1] OTL Cape Verde
[2] OTL Cap-Vert Peninsula
[3] Imperial title of the rulers of the Jolof
[4] OTL waters between OTL Cape Verde and Senegal