John III of Portugal

John III (June 6, 1502–June 11, 1557; Portuguese: João III), nicknamed o Piedoso ("the Pious") was the fifteenth king of Portugal.

International relations

In terms of international relations, the reign of John III was filled with diplomacy. With Spain, he made alliances through marriage (himself with Catherine Habsburg; Isabella, princess of Portugal with Charles V; Maria, princess of Portugal ? his daughter ? with Philip II of Spain, and others) that assured peace in the Iberian Peninsula for years. However, the intermarriage of members of the Portuguese Royal Family with other Iberian kingdoms was probably one of the factors of the fragility of John's children and future King Sebastian's reported madness.

Related Topics:
Spain - Philip II of Spain - Iberian Peninsula - Iberian kingdoms

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John III remained neutral during the war between France and Spain, but stood firm fighting French corsair attacks. He strengthened relations with Rome by introducing the Inquisition in Portugal and the adhesion of the Portuguese clergy to the Counter-Reformation. This good relation with the Catholic Church made it possible for John to name whomever he wanted to important religious positions in the country: his brothers Henry and Afonso were made Cardinals, and his natural son Duarte was made Archbishop of Braga.

Related Topics:
France - Corsair - Rome - Inquisition - Counter-Reformation - Henry - Afonso - Cardinal - Duarte - Archbishop - Braga

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Commercial relations were intensified with England, the countries of the Baltic and Flanders during John III's reign. In other parts of the world, Portugal was the first European nation to make contact with Japan. In China, Macau was offered to the Portuguese, and soon Portugal controlled major trading routes in the area. In the South, the Portuguese continued with a hostile attitude against their Muslim rivals and insurgent Indian leaders. In the Moluccas John achieved an important political victory securing the control of the area in spite of Spanish claims.

Related Topics:
England - Baltic - Flanders - Japan - China - Macau - Moluccas - Spanish

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