Yes it should be able to keep a much bigger empire but the most important factor is going to be not following Spains path and get involved in endless European intregue and wars.
Yes it should be able to keep a much bigger empire but the most important factor is going to be not following Spains path and get involved in endless European intregue and wars.
I guess that you could try to minimalize Portuguese involvement, but at certain points Portugal will get involved, mainly to protect their own intrests. Especially since Portugal will be among the greater European powers; this doesn't mean that they will be warmongering on the continent, but IMHO an attitude similar to OTL Britain's balance of power seems reasonable.
On July 29 1271 D Dinis I was proclaimed as King of Portugal, Leão, Galiza, Algarve and Andalusia the age of 41.
Much was made of his reign; he had been an active partner in his father’s reign for over 20 years and had enacted many of the policies himself in the name of his father. He had travelled throughout the kingdom dispensing justice and promoting the country’s development. It was a complete shock when less than a year into his reign that he became sick and was bedridden. For two months the Portuguese court held its breath as the king’s health deteriorated. On June 15 the uncle D Fernando, the Duque of Silves arrived at the bequest of the king. On June 19 in his last act as king before he passed away he nominated D Fernando as regent for his twelve year old son Infante Fernando.
Family Ties
In 1255 Infante Dinis was married to Urraca of Castela daughter of Henrique I of Castela from this marriage four children were born: Constança in 1256, Infanta Maria in 1258, Infante Fernando in 1260 and Infante Afonso in 1260.
On June 20 1272 D Dinis I, (Portugal’s 6th King “o esperado”) died at the age of 42
[1]In iOTL His reign started in 1279 and ended in 1325, he was only born in 1260 and his reign started at the age of 18, here his reign starts at the age of 41 and unfortunately only lasts one year.
On June 25 1272 D Fernando I was proclaimed as King of Portugal, Leão, Galiza, Algarve and Andalusia at the age of 12.
His first order of business was proclaiming his uncle D Fernando, the Duque of Silves as regent. The first several years his reign was subjected to a power struggle between the Duque of Silves and D Fernando I’s mother Urraca. She constantly sought ways to separate her son from the Duque of Silves by incriminating him in one matter or another. In 1276 D Fernando, the Duque of Silves, finally succumbed to the pressures of the office and died at the age of 64. D Fernando I waited several days following the funeral of his much beloved uncle before assembling court again. Many in court along with his mother expected him to appoint her as the next regent and the castle was abuzz with intrigue. But D Fernando I surprised everyone and proclaimed no regent and assumed full control of the throne. As for his mother he had her sent to a convent along with his two sisters for their part in contriving to seize the throne from him[2].
For the first three years after assuming full control of the country, D Fernando I toured the country letting the people see him and also allowing him to see the country for himself. The country was huge and it took him over three years to traverse it from west to east and north to south. He was able to observe that large areas were completely desolate and most of it hard to traverse.
During his reign D Fernando I dedicated himself to the administration of the land. He promoted agriculture and promoted the movement of large number of people from the more densely populated north to the empty south. He re-distributed large amounts of lands throughout the kingdom to farmers. Under his direction, the establishment and founding of towns, agricultural communities, villages and farms was as great as all his predecessors. It was through this action that he received the name “O lavrador” the farmer.
He directed the building of the first “Estradas do Rei” Kings Road linking many towns and cities. He also established markets in numerous towns and regulated their activity. To protect agricultural lands between the Rios of Tejo and Mondego he ordered the planting of the “Pinhal de Leiria” Pine forest of Leiria (It still exists today). He promoted the settlement of foreigners in Portugal in the more remote and empty areas. Thousands of settlers from Flanders, Italian Peninsula as well as Eastern Mediterranean came to Portugal; at times the crown paid for their travel costs especially the Christian from Eastern Mediterranean who had lost their farms and lands due to war and Muslim attacks[3].
It was in part as a result of the movement of people but also the need to protect Portugal vast coast that D Fernando I founded the Portuguese Navy under the command of Genoese admiral, Manuel Pessanha and built several docks. This was the first time Portuguese crown had the ability to extend its will and power over the oceans.
He ordered the exploration of mines of copper, silver, tin and iron and organized the export of the excess. The levels of export of not only minerals but also agricultural excess provided Portugal with the enviable position of being the dominant economy in the Peninsula Ibérica. But this economic power was also accompanied by it becoming the dominant military, intellectual and political power in the peninsula, which changed the attitudes and behavior of its neighbors and other European powers towards Portugal.
Cultura
D Fernando I was the first king that signed all his documents with his full name, something has had led some scholars to speculate he might have been the first truly literate Portuguese king.
D Fernando I was also known as the “o Rei-Poeta” for his fondness of literature which he both read enthusiastically as well as wrote many on a wide range of topics such as administration, hunting, science and poetry. He was also an accomplished Troubadour thus his other name, “o Rei-Trovador” he is credited with writing and composing over 221 songs in the three principle genres of the Portuguese-Leonese Lyric[4].
Under his guidance Portugal became the leading cultural and intellectual country in the peninsula and one of the most important in Europe. Large number of Ancient Greek and Arabic books and texts were translated to Latin. The two Portuguese Universities which were under constant bickering and argument were strengthened and expanded thus emphasizing Portugal growing intellectual prestige.
In 1315 he decreed the establishment of the language of the people was to become the language of the government. This was a very contentious issue since three main cultural groups made up the country: Portuguese, Galizan and Leonese but even during his predecessors reign as well as his the three language groups had slowly been integrating into a more common language. Under his direction and influence the Portuguese language became the language of government, and law courts. To emphasize the new language he ordered the translation of hundreds of books and laws from Latin to Portuguese[5].
Administraçao
Being a keen observer and very well read, D Fernandes built on the laws and administrative reforms instituted by both his grandfather and father and continued their development. He enacted numerous laws both civil and criminal that protected the lower classes from abuse and extortion from both the nobles and clergy. He also enacted many laws that not only established the rights but also the privileges of the various groups in the kingdom including nobles, clergy, alvazis (County officials), judges, procuratores e advocati and the crown. These are ultimately compiled and organized by his son and grandson into the “Ordenações Afonsinas”.
He also created laws on the rights and privileges of the various municipalities, towns and cities. He continued the work of his predecessors and continued the centralization of power. At this time Portugal also starting noticing the growing urbanization and growth of towns and cities.
Another major issue for D Fernando I was the heavy concentration of the nobles north of the Rio Tejo, in 1300 over 70% of all nobles lived north of the river while religious orders dominated the south. Under his leadership a large number of nobles were given larger territories in the south in exchange for their northern holding which are divided up between the crown and the remaining neighboring nobles. This coincided with the construction of new batch of castles along the coast, and border with both Castela and Emirate of Granada[6].
Throughout his reign he is estimated to have traversed the country over ten times, both observing the good and also correcting unjust situations and resolving problems. After his marriage to Infanta Isabela of Aragão it was said that she accompanied by him many a times. Under her influence they also worked to improve the lives of the poor and founded several social institutions.
Marriage and Issue
In 1280 a twenty year old king began to search for a suitable bride and sets his eyes on Isabel of Aragão, the oldest daughter of Pedro II of Aragão. Pedro II of Aragão had suitors from both Franca and England but chose D Fernando I instead because he liked the fact that his daughter would become queen. In 1282 she was betrothed and finally left Aragão in 1288 when she turned 18. She and D Fernando I had three children Infante Constança in 1290, Infante Afonso in 1291 and Infanta Maria in 1293. She was a very devout and always attended mass every day and helped the poor and disadvantaged. She had a gentle and good heart that she brought to the Castle, D Fernando I’s illegitimate children to be educated alongside hers. It was here that rivalry between Infante Afonso and his two older half brothers Pedro Afonso and Afonso Sancho began[7].
In 1322 she interceded between her husband and son when the two were about to fight each other and stopped the battle, for this and her many works with the poor and destitute Queen Isabel was later canonized as a saint[8].
Crown and Church
When D Fernando I came to power the Catholic Church and Portuguese government was locked into a huge power struggle. In 1276 he attempted to negotiate a mutually satisfying agreement with the new Pope John XXI from Lisboa. D Fernando offered to pay for a new wing at the Papal palace in Viterbo. D Fernando I personally undertook a trip to Rome to meet Pope John XXI who agreed to D Fernando’s offer and a new more balanced agreement between the church and the crown. In turn D Fernando I promised to look after the churches’ affairs in the country[9].
In 1307 when France’s Filipe IV attacked the Templar Knights torturing and killing many of and convinced Pope Clemente V to disband them in 1312. In Portugal D Fernando I granted asylum to the knights in Portugal and others who fled to it from the rest of Europe and created the “Ordem de Christo” Order of Christ with all the assets and lands formerly belonging to the Templar Knights. In 1318 he got Pope Clemente V successor to recognize the new order along with all of the Templar Knights lands and assets in Portugal. Subsequently D Fernando I helped another religious order, the Order of Santiago situated in the kingdom of Portugal to complete sever all ties with its Castilian grand master. In 1318 García Fernández becomes the first independent Portuguese grand master for the Order of Santiago. Thus with the third Portuguese Religious military order the Knights of Aviz Portugal had three independent Religious military orders within its borders and only subject to the Portuguese crown[10].
End of Reign and Death
In 1312 D Fernando I and Infante Afonso had a great falling out over Infante Afonso choice for wife, while visiting Pamplona he met Beatrice of Castela, the youngest daughter of Sancho IV of Castela. She had been living there in exile after her cousin Alfonso XIX of Castela had become king in 1302. Infante Fernando fell in love with her and took her as his wife against his father’s wishes. D Fernando I had been negotiating the marriage of Alfonso XIX of Castela’s daughter Leonor to Infante Alfonso as well as the betrothal of Infanta Maria to the Castilian heir Infante Fernando of Castela. So when Alfonso returned to Portugal and announced he had married the king had a fit[11].
When Infante Alfonso refused to abandon and divorce Beatrice of Castela his father was so upset that he began making plans for the succession of his other son Afonso Sancho whom he had succeeded in legitimizing. He made arrangement for the marriage of Afonso Sancho to Leonor of Castela instead. Infante Alfonso responded to his father scheme by openly rebelling against him and raising an army. In 1318 after several years of the opposing forces clashing, the two main combatants Infante Alfonso and D Fernando I finally met on the battle field with their armies ready to fight each other.
When Queen Isabel heard that her son and husband were about to enter into combat against each other she rushed to Avalade where the forces were gathered and interjects herself in the middle of the troops and stopped the fighting. She then gathered her husband and son and got them to make peace. She persuaded D Fernando I to recognize Infante Afonso as heir and authorize the wedding so that the baby would be born legitimate. She then got her son to consent for his half brothers to receive recognition from his father. Afonso Sancho was made Duque of Seville, while Pedro Afonso was made the Conde de Barcelos. Both brothers swore fidelity to their brother and recognized him as heir[12].
On March 21, 1329 D Fernando I, (Portugal’s 7th King “o lavrador”) died at the age of 68
Castela and the Castilian Succession War
In 1297 renewed border clashes between Portuguese and Castilian nobles brought the two neighbors to the brink of war. Several large battles in Asturias and along the Rio Pisuerga resulted in the two countries mobilizing their forces and also the start of the siding of Aragão with Castela in their dispute with Portugal. Only Navarre remained neutral in the escalation of tensions on the Peninsula.
In 1294 the Castilian heir Infante Fernando de la Cerda died during a border clash with Granada, this left the country in a lurch as his younger brother Sancho seized the government from his ailing father and over the objections of his father Fernando III of Castela installed himself as heir of the Castilian throne. Many Castilian nobles revolted against what they saw as the seizure of throne from the rightful heir Alfonso, son of Fernando de la Cerda. On October 10, 1295 Infante Sancho was able to get himself crowned Sancho IV of Castela and Toledo and the country was plunged into a civil war[13].
Fighting between the forces led by Infante D. João uncle of Sancho IV of Castela on behalf of Infante Alfonso led to eventual execution of over 2,000 Infante Alfonso supporters in the city of Burgos in 1296. Following the execution of the followers and the imprisonment of D. João many Castilian nobles fled to Portugal where with the support of the Portuguese nobles launched attacks on Castela[14].
In spring of 1297 D Fernando I arrived along the Castilian border with a Portuguese army of about 20,000 knights and infantry. Facing him in Castela is Sancho IV of Castela with 15,000 men and James II of Aragão with 10,000 men. D Fernando diffused the situation and Treaty of Valladolid was signed between the three countries on May 12 1297[15].
The Treaty of Valladolid stipulated that any Castilian noble could remain in Portugal but they could not use Portugal as a basis for launching attacks against Castela. It also stipulated the right of the nobles to live in Portugal without further attacks by Castela. One additional note to the treaty required by both Castela and Aragão was the defining the present Portuguese-Castela border between the two countries. It also restricted Portuguese size and a border on the peninsula to the borders of Portugal at the time the treaty was signed.
In 1299 Castela once more was plunged into civil war, when Sancho IV of Castela was killed in renewed border clashes with the Emirate of Granada which had used the Castilian succession to rebut the annual tribute and ally itself with the Merínida Dynasty in Fez and Marrocos.
Two claimants for the throne of Castela emerged and both were crowned King of Castela. On one side stood Sancho IV of Castela’s ten year old son Fernando and on the other side was Ferdinand de la Cerda’s 30 year old son Alfonso. Each claimant gathered an army and supporters of the two fought each other for almost two years. D Fernando I of Portugal did not take any sides afraid that whatever side he supported would surely be viewed as being under the influence of the bigger and richer neighbor. Meanwhile James II of Aragão recognized Alfonso as the king and provided him and his supporters with money and ability to use Aragão as a base for their war. In June 10 1302 Infante D. João forces were able to capture Toledo and exile the regent and mother of Fernando to Navarre. On October 15, 1302 Infante Alfonso was crowned Alfonso IX of Castela and Toledo in Toledo and more importantly receiving recognition from both the Portuguese and Aragonese crowns[16].
Aragão and its many Kings
Following James I of Aragão death in 1276 the Kingdom of Aragão was divided between his two oldest sons: Peter and James. Peter became the successor in Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia while James was the successor in Balearics and Languedoc. Peter III of Aragão conquered the island of Sicily and Malta for Aragão but died in 1285 leaving the throne to his oldest son Alfonso III of Aragão and Sicily and Malta to his second son James. Alfonso III of Aragão freed from worries regarding the difficult holdings in Sicily concentrated on matters on the Peninsula Ibérica. His sought to re-incorporate his uncle James II of Majorca lands back into the Kingdom of Aragão. In 1293 the Balearic Islands were conquered and James II of Majorca once more vassal of Aragão and was forced to give up all land on the mainland. In 1294 Alfonso III of Aragão died without issue and his younger brother inherited the throne of Aragão. In 1294 James II of Aragão became the kingdom’s new king while his younger brother Frederick became king of Sicily in 1295. James II of Aragão was the brother of Queen Isabel of Portugal.
[1]In iOTL this king never existed but here he taking the place of his father and accomplishing many of his feats.
[2]In iOTL D Dinis never had regent since he came to power when he was 18
[3]iOTL while he was credited with building road and developing the country there were no real Kings road, here D Fernando got the idea from the remnants of the Roman roads he encountered while touring the country.
[4]In iOTL the style was Portuguese-Galizan and it has documented at 168 songs
[5]Here the Portuguese language is more of a mixmatch of Leonese, Galizan and Portuguese so it will be different from iOTL Portuguese.
[6]In iOTL there was no huge amount of lands to give so the divide continued with the south being dominated by Church lands and north by nobles.
[7]In iOTL the king and queen only had two kids one boy and one girl, and yes she did bring her husband iligitimate kids to be educated.
[8]She is known by all Portuguese as Saint Queen, she is credited in transforming money and food into roses when confronted by her husband.
[9]In IOTL Pope John XXI only lived 8 months as apposed to six years here, the wing he built fell on him and he died of his injuries. The arrangement between Dinis I and the church was very beneficial to the church here it is more neutral. But an agreement is agreed and the excuminication of both Dinis I and Afonso III is lifted much to the happiness of the families and country.
[11]While in iOTL the reason for the revolt against his father was the favouritism toward his half brother.
[12]Yes she was credited with stopping the war and bringing peace to the nation.
[13]iOTL Infante Sancho did take the throne from his nephews
[14]In iOTL because Portugal was so much smaller they did not flee to Portugal and the slaughter was almost three times that amount.
[15] In iOTL D Dinis I did involve himself in Castile problems but withdrew and signed the Tratado de Alcanises in 1297 formalizing Portugal and Castela`s borders.
[16]In iOTL the queen regent was able to fend off the rivals and put her son on the throne here the enemies are much stronger and she loses and ends up deposed instead.
On March 25 1329 D Afonso IV was proclaimed as King of Portugal, Leão, Galiza, Algarve and Andalusia at the age of 37.
The reign of Afonso IV could be classified as a reign of crises management, because so much of his reign the country was beset by one problem after another. For in complete contrast to his father’s reign where the kingdom made huge strides and progresses during D Afonso IV reign the country stagnated. It was beset by political intrigue, natural disasters, plague and threatened for the first time in over one hundred years with invasion by the Muslims.
When D Afonso IV came to power he still felt uneasy and angry with his half brothers Afonso Sancho, the Duque of Seville, and Pedro Afonso the Conde de Barcelos. So he proceeded to strip them of their titles, lands and privileges, but before he could enact on his intentions he was visited by his mother who had retired to a convent in Coimbra. She once more made him change his mind and in a great act of love and reconciliation brought her son’s half brothers to court so that peace between them all could be re-established[1].
Following the resolution of political struggle with his half brothers D Afonso IV strived to continue the development of the country and the economic policies started by his father. His single largest decision was the development of the Portuguese Navy. The number of ships was greatly expanded and also several additional docks were created and expanded throughout the country. Coinciding with the development of the Portuguese Navy was also the development of the Portuguese commercial fleet to transport the Portuguese products and goods to other European ports. The availability and size of both the navy and commercial fleet would prove instrumental in the country’s future and direction.
Conflict with Castela
In 1335 Infanta Maria of Portugal the consort of King Fernando IV of Castela was locked in a dungeon by her husband after years of public mistreatment. D Afonso, her brother was incensed by the action and sent several protests to Castela. When Fernando IV of Castela ignored them and rebuffed Portuguese ambassador, D Afonso felt obligated to defend his country and family’s honour. In 1338 he gathered an army and marched into Castela. On route to Castela he was joined by his brother the Duque of Seville who wishing to show he fealty had gathered his knights and soldiers and marched to join the king. The surprised Fernando IV of Castela requested assistance from Alfonso IV of Aragon against Portugal but Alfonso IV of Aragon feeling offended by Fernando IV of Castela actions against his wife refused[2].
The Portuguese and Castilian forces met on the battlefield south of the city of Toledo. D Afonso IV makes a speech calling for his brother-in-law to mend his ways and reconcile with his wife. Fernando IV of Castela infuriated that he is being lectured refuses and the two armies prepare for battle. The battle of Toledo pits Castela’s army of about 25,000 knights and soldiers against a Portuguese army almost twice that size. The Portuguese defeated Fernando IV of Castela forcing him to flee from the battle seeking sanctuary behind the walls of Toledo.
For the next two months Afonso IV besieged the city and capturing it on June 1, 1338 but before the Portuguese could storm the keep where Fernando IV of Castela was held up along with the remainder of his men Infanta Maria of Portugal the consort of Fernando IV of Castela arrived and begged her brother to withdraw from Castela[3].
The following year a new Treaty was signed between the two countries establishing peace once again on the continent.
Marriage and Issue
The marriage of Afonso IV to Beatrice of Castela was one of Portugal’s greatest love stories, for the first time an Infante had taken a wife out of love as apposed to political maneuver. She was the cousin of King Fernando IV and daughter of when Sancho IV of Castela. From this marriage six children were born but only three survived infancy. Infanta Maria was born in 1313, Infante Pedro was born in 1320 and Infanta Leonor was born in 1328. Unlike his predecessors D Afonso IV was never had any illegitimate children and it is said never had any mistresses[4].
In the year that D Afonso IV became king he arranged his first alliance; with Aragão. He arranged for the marriage of his oldest daughter, Infanta Maria to Alfonso IV of Aragão following the death of his first wife Teresa de Entenza, Countess of Urgell. In 1338 he married his other daughter Infanta Leonor to Pedro IV of Aragão, son of Alfonso IV of Aragão and his first wife[5].
As for his son Pedro he was married to Constança Manuela of Leão, she was daughter of Afonso the Duque of Leão and one of the most powerful men in the country. Direct descendent of D Afonso Henriques. The wedding took place in the city of Leão on July 1 1340 and when Constança of Leão came to the court in Lisboa to live with Infante Pedro she brought along several ladies from Leão and Galiza including Ines de Castro daughter of powerful Galizan noble Pedro Fernandes Castro.
Soon after Constança Manuela of Leão arrived with her entourage Infante Pedro would follow his dad’s steps and fall in love with someone. Unlike his dad he was already married and the affair would come to have great political implications for the country. Infante Pedro started having an affair with his wife’s lady in waiting Ines de Castro. While the affair caused several issues the major one happened with the influence many of the Galizan nobles seemed to have on the Infante. Her two brother’s Álvaro Pires de Castro e Fernando de Castro were given elevated positions in court and seemed to exert a great deal of influence on the Infante Pedro.
To the king this caused the greatest problem for the Portuguese court was a very delicate situation with an equal number of Portuguese, Galizan and Leonese officials and councillors. With the situation regarding the influence of the Galizan nobles had with Infante Pedro it caused major problems in the king’s court.
Matters come to a head when in 1346 when Infante Pedro left his wife and moved in with Ines de Castro and together they moved to Coimbra and stayed at the Royal House of Coimbra. There Ines de Castro has three children Beatriz in 1347, João in 1349 and Dinis in 1352.
In 1350 Constança Manuela died (some historians say of a broken heart) leaving into question what is to become of her young children; Infanta Maria born in 1342 and Infante Fernando born in 1345.
Attempts by D Afonso IV to remarry his son, Infante Pedro are completely put into disarray when he announces that he will not marry anyone else other than Ines de Castro. Banned from court Infante Pedro lived with his family in Coimbra then in Lugo and finally in Aveiro. During this time the situation in the kingdom continued tense with Infante Pedro and his father not communicating.
In 1355 the situation came to a head when six masked men attacked the house in an attempt on Ines de Castro’s life while Infante Pedro was away on a hunting trip. The attack coincided with several other attacks on several Galizan nobles including both of Ines de Castro’s brothers. Both Álvaro Pires de Castro e Fernando de Castro are killed but in regards to Ines de Castro she survives her attack when the assassins are surprised by several guards. A fight breaks out and two of the five guards are killed and three of the assassins are also hurt. As for Ines de Castro she is attacked and stabbed but survives. When Infante Pedro returns he is distraught over the incident but refuses to leave Ines de Castro side while she recovers[7].
In 1356 in complete disregard and contempt for his father, whom he believed was responsible for the attempt on Ines, but lacked the proof, married Ines de Castro and waited for his father to die. Only after his father is dead did he ever go to Lisboa and visit the court again. He also recognizes his three children and sets in motion future dynastic events.
The Emirate of Granada and the Merínida Dynasty[8]
The Merínida Dynasty in North Africa had come to replace the Almóada Dynasty in Marrocos and by the 1300 was in complete control of Marrocos but locked in several internal disputes and clashes with the Abdalwadid Dynasty of Algeria. In 1310 Abu Sa'id Uthman II came to power and set about to strengthen the country and stop the constant internal conflicts. He was faced with pressures from external sources also including Castela attacking the last Merínida outposts of the Iberian Peninsula Algeciras and Gibraltar. In the east the Abdalwadid Dynasty threaten the country from Tlemcen. In 1320 Abu Sa'id Uthman II attacked his rebellious son and designate heir Abu Ali who had seized the southern part of the country. At the battle of Oum er-Rebia Abu Ali is defeated and captured but allowed to live. Abu Sa'id Uthman II then chooses his other son Abu al Hassan as heir.
In 1331 Abu al Hassan succeeded his father and continued battling the kingdom’s enemies. In 1333 Fernando IV of Castela succeeds in taking Gibraltar and in 1336 start besieging Algeciras. Meanwhile in the east Abu al Hassan defeated and captured the sultan of the Abdalwadid Dynasty in the battle of Tlemcen. Tlemcen is annexed in exchange for the sultan’s freedom. With the Abdalwadid Dynasty in check Abu al Hassan decided to deal with the Christians in the Peninsula Ibérica.
He begins building a large fleet of ships under the command of Muhammad ibn Ali al Azafi. In 1336 when Fernando IV of Castela besieged Algeciras Abu al Hassan was able to reinforce the town and Fernando IV of Castela was forced by disease to lift the siege after eight months. Abu al Hassan then proceeded to reinforce his position and besieged and re-captured Gibraltar. Abu al Hassan then made an alliance with Muhammad IV of Granada. The first objective was to defeat Castela then follow that up with an attack on Portugal. Abu al Hassan ultimate goal is nothing short of reversing the Muslim loses in peninsula.
In September 10, 1339 a Joint Castilian and Aragonese fleet of 52 galleys under the command of Admiral Alonso Jofre Tenório attacked the Merínida Fleet at Ceuta. The Merínida fleet of 102 galleys defeated the Castilian and Aragonese fleet. Admiral Alonso Jofre Tenório was killed and only six Aragonese galleys survived and escaped. The galleys sailed north and arrived in Ibiza on September 15.
Abu al Hassan then proceeded to move a large army from North Africa and with the Granada army attacked the Castilians at Cordoba on November 30. The city held out till Christmas when the walls were breached the Christian inhabitants slaughtered or enslaved.
With the fall of Cordoba all of Castela’s possessions south of the Rio Guadiana were in jeopardy. During the winter Abu al Hassan brought over 40,000 soldiers and supplies along with most of his elite troops and court from North Africa to the Peninsula Ibérica. On March 10 the Castilians and Aragonese army were defeated at the Battle of Elena. Pushing the two monarchs back and placing all of Murcia in jeopardy.
The defeat at Elena finally convinced Fernando IV of Castela to personally request help from his brother-in-law. After the loss of Cordoba Fernando IV of Castela had asked his estranged wife, Maria of Portugal to request help from her brother but D Afonso IV had refused. He stipulated that if Castela needed his assistance then Fernando IV of Castela would need to request assistance himself.
On March 15, 1340 D Afonso IV arrived in Badajoz with an army of 42,000 knights, archers and infantry. The position and strength of the Muslim had become a direct threat to the Portuguese and D Afonso IV along with every noble house of Portugal made preparation to attack the Merínida threat. He no longer cared or was interested in Fernando IV of Castela’s request or plight, his concern was the survival of Portugal.
In Lisboa D Pedro directed the second Portuguese attack; a fleet of over 100 Portuguese Navy, Commercial Fleet and rented Genoa galleys under the command of Genoan Admiral Manuel Pessanha. They were to sail south and attack the Merínida fleet in the straight. On March 20 they sailed south while D Pedro raced south to Elvas where he met up with the knights of the Order of Aviz, Order of Santiago and Order of Christ. On March 30 the now 10,000 knights and apprentices marched south one week behind the main Portuguese Army.
On April 4 D Afonso IV along with every noble, and bishop marched south towards the huge Muslim army moving along the Rio Guadalquivir on their way to attack Portuguese city of Seville. On April 7 after crossing the river the Portuguese army of over 50,000 attacked the Muslim army which was closer to 70,000 six miles from the Portuguese-Castela border. This time there was no crusade, or joint Christian army like the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, here it was just the Portuguese against the Merínida Muslims. D Afonso IV attempted to wait for his son and the order knights but time finally ran out and the Muslims attacked.
The Battle of Rio Guadalquivir pitted almost equal armies against each other; the battle lasted for over two hours with neither side initially gaining the upper hand but after two hours the Portuguese side right flank started giving way and D Afonso IV sent the last of his reserves hopping to push back the Muslim advance. On the Muslim camp Abu al Hassan committed all his forces in an attempt to defeat the Portuguese. The size of the Portuguese army had surprised him at first and he had no reason to believe that there was a second force still coming. Finally as his forces pushed the Portuguese back against the river his left flank disintegrated under a massive attack from a new army.
D Pedro flanked by Grand Master of Aviz, Martim de Avelar, Grand Master of Santiago Alonso Melendez de Guzmand, and Juan Nunez de Prado the Grand Master of Order of Christ and about two thirds knights pounded into the Muslim left flank while the remainder of the knights attacked the Muslim center. In one brief second the Muslim army had gone from victors to defeat. Thousands of Muslim soldiers died in the first impact. The remaining Muslim army tried to escape but for many it was too late and less than 15,000 were able to escape south the remainder either died in the battle or were capture.
The Sultan of Granada Yosuf I was amongst the dead alongside Abu Inan, Abu al Hassan’s son and many of the top Merínida leaders and their family members. Abu al Hassan escaped but his three wives were killed and the entire Merínida court and treasury was captured.
When Abu al Hassan arrived at Algeciras he received his second shock as he is forced to watch the destruction of his only means of escape; the Merínida fleet being destroyed by the Portuguese. On April 8 at dawn the Portuguese fleet had sailed under a westerly wind into the straight catching the Merínida fleet by surprise, by the time the Merínida fleet and admiral Muhammad ibn Ali al Azafi could react about a third of the galleys were either captured or lost. For the next four hours the Merínida galleys were either run aground or lost. The Portuguese fleet then blockaded both Algeciras and Gibraltar while the land escape was sealed off by the arrival of the first elements of the Portuguese army. The loss of the fleet and the army proved too much for Abu al Hassan and he requested terms from D Afonso IV and Portugal.
The Treaty of Algeciras was a huge morale and psychological victory for the Christians and defeat for the Muslim world. Special services were held throughout the Christian world to commemorate the victory. The amount of gold, treasure and supplies, horses and captives was immense.
The ransom of Abu al Hassan and the majority of his court gave Portugal its first territory outside the Peninsula Ibérica. Merínida Dynasty also gave up its last territory on the peninsula to Portugal. Both Algeciras and Gibraltar became Portuguese while across the straight Tânger, Ceuta and Tetuan became Portuguese. The shock of the military defeat was too much for the Merínida Dynasty and Abu al Hassan was deposed and killed less than a week after arriving back in Fez. To the east the Abdalwadid Dynasty attacked and conquered Tlemcen back while Marrocos descended into anarchy and suffered a period known as “reign of the viziers” as local leaders viewed with each other for power and territory.
In the Emirate of Granada Yosuf I’s cousin, Mohammed V came to power but without any help from Muslim North Africa and loss of the Granada Army he was at the mercy of the Christian kingdoms. Granada’s survival came not as a result of armed struggle but the arrival of the plague in the continent. Even so, it did was forced to give up huge amounts of territory to Castela. It lost all land north of the Rio Almanzora along its border with Murcia and most of the lands belonging to the Coroa de Takurunna as part of a peace agreement with the three Christian kingdoms in spring of 1340.
On April 20 D Afonso IV and his army liberated Cordoba for the Castilians. The city garrison hearing of the defeat of Merínida and Granada armies surrendered the city without a fight in return for guarantee of safe passage to North Africa. On June 15 1340 D Afonso IV met with Fernando IV of Castela and Alfonso IV of Aragão in Cordoba where he presented each monarch with 10% of the Merínida treasure and fortune captured. He also returns all lands seized by the Muslims back to Castela less Algeciras and Gibraltar and the Atlantic Coast.
In addition to the 20% given to the countries of Castela and Aragão D Afonso IV also sent 20% to Pope Benedito XII in Rome. The amount received by both Castela and Aragão was huge and provided each monarch with enough money to pay for all losses in the previous year and also was the equivalent to two years revenue in each country. More importantly both countries come to the realization they were minor players in the peninsula.
Without any other recourse, Castela, Aragão and Portugal sign the Treaty of Cordoba establishing the three countries borders and re-iterating the Emirate of Granada under the sphere of Castela.
In Portugal the victory proves a huge boost to the country’s finances as extensive building projects were started all over the country. The Portuguese Catholic Church and Military Orders were given 20% and 10% respectively and they too began a series of building projects including cathedrals, churches and monasteries. In thanks for the victory over the Muslims a huge Monastery was dedicated to Ordem de São Jeronimo for the site of the victory over the Muslim armies.
Disaster & Plague
In 1346 and 1347 Portuguese agriculture suffered a huge blow as the cereal harvest failed and famine gripped the country. D Afonso IV brought large amounts of cereals from other parts of Europe to Portugal to alleviate the famine. In 1348 Coimbra and Leiria were hit by an Earthquake which killed over 10,000 people and left 50,000 homeless and destroyed large number of buildings. But lastly it was the arrival of the “Black Plague” at the end of 1348 which caused the most damage to the country. Portugal like the rest of Europe and even North Africa was greatly affected by the plague and the huge loss of life. The cities and towns became ghost towns as the court and all the nobles and their people abandoned the urban areas for their estates in the country[11].
In all, almost 20% of the population died from the plague and the country’s economy came to a standstill. This was no different than the rest of the other countries in Europe. D Afonso IV reacted with firmness and compassion as the country reacted to these events and authorized the help to thousands of poor and destitute people affected by these tragedies, which in turn prevented an even greater humanitarian tragedy than befell the country.
Death
On May 29, 1359 D Afonso IV, (Portugal’s 8th King “o bravo”) died at the age of 68
Castela “Age of Contrasts”
In 1333 Alfonso IX of Castela “the restored one” died and was succeeded by his oldest son Fernando who became Fernando IV of Castela and Toledo. His public mistreatment of his wife Infanta Maria of Portugal, the sister of Alfonso IV became a diplomatic strain for Castela resulting in the invasion of Castela by Portugal. Fernando IV of Castela came to resent his wife even because it was the action of his wife which saved him and Castela from defeat and not Castilian strength.
Following the Battle of Toledo, Fernando IV of Castela became estranged from his wife and sent her away while he lived openly with his mistress Eleanor of Guzman. In 1339 Castela suffered its worst defeat at the hands of the Muslim in over 100 years. It lost Cordoba and most of the Castilian army was lost at the Battle of Elena[12].
Once more Fernando IV of Castela was forced to swallow his pride and request help from his brother-in-law. He once more attempted to use his wife as an intermediary but D Afonso IV refused and demanded Fernando IV of Castela personally request assistance. Just as Fernando IV of Castela put his pride aside and personally wrote Afonso IV for help Portugal singlehandedly defeat and destroyed the Merínida Dynasty.
The wealth, prestige and territory received by Afonso IV and Portugal was too much for Fernando IV of Castela to stomach but unfortunately for both him and Castela they were in no shape to challenge Portugal. Then to add to the humiliation of Castela, Portugal captured Cordoba without a fight after so many Castilian soldiers and citizens had lost their lives defending it. The worse insult was the Portuguese agreement to let the murderers of Cordoba escape.
When Afonso IV invited Fernando IV of Castela and his counterpart of Aragão to Cordoba for a peace and celebration Fernando so much wanted to refuse but to so would be to abandon all of Andalusia and that was something he could not do. The terms of peace treaty with the other monarchs including the new Emir of Granada was nothing less than belittling to Castela in Fernando IV of Castela’s opinion.
The gift of 10% along with the return of Cordoba and almost half of Granada was of little comfort when his father-in-law basked in glory and prestige and Portugal not only took lands rightfully belonging to Castela on the peninsula but also achieved the ultimate “reconquista” goal of taking the fight to Muslims in North Africa. When Fernando IV of Castela returned to Toledo on August 22, 1340 he planned on avenging the injustices against Castela.
Over the next four years Fernando IV of Castela used the money received from Portugal to build up its army and also the construction of over a dozen galleys. In 1345 he sent Mohammed V of Granada an outrageous demand for tribute knowing that it could not pay. When Mohammed V did not acknowledge the demand, Fernando IV of Castela invaded Granada and besieged Antequera.
It was there that on October 15 1345, after four months of besieging Antequera that Fernando IV of Castela died as a result of an accident. The death of Fernando IV of Castela left the country in a state of instability as his oldest son Infante Pedro was only 11 years old and was crowned on October 25 as Pedro I of Castelo, Toledo and Murcia. In the Castilian court a battle was brewing over who would become his regent. A three way battle erupted between Pedro Núñez de Guzmán, Pedro I mother, Maria of Portugal, and Juan Manuel, Duke of Peñafiel. While initially Pedro I of Castela mother Maria succeeded as regent she used the position to extract revenge on Pedro Núñez de Guzmán and his daughter the late king’s mistress. Pedro Núñez de Guzmán and his daughter were killed along with most of her children. Only the 13 year old Henrique and his three year old brother Sancho were spirited away by supporters and went to live in France[13].
On June 10, 1348 Maria of Portugal lost the regency to the Duke of Peñafiel took the regency from her and she returned to Portugal where she died the same year as her brother. In his first act as regent he arranged the marriage of Pedro I of Castela to Joan daughter of Edward III of England.
Like his father, Pedro I of Castela publicly mistreated his wife and in 1352 imprisoned her where she contracted the plague and died.
Aragão “Age of Expansion”
In 1327 James II of Aragão died and was succeeded by Alfonso IV of Aragão. He continued his predecessors’ strategy of expanding Aragão’s holding outside of the peninsula by conquering Sardinia in 1323. In 1329 he married Infanta Maria of Portugal following the death of his first wife Teresa de Entenza, Countess of Urgell. In 1336 James II of Aragão died and was succeeded by his oldest son Pedro. Pedro IV of Aragão came to power at the age of 16 and two years later married Infanta Leonor of Portugal.
During his reign he strived to strengthen his reign and Aragão. He allied himself with Fernando IV of Castela against the Merínida Dynasty and sent part of his fleet under the command of Castilian Admiral Alonso Jofre Tenório to attack the Merínida Fleet at Ceuta in 1339. Only six Aragonese galleys survived the engagement off the coast of North Africa, when these six galleys reached Ibiza James II of Majorca, who had allied himself with Abu al Hassan of the Merínida Dynasty, seized the ships and arrested the crew.
With the growing threat by the Merínida and Granada Pedro IV of Aragão was unable to do anything regarding the hostile action of James II of Majorca. Aragão along with Castela suffered a great loss at the Battle of Elena putting the entire southern part of Aragão in jeopardy of Muslim invasion.
Pedro IV of Aragão desperately raced to replenish his army and ready for the expected Muslim attack when he received news of the great Portuguese victory at the Battle of Rio Guadalquivir and the destruction of the Merínida threat. He was less impressed with the lack of territorial gains but extremely happy regarding the huge treasure he received.
In 1342 he declared James II of Majorca as Contumacious vassal and with the assistance of his father-in-law Alfonso IV’s naval ships launched an attack on the Balearic Islands and deposed James II.
In 1350 Pedro IV of Aragão began a series of reforms aimed at making the kingdom easier to rule, including centralizing much of the kingdom’s power and reforming the administration.
[1]In iOTL he did strip them of their titles and they fled to Castela it was after that his mother did bring peace to the country again.
[2]In iOTL he invaded Castela due to the mistreatment of the Infanta Maria his daughter and the Queen of Castela.
[3]In iOTL Portugal did invade Castela and made war within the country and just like here it was his daughter who requested he make peace. Here with Portugal being much bigger it would have the capabilities to inflict greater damage.
[4]In iOTL Sancho IV of Castela stayed in Power so his daughter is married to D Afonso IV but here since he lost the power struggle, she is the cousin of the king. Also since he and his dad did not see eye to eye I wanted to make their relationship more difficult. Forerunner of the next king, and in iOTL he did have one illegitimate child.
[5]In iOTL his first is married to Castela’s King here since the king is much older she is married to King of Aragão instead of Leonor of Castela.
[6]Here is the biggest divergence from iOTL, there is no Castela group like in iOTL but since huge parts of iOTL Castela are part of Portugal, including Galiza which was the home of Ines de Castro, and in a country like Portugal which is comprised of three major groups: Galizans, Leonese and Portuguese which would require any king to make sure no one group had too much power it would be conceivable to imagine this political intrigue.
[7]Again major change from iOTL, does she live or die well it depends what you want the next king to do during his reign. Since I had plans for him that again differs from OTL I decided for her to live and become the “live” queen.
[8]Since Portugal is the largest and most powerful country in the Peninsula it would be the reasonable target and with its resources be able to accomplish what Castela and Portugal did in iOTL. Here the defeat is harsher and complete, the Merínida is destroyed 20 years earlier and by Portugal instead of due to internal fighting which coincidently was due to the losses in the Peninsula Ibérica.
[10]Here since Portugal was the victor the glory goes strictly to it, it gets the territory and still gives more land to Castela then it received due to its victory.
[11]Actual numbers of death from the earth quake are not really known these would be some estimates.
[12]While in iOTL he did not suffer such a huge defeat the larger country of Castela was so worried that he put all animosity and pride away and personally wrote to D Afonso IV requesting help against the muslims.
[13]When Ferdinand IV of Castela did die he did leave a minor as heir and his wife did become for a while the regent and she did have the mistress killed here it was a little more extreme but she still left some around who will be wanting to extract revenge on the king for the death and destruction on their family.
Nice to see Ines de Castro living ITTL.
Castela will probably expand south and absorb Granada, when the time of the Discoveries arrive, if it's still independent by then.
Morning all, finally got around to posting the next chapter and as time goes on they get larger, so to provide a better timing and posting I am breaking up the reign of Pedro I into three seperate posts, here is #1.
On May 27 1359 D Pedro I was proclaimed as King of Portugal, Leão, Galiza, Algarve, Andalusia and Tânger at the age of 38.
D Pedro I reign could be classified into two separate periods; the first period which lasted till 1371 would be classified as the administration period then following the death of his wife and Queen Ines Castro till his death in 1381 the war period.
While Queen Ines de Castro lived D Pedro I refused to leave her side and they stayed together at all times, during this time D Pedro concentrated on managing the country and providing justice to the people. To prevent the circulation of fake papal bulls and their destabilizing affect on the country he enacted the Beneplácito Régio in 1361which forbid the circulation of papal bulls without the king’s permission.
In 1365 he created “Companhia de Naus” with the objective of promoting the construction of both commercial and navy ships. It obligated all ships to be registered and pay taxes on the value of the goods transported. These funds were used to compensate for the loss of ships and also to finance the construction of additional ships.
In 1367 D Pedro I singed into law the “lei de Sesmarias” to limit the movement of people from the rural areas to the urban areas. It also expropriates the lands of landowners if they did not work their lands. Its impact and benefit would at first be heralded as great success for the agricultural output of Portugal by the end of D Pedro reign had almost doubled but most future scholars agreed that the real reason agriculture was able to recover was the large import of Muslims from North Africa to the Peninsula Ibérica. In 1375 regent Infante Fernando extended the “lei de Sesmarias” to cover all of Portuguese North Africa. Muslims were not allowed to live in North Africa and had to move to the Peninsula Ibérica. The distribution of the Muslims was dictated by the number of men of arms each lord provided thus those supplying large numbers of knights and soldiers received the biggest share of the “immigrants” and thus had the highest increase in agricultural output and income[2].
In 1369 a dispute arose regarding the loyalty of one of Portugal’s three Military Orders; Order of Avis. There was a dispute over whom the order’s Portuguese Grand Master reported to. With the Order’s Grand master in Castela demanding that the Portuguese chapter obey his orders. To bring it in line with the other two orders: Santiago and Christ who reported to the Portuguese crown he installed his youngest son Dinis in Charge of the Order of Avis. Thus ending for all time all foreign control and influence in the country’s religious military orders[3].
Marriage and Issue
D Pedro first marriage was to Constança Manuela of Leão. From this marriage two children were born; Infanta Maria born in 1342 and Infante Fernando born in 1345. But the marriage was not a happy one and soon after his wife arrival from Leão D Pedro fell in love with one of his wife’s ladies; Ines de Castro. Their romance continued concealed till 1346 when D Pedro left his wife and went to live openly with Ines de Castro.
From this union three children were born; Beatriz in 1347, João in 1349 and Dinis in 1352. In the meantime his wife devastated at her husband and friend’s betrayal died in 1350.
The affair and his public union with this women along with D Pedro apparent preference to several nobles from Galiza caused much trouble in his dad’s court so much so that in 1355 an attempt was made on Ines de Castro’s life and the rest of her family. Luckily for her several courtiers of her husband upon hearing rumours regarding plot to kill the De Castro family had travelled to warn D Pedro. They happened upon the assassins before they could kill her but in the struggle she was hurt in the attack but survived and the attackers fled.
Suspicion fell on the king and his advisors but nothing was ever proven and the assassins were never found. (Some say they were killed for failing in their mission, other say they fled Europe and took up arms in the Far East). Either way D Pedro never spoke to his father again and only returned to court after his dad had died[4].
In 1356 in complete disregard and contempt for his father, whom he believed was responsible for the attempt on Ines, but lacked the proof, he married Ines de Castro.
When he became king he publicly acknowledged not only his marriage to Ines de Castro but also his three children from his union with her. After he became king he was reunited with his two older children Infanta Maria and Infante Fernando whom he recognized as his heir[5].
In 1362 he arranged the marriage of Infante Fernando to Maria of England, daughter of Edward III of England, and then in 1370 he arranged the marriage of Infante João to Infanta Isabela of Castela, daughter ofPedro I of Castela. In 1375 he arranged the marriage of his youngest son Dinis to Maria of Silves, daughter of Duque de Silves.
On October 10, 1371 Queen Ines de Castro died and left a very distraught D Pedro I behind.
Following the death of his much beloved wife Ines de Castro, D Pedro I decided to leave Portuguese court in the hands of his oldest son, Infante Fernando who was proclaimed regent, and D Pedro I left to fight against the Muslims in North Africa. Since the capture of Tânger, Ceuta and Tétouan by his father in 1340 neither his father nor he had moved against the Muslim to the south. Plans had been made for an invasion of Marrocos but those plans had been shelved due to the “black Death” plague and the subsequent political turmoil in the country.
Now 30 years later circumstances once more allowed for the continuation of the war against the Muslims. Fortunately for D Pedro I the Muslims of North Africa have not benefitted from Portuguese inability to follow through in their victory at battle of Battle of Rio Guadalquivir. The Merínida Dynasty had collapsed with the death of Abu al Hassan without any heirs. A multitude of small kingdoms all vying to fill the gap fought amongst themselves for supremacy, which became known as the time of the vicars.
In 1372 till 1373 each lord was ordered to equip and supply a certain number of knights, infantry and archers and pay for their transport to Portuguese North Africa. The three Military orders were just told to pack up and move south. In 1374 a Portuguese army of over 45,000 soldiers and descends on the Muslims.
From 1374 to 1379 when politics in Peninsula Ibérica forced him to leave North Africa, D Pedro led the Portuguese in capturing all of North African coast from Ceuta to Nador. South of the Rif Mountains D Pedro captured most of the Lower Rio Sebou Valley leaving only the city of Fez as the only holdout to Portuguese control in the Rio Sebou Valley.
The huge Portuguese offensives finally forced the Muslims to attempt to unite under a single ruler. In the south Abu Zayd Abd ar-Rahman became the king of the Kingdom of Marráquexe. He united the southern Muslims for the first time in over 40 years under him and battled the Portuguese limiting their gains south of the Rio Sebou Valley to just a few coastal towns which the Portuguese began the process of fortifying. The fortified towns of Larache, Sale, Raba, Fedala, Azamor and Mazagão along the Atlantic coast were the limits of Portuguese conquest under D. Pedro I south of the Rio Sebou.
To combat the Portuguese, Abu Zayd Abd ar-Rahman formed an alliance with Abu Hammu II of the Abdalwadid Dynasty. As part of the alliance the Kingdom of Marráquexe recognized the Abdalwadid Dynasty claim to the city of Oujda and all land up to the Rio Moulouia which defined the maximum eastern extent of Portuguese North Africa. In 1379 Oujda was captured by Abu Zayd Abd ar-Rahman.
The rulers of the Fez refused to recognize Abu Zayd Abd ar-Rahman rule and the occupation of Oujda by the Abdalwadid. In 1378 Abu al-Abbas finally gained control of Fez and the surrounding lands and formed the Kingdom of Fes. The Kingdom of Fes was at war with all its neigbours and landlocked by Portuguese in the west and north, the kingdom of Marráquexe to the south and southeast and the Abdalwadid Dynasty to the northeast. Faced with the prospect of invasion from three sides Abu al-Abbas decided to ally himself with D Pedro and the Portuguese. In reality he became a vassal of Portugal and over the next two decades fought against both kingdom of Marráquexe and Abdalwadid Dynasty till their demise and his usefulness to Portugal disappeared.
To the east the Portuguese were challenged by the Abdalwadid Dynasty under the leadership of Abu Hammu II who in 1380 taking advantage of the Portuguese king’s return to Peninsula Ibérica besieged Nador. For six months they besieged the Portuguese fortress till disease and reinforcements from Tânger forced them to abandon the siege and return to their capital Tlemcen where he was overthrown and succeeded by Abu Tashufin Abd al-Rahman II.
In 1380, a 20 year old Nuno Álvares Pereira married the Duque of Oviedo only daughter, Leonor de Oviedo and following his father-in-law’s death two months later became the Duque de Oviedo. A year later he was made supreme commander of all Portuguese forces in North Africa“Condestável do Reino”.While he was only 21 he had distinguished himself in battle against the Muslims since he was 13 and had led the Portuguese forces in the decisive battle of Mazagão and Azamor which extended Portuguese control of the Marrocan Atlantic coast to the Rio Morbeia. He had also personally led the Portuguese forces against Abu Zayd Abd ar-Rahman who was attacking Rabat, his attack broke the Marráquexe siege of Rabat and in turn rescued his future father-in-law[7].
[1] In iOTL D. Pedro only reigned for ten years, some would lament the best ten years the country had seen.
[2] In iOTL these two acts were actually implemented by his son during his reign. The arrival of Muslims to work the land was something that did not occur in iOTL since it would not be till 1415 when Portugal would once again meet up with the Muslims and thus provide the land owners with workers.
[3] In iOTL he placed his illegitimate son John as head of the order, here he does not have any contact with another women and does not sire any illegitimate children.
[4] In iOTL he never did speak to his father following the death of Ines Castro, and he did extract revenge on those he attributed responsible for her death. Here the theory is that the King had most of them killed for bungling the job and those that escaped fled as far as possible.
[5] In iOTL he never did acknowledge his children from Ines Castro and they went to live in Castela for fear of their half brother.
[7] For those not familiar with early Portuguese history he led the Portuguese forces against Castela at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 at the very young age of 25. Here he fulfills Gods manifest by bringing the infidels under God’s grace.
exelent timeline, i´m subscribing, let´s see the future kings, and the formation of an empire that will last forever on earth , and in space in the future far ahead.