Portuguese Cabo- a TL

Mister Mister

Hi guys!

This is a proper TL- thread of my old discussion thread- here's a link: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/ah-discussion-portuguese-cabo.496065/

I'm gonna try to write a semi-TL about Portuguese Cabo. I can't promise that I will finish it, not even progress too far. I will also try to keep things as simple and short as possible. Also, I will try to keep the butterflies as minimal as possible, so no random events and similar things I hate.
Considering that I'm not a Portuguese and I don't speak Portuguese language, any assistance of those that are/do is much needed and appreciated.
Also, English is not my first language, so have patience and forgive me for my poor English.
 

Mister Mister

Part 1.

As a POD I will use Battle of Salt River in 1510.

Battle of Salt River - Wikipedia​




The battle itself goes as OTL and Portuguese have a lots of casualties ( including Don Francisco de Almeida, first Viceroy of India ). But, the difference is: Portuguese do not just shrug and say: Okay, we will not land there anymore.
Instead, king Manuel I of Portugal decides that they have to avenge his death and show these savages who's the boss, to prevent future attacks. The location is too valuable to be left without Portuguese ressuply base, for Indian Armadas.

So, he sends a few ships with soldiers, who build a fort there ( inicially just wooden palisades ), with horses, guns and other things.
New fort- Fort Manuel de Cabo ( named after the king ) is founded in 1512. Natives tried to destroy it more than once, but were defeated by superior Portuguese firepower.
A few years later, a few ships more bring 200 first colonists that settle around the fort. Settlers are to produce the food and other necessities that Indian Armadas need. Pallisades were increased to keep settlement protected. Later, wooden palisades were streghtned with stone.

At first, the settlement wasn't too important. But, as Indian Armadas passed, they had more food, water, even wine ( Portuguese settlers brought viticulture in South Africa ). Some settlers started fishing in nearby waters. Population about 1520 was about 900 ( about 300 soldiers, 200 original settlers and about 400 later settlers ). First captain-general was Duarte de Menezes, former captain-general of Tangier..


Marking-the-grave-of-Almeida-1510-by-Pieter-van-der-Aa-c.1708.jpg

Portuguese soldiers erecting a cross on a place where Almeida died.
 

Mister Mister

Part 2.
Conflict with Khoikhoi

Khoikhoi tribe living near Cabo has made lots of problems to Portuguese settlers there. While the Portuguise managed to beat them back more than once, they still attacked isolated farms, so that was the impediment for large-scale settlement. Portuguese thus made another small fort ( on top of OTL Signal Hill ) so that they can see the enemy, but also that they can observe sea traffic too.

800px-Lions_Head_%26_Signal_Hill_wza.jpg

Signal Hill in centre of picture, above the old fort.

Considering that Portuguese wanted to get rid of danger from Khoikhois, as soon as substantial reinforcements from Portugal and India arrived, they decided to attack them and force them out of area. The attack was sucessful, because now the Portuguese had the numerical and technological superiority. Khoikhoi village was destroyed, many of them killed or captured ( and sold as slaves ) and the rest forced to flee behind the Eastern mountains/Montanhas orientais ( OTL Boland and Hottentots Mountains ).
That allowed the Portuguese settlers to expand their farms and explore surrounding areas.
Some soldiers that arrived there to fight Khoikhoi's decided to stay and settle there, while the garrison was also increased by 100 soldiers. Another small fort was built on top of Devil's Peak/Pico de Diabo to better observe movements of Khoikhoi's. Conflicts with Khoikhois will continue later.

Capeflats.jpg


Area in circle now belonged to the Portuguese to settle. They started to plant wheat, wineyards and other such things. Also, sheeps and goats were brought from Portugal.
Also, some Portuguese founded small villages to the south of main settlement, on area of Cabo peninsula like Canto de Peixe/Fishhoek or Baia Bosque/Hout Bay.
Settlement from Portugal continued apace, so that in 1530 Cabo colony had about 2000 people living there.
 

galik

This seems to be a quite interesting topic for a TL. If Portugal establishes this early a base in South Africa and by the next years explores the region, it could potentially work has a second Brazil has a producer of sugar (Natal), and even rum to be traded in the north with slaves.
 

Mister Mister

Part 3.
The 1530s

The next decade was pretty much uneventful. There was no big change in Cabo colony. Slow settlement from Portugal continued. Population has grown by additional 1000 people, mostly by settling from Portugal. But, slowly, number of childern born in colony was growing. The main impediment was lack of women. Portuguese settlers were mainly male and single. So, some decided to marry ( or if not marry then have sexual relations ) with Khoikhoi womens that were their slaves. So, first Portuguese creoles or Pardos were born. Some soldiers and sailors also decided to settle there after their term of service expired.

Conflict with Khoikhois continued, mostly about cattle. Both sides tried to rob the other of their cattle. Portuguese suffered some victims, especially in isolated farms or grazing areas. That provoked larger Portuguese punitive expeditions against Khoikhois, that managed to push them further inland. Some of first olive trees brought from Europe started to give their fruits and first olive oil in Cabo is produced. Portuguese settlers continued to fill the area of coastal flatlands east of Cabo.
Some settlers settled into a later named Diaz Island ( OTL Robben Island ) to grow sheeps. They also hunted seals there.
The area settled by the Portuguese was about 20 x 20 km, with some outlying farms further away. For now, there was enough land for anyone.
 

Mister Mister

galik said:
This seems to be a quite interesting topic for a TL. If Portugal establishes this early a base in South Africa and by the next years explores the region, it could potentially work has a second Brazil has a producer of sugar (Natal), and even rum to be traded in the north with slaves.
Click to expand...
Indeed. But, on the other hand, will the Portugese be able to defeat warious Bantu tribes in northern and eastern parts of SA?
 
Xenophonte

Xenophonte

Well, a Portuguese settlement in the Cape would, IMO, change radically the OTL Portuguese expansion and colonial rule in what, OTL, would be the Portuguese East Africa and specifically that the many walled outposts and factories probably would be ruled and garrisoned from the Cape.
Also, I would guess that would be possible that if needed would be possible that could be brought there non Portuguese troops either to help in the defense of the new colony from Indian auxiliaries and/or Japanese mercenaries.
I would guess that the Church would have earlier on an important presence either for the Portuguese settlers or in the way of the very probably missionary efforts...
 

RedAquilla

So far everything looks good, there are some nitpicks in the Portuguese words but they are minor.

There is this article about the Portuguese Armadas in the Portuguese Wikipedia that could help you a bit in the earlier part of the TL, I think Google Translating it will solve the problem of not understanding the language if it's a problem.
pt.wikipedia.org

Armadas da Índia – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre

pt.wikipedia.org pt.wikipedia.org

I'd hope the Portuguese stop attacking the Khoikhoi and start converting them so there is one less problem for them to worry about and it could be a good source of revenue. The Portuguese will likely spend quite some time expanding their numbers in OTL Western Cape province before they move to Eastern Cape province which might happen in 1570s at the earliest in my opinion.
 

Mister Mister

RedAquilla said:
So far everything looks good, there are some nitpicks in the Portuguese words but they are minor.

There is this article about the Portuguese Armadas in the Portuguese Wikipedia that could help you a bit in the earlier part of the TL, I think Google Translating it will solve the problem of not understanding the language if it's a problem.
pt.wikipedia.org

Armadas da Índia – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre

pt.wikipedia.org pt.wikipedia.org

I'd hope the Portuguese stop attacking the Khoikhoi and start converting them so there is one less problem for them to worry about and it could be a good source of revenue. The Portuguese will likely spend quite some time expanding their numbers in OTL Western Cape province before they move to Eastern Cape province which might happen in 1570s at the earliest in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I thought something like that myself. About Khoikhoi, I think that for conversion they will need more time. Good source of revenue? How?
 
Venetian Doge

Venetian Doge

This is an interesting idea. Will this butterfly British/Dutch Cape colonies, or could there be conflict potential there in the future? One thing is for sure, if the Iberian Union still exists this colony may (or may not, I'm not an expert) be in for a bad time.
 
Gabingston

Gabingston

wertiol123 said:
This is an interesting idea. Will this butterfly British/Dutch Cape colonies, or could there be conflict potential there in the future? One thing is for sure, if the Iberian Union still exists this colony may (or may not, I'm not an expert) be in for a bad time.
Click to expand...
Could the British and Dutch get to India and the Far East without bases in Southern Africa? From London or Amsterdam to Calcutta or Jakarta is a LONG voyage, and I'm assuming they'd need to resupply somewhere.
 
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